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I just listened to today's podcast of Wall Street Confidential [mp3] with Jim Cramer... and got a major shock. At 4:50 into the show, we learn that the buried in the new healthcare bill, and recently signed into law, is a requirement that sales of gold bullion over $600 (ie, about half-an-ounce at today's prices) will now require a disclosure to the Federal government, in the form of a 1099 report. To help pay for that healthcare.

The prediction? That this will restrict the liquidity in the physical gold market. Sure makes sense to me: the regulations will squeeze the smaller dealers, thereby shrinking the market.

The following is an open letter circulated by my friend Ziggy Encaoua. Reposting here with permission -Denis

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A few months ago when the Free State Project reached 10,000 signers, I wrote a piece saying that its only inevitable that the more the number participating in the Free State Project the greater the interpretations of libertarians that will be advocated & there will be some who’ll be unhappy with that.

A friend just forwarded to me this thread on the FreeKeene forum. I didn't read the whole thread, but it seems that the (meaningless, inconsequential) "Shire Society Declaration" that circulated a few weeks ