LiveFreeAndComply.org

Following up on: [LiveFreeAndComply.org Illegal Liberty Raffle]

Selectmen Abugelis, Farnum, and Roberts went a bit overboard with their new town raffle permit, inventing new rules and powers for themselves. From their new raffle regulations: “It is the express intent and purpose of these regulations, to strictly regulate the conduct of raffles within the Town of Tamworth, through the issuance of permits for the conduct thereof, to protect the welfare of the citizens and to prevent criminal activity“. Strictly regulate indeed – Selectman Willie Farnum stated at the most recent Selectmen’s meeting that not complying with their raffle rules would be a prosecutable criminal offense!

Initially under the auspices of merely “doing their job” and complying with a silly yet onerous state law, the Selectmen have gone above and beyond and come up with these gems in their new raffle permit, none of which are provided for in RSA 287-A:

• Local charitable organizations must have their permit submitted 30 days ahead of time. Billy’s Boy Scout Troop raising funds for that scout trip in two weeks? That’s a Willie Farnum “criminal offense” right there.
• Prizes must be listed in advance for the Selectmen as well as ticket prices, along with a sample raffle ticket attached to the application. – last minute donation of a raffle prize not pre-listed on their application? Criminal offense, apparently.
• The sponsoring organization must register with the Attorney General’s office, in complete conflict with RSA 287-A:1 II. (b). According to the new permit application: “Organization must be non-profit, a charity and registered with the Non-Profit Charitable Trust. To register, Call Attorney General’s Office, Division of Charitable Trusts at 271-3591.“
• Police review of the “suitability of the applicant for a permit”. Surely any notorious con-man defrauding people on a raffle (huge problem in Tamworth these days, you know) will make sure he has his paperwork duly filed with the town in advance. This is the problem – the only people who are going to care about filing the town’s silly paperwork are local community groups looking to not get in trouble with the bureaucrats.
• Finally, in classic Tamworth town government style, there is a blanket exemption from all of their new invented rules as well as all the existing silly state rules on raffles should the Selectmen deem it appropriate. While the Selectmen choosing not to enforce the obnoxious rules of the state or town government is a positive thing, Tamworth has a history of a lot of problems arising from having two sets of rules in town, depending on who you are and your associations with town government.

The seriousness with which the Selectmen seem to take charity raffles would be humorous, if their raffle sillyness wasn’t so indicative of how things roll with the Tamworth town government: causing problems and expense for people who have harmed no one, eyes lighting up at the thought of just a little more power, control, and paperwork, and inventing rules in conflict with common sense and state law. The Selectmen ought to leave the dozens of community groups in Tamworth alone, rather than protecting “the welfare of the citizens” with more paperwork and problems.

Amidst the Selectmen’s latest firearms foibles, one Tamworth resident shared an experience he had at the town offices in which he described the actions of Anne Abear and Cassandra Pearce – the two secretarial drones in the Selectmen’s office. Easy-going Tamworth resident Bob Abraham stated he was at the town offices, invited behind Anne and Cassandra’s wall of security glass, on personal business. Firearms being a hot topic at the Selectmen’s meeting that day, Anne Abear reportedly inquired multiple times if he was carrying a firearm – he relented that he was. Bob was reportedly asked by Anne multiple times to show his holstered firearm; he stated that he reluctantly obliged and lifted his shirt slightly. Bob stated he was then promptly asked to leave Anne’s office – he complied to the sight and sound of her door being locked and her window shades being drawn shut behind him.

On his way out, Bob stated he heard Cassandra on the phone to Police Chief Dan Poirier to report that “there are people with guns” at the town offices. Turns out there were several other peaceful and responsible folks with firearms at that evening’s Selectmen’s meeting. Local officer Penny Frechette was observed in the hall later in the evening during the firearms discussion at the Selectmen’s meeting – Chief Dan Poirier refused a public records request for the specifics of his department’s call logs and reports for that evening, stating that he “doesn’t think that’s public information”.

Anne and Cassandra may want to ask themselves why they’re so concerned that people would be so mad at their actions that they think they need to be throwing local self-defense-minded gun owners out of their offices fortified with taxpayer funded security glass.

The Tamworth Selectmen voted 2-1 to get rid of their offending employee policy. Tom Abugelis stated that he supports the principle of the policy, but preferred the town not get wrapped up in legal problems sorting this issue out. Willie Farnum skewed the issue from the rights of the dozens of town employees to have the means to defend themselves whilst on town property to some odd perception that town firefighters were going to be operating in a quasi-police role on fire calls. John Roberts reversed course from his previous outlook on the issue, and stated that he “doesn’t think the Board of Selectmen are in a position to decide who does and who doesn’t carry a firearm. I don’t think we can be, and I don’t want to be.” – hat’s off to John for that.

With the stubbornness of an ornery donkey in heat, Selectman Willie Farnum let out one last political gasp after the Selectmen voted to remove the offending policy, declaring that he’d like to formally have added to the town policy that the Selectmen “respectfully request” that town employees not possess firearms at work. Update: Abugelis and Roberts steer clear of more firearms problems, turning down Farnum’s suggestion for a “respectful request” from the Selectmen at their subsequent meeting.

Selectman Tom Abugelis wrapped up the discussion: “I think this is an example of a town operating with openness and responsibility out of care and concern…I’m very proud to work with my two fellow Selectmen because of the degree of thinking and thought and care that they put into every issue. To me, it’s an example of really effective local leadership.” Christ, if this Selectboard in general, and their smarmy response to the firearms issue in particular, is a fine example of “really effective local leadership”, Tamworth is in some real trouble.

Update: The Conway Daily Sun reports on Selectmen’s latest woes resulting from their anti-gun position. The article describes Selectman John Robert’s political career unraveling with residents who support gun rights and oppose government spending, and goes on to refer to Tamworth as “a bastion of uninhibited freedoms in the increasingly regulated Live Free or Die state” (Amen!). LiveFreeAndComply.org is cited as “a self-professed pro-liberty Tamworth site”. The Carroll County Independent also published a follow-up to their previous article below, stating the Tamworth Selectmen said they really, really will stop sitting on their hands on the firearms issue.

Update 2: In a win for liberty in Tamworth, the Selectmen beat a retreat on the firearms issue and removed their policy. Pro-Gun New Hampshire’s website declares “Reason and Law Defeat Prejudice in Tamworth“, describes Selectmen as having the enthusiasm of a “9-year-old going in for a root canal” in removing their employee policy.

The Carroll County Independent today published an article covering the melee over gun rights in Tamworth at the last two Selectmen’s meetings, specifically covering the firefighter’s initial objections, the illegality of the town policy, and the gun-toting town’s folk open-carrying firearms to the last Selectmen’s meeting to show the bureaucrats “that peaceful and responsible gun owners are not a problem”.

As well, the following e-mail from Ossipee Selectman and former NH State Representative Harry Merrow is reportedly making its way around the region:

From: Harry C. Merrow [mailto:{omitted}@myfairpoint.net]
Sent: Tuesday, September 01, 2009 12:47 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: Tamworth Guns

Take a look at the attached web site. What is happening in Tamworth goes against present state law (which I supported) and is clearly illegal. If the town reg. is enforced and/or expanded I will not be able to support or vote for John [Roberts] if he runs for a second term as a State Rep. unless he takes a clear stand against the town reg. on guns. Go to    livefreeandcomply.org

Harry

Conservation Commission Chairman Ned Beecher, one to comply with minute and silly rules whenever possible apparently, presented the Selectmen with a detailed written request for a Raffle Permit at tonight’s Selectmen’s meeting. Turns out that the state of New Hampshire desires to preserve its government monopoly on gambling, and leaves it to local town governments to enforce its silly yet onerous rules on selling raffle tickets through Raffle Permits. (New Hampshire Lotto Motto: “Gambling is a vice and a sin, and we’re here to save you from your wicked and foolish ways…unless it generates money for the government”).

This being the first Raffle Permit ever sought from the Board of Selectmen, they did sign off on Ned’s permit and stated they would sort out their policy on Raffle Permits in the future. It also came to light at the meeting that the Chocorua Public Library is currently holding a raffle without the appropriate governmental blessings via a Raffle Permit.

In an effort to persuade the Board of Selectmen into not participating in assisting the state government in preserving their gambling monopoly, and to support the un-permitted raffle being put on by the Chocorua Public Library, LiveFreeAndComply.org is announcing its own Illegal Liberty Raffle:

Up for grabs is an original 1844 American Letter Mail Company stamp in excellent condition. In the spirit of government monopolies such as the NH Lotto, the American Letter Mail Company was founded by an interesting character named Lysander Spooner in an effort to challenge the US Postal Service’s unethical monopoly on mail delivery. As with most of those who choose not to comply with government rules, he and his business were rather vigorously put to rest with the enforcement of the Private Express Statutes, which make it unlawful to compete with the US Postal Service; but ’tis an inspiring story of a cheeky fellow and a good example of the typical response of government.

Lottery tickets are on sale for $10 per ticket, though only $5 if you’re under 16 in an effort not to comply with RSA 287-A:4. Raffle tickets will be printed on plain raffle tickets, in conflict with RSA 287-A:3. So as not to comply with RSA 287-A:1 II. (b), the proceeds from this raffle will be solely utilized to provide lavish and luxurious niceties for the editors of LiveFreeAndComply.org, and for no charitable reasons whatsoever. Please contact info@livefreeandcomply.org to arrange to buy tickets.

Should you desire to support another good cause, voluntary donations through a raffle are a great way to fund the Chocorua Public Library, and much preferable to library funding acquired through involuntary taxation. Hopefully this gives the Selectmen two positive reasons to not participate with the state in hassling local charities with another layer of bureaucracy to deal with.

Update: [Selectmen Go Crazy Regulating Local Charities] – The Tamworth Selectmen, professionals at sitting indefinitely on positive actions they could take, swiftly move at their 11/9/09 meeting to start helping the state enforce their gambling monopoly and cause more paperwork problems for local non-profits.

Tamworth Selectman and New Hampshire State Representative John Roberts was asked tonight to follow up on his previous statement that the Selectmen would publicly review their unlawful and unethical threat to fire town employees who carry firearms for self defense on town property in October when Selectman Abugelis returned to the board. Tonight was the Selectmen’s last meeting for October, with Selectman Tom Abugelis at his third October Selectmen’s get-together in a row. Roberts responded that he really meant that the policy will be reviewed in October of 2010, thus making clear his intentions to side with inaction and against peaceful and responsible gun owners in town. Classy, John.

Update: Selectmen schedule November meeting to discuss, and use that meeting to put it off for another two weeks. When prodded by two members of the public to release their apparently secretive legal brief on their plan of attack with regard to the employee policy, Abugelis stated “maybe”, and Roberts said the board keeps all briefs that their taxpayer funded attorney writes away from public eyes.  Roberts stated that he wants to put the issue behind him…er, next meeting.

You know things aren’t looking bright when the lead-in to a project scoping meeting includes the Selectmen saying the only means of pursuing the project not up for discussion is throwing the towel in entirely, apparently fretting that some residents saw the project as an expensive boondoggle. This was followed up by Selectman John Roberts stating at the meeting that if Phase 2 of the Chocorua Village Project goes the way that Phase 1 did, there ought not be a Phase 3.

One might reasonably wonder what the upsides are to what sounds to be a veritable quagmire of pending lawsuits and contractor problems on a $3+ million dollar taxpayer funded project. Why, safety of course! Next time you take a drive through scenic and placid Chocorua Village, take note of the near bloodbath caused by vehicles careening around turns, 18-wheelers blazing through at 70 MPH, and little children getting mowed down by irresponsible leaf-peepers and town’s folk. The solution? Narrow the road, add twists and bends to make it wind all the more, and plant shrubbery so drivers can’t see around those new curves – this was seriously the focus of the safety improvements that came up at the meeting, with the stated goal of slowing down drivers. Make Chocorua Village a true safety hazard, drivers will fear for life and limb, and they’ll slow down. If speed is what’s causing the staggering body count piling up from traffic accidents in Chocorua, it would seem that one could splurge on quite a few radar guns and speed limit signs for a lot less money than three million dollars.

Sidewalks were also a hot topic of the safety discussion – here we have something that might actually help save pedestrians from the real-life game of Frogger apparently taking place in Chocorua Village. Except we won’t. Turns out that when the federal government takes your and your neighbor’s money via the income tax and redistributes it, it comes with strings attached. In this case, the caveat is that the town taxpayers are required to keep the sidewalks clear through winter. Seems that this is a bit of an expensive endeavor recurring year after year, involving collecting and trucking the snow off of the sidewalks. In defense of the Selectmen, they did state they don’t want to burden Tamworth’s residents with this cost. It’s still a question as to whether it’s 4 feet of snow (multiplied by approximately a mile of sidewalks) that would need to be tended to, or 16 feet of snow that the snowplows move off the road onto the sidewalks. The latest plan that the Selectmen and the State have decided to pursue is not having formal raised sidewalks, but rather surfacing the road shoulders with a different texture or material, hoping this will skirt the federal snow removal requirements, and still allow for “sidewalks”.

After a meeting with the State regarding the project, the Selectmen said it looks like it’s going to be the 2011 building season before any work actually gets done on the ground owing to the sheer volume of bureacracy between the local, state, and federal government that is involved in approving funding for the project – much to the horror of members of the Chocorua Community Association present at the meeting, who were interested in seeing work happen much sooner.

Seems like a mess.

The Board of Selectmen decided to halve the frequency of the meetings they hold, and administrator Cassandra Pearce will be absent from the office for the next 6 weeks, thus halving the labor resources available to conduct the town government’s business.

The new Superintendent of government schools for SAU 13, Jay McIntire, after introducing himself at tonight’s Selectmen’s meeting as one of the more highly paid taxpayer-funded employees, stated that as part of his new job, he was looking to cut costs at the administrative level and find a new, more economical home for the SAU’s operations. As long as we’re going to have government schools, they might as well be slightly less expensive – good for Jay so far. Upon Selectman Farnum’s suggestion that a portion of the local sinkhole of taxpayer money, the K.A. Brett elementary school, could possibly be used for the SAU’s operations, Superintendent McIntire stated that it would be far too easy for a child’s parent, displeased with something or another to do with their child’s education, to be able to go right to the Superintendent’s office down the hall if the principal couldn’t or wouldn’t tend to the parent’s concerns.

If Jay has unhappy parents at his schools, and he apparently doesn’t fancy dealing with their problems, it would seem to be a simple solution for everyone involved if parents could keep their earnings taken from them to fund the government school system as well as Jay’s paycheck, and instead send their child to a private or home school that would perhaps meet their needs better. Not every family can afford to be required to pay for a government school as well as a private school at the same time, and thus unhappy parents without extra funds are left to send their kids to a school whose Superintendent objects to having to deal with them at their convenience.

Update: Superintendent McIntire responds, stating lack of financial freedom for parents in school choice is unfortunate, and he really doesn’t object to parents… Read the rest of this entry »

5+ 8+ weeks, two five Selectmen’s meetings, and still no removal of Tamworth’s unlawful and unethical written threat to fire employees packing heat, so to speak, for self defense on town property.

Most recently, Selectman Willie Farnum stated that he still thinks the town policy is a legitimate and enforceable rule. When asked if he and the Board of Selectmen were willing and interested in pursuing defending their disarmament of New Hampshire residents through lengthy and expensive legal proceedings at the taxpayer’s expense, Farnum stated he would not be willing to go this route and the matter is apt to “be resolved in favor” of peaceful and responsible gun toting town employees. Farnum continued that had he known it was going to be such a contentious issue, he “probably wouldn’t have put that in there”. Farnum stated, rather vigorously, that the Selectmen have been busy with other matters for the past 5+ 8+ weeks and that’s why they haven’t taken care of the problem yet: busy with urgent government tasks including seizing a woman’s property from her, paying the town’s “welfare director”, and many tax levies to sign off on – give those Selectmen a break, they’ve got a lot on their plate for goodness sake!

Selectman John Roberts did not stick around after the meeting for the discussion, nor has he stated anything further on the matter publicly since his initial comments expounding upon how he views gun owners, who have never caused a problem, as a threat and a liability to the town, and at the subsequent Selectmen’s meeting, stating the matter would be reviewed at some vague point in the future. [Update: John Roberts reportedly stated to a reporter for the Carroll County Independent that the Selectmen would take up the issue again when Tom Abugelis returned back to being a full-time Selectman in October - as of this writing, it's October and Tom Abugelis is back at tonight's Selectmen's meeting] It is our understanding of town politics that folks inclined to vote for Willie Farnum would respond with incredulity as to why anyone, especially town employees, would need a gun at all. However, it would seem that John Roberts would have the most to lose, from a political perspective, by alienating his voters who have a sincere objection to politicians in positions of power and control that see gun owners as a threat and a liability, especially as he is willing to speak out publicly in support of restricting those gun owners in circumstances that he and the town government think they have control over.

What happens if Selectman Farnum, Selectman Roberts, and Police Chief Poirier think they control more than just town employees on town property in the future, as has shown to be the case in other big-government jurisdictions? Would peaceful and responsible gun owners be any less of a threat and a liability in their eyes? This is the crux of the issue, and if the Selectmen and Police Chief are going to hold the view that peaceful and responsible gun owners are a threat and a liability, they ought to at least think twice in the future about acting and speaking out upon these odd views – removing their unlawful employee policy would be a good first step towards showing they understand resident’s objections to their negative view of gun owners.  Dodging the matter Reflecting upon the matter for 5+ 8+ weeks is a politician’s way of handling issues: either stick to your guns, fellows, and publicly state that the unlawful policy will be staying on the books, or bite the bullet, and remove it.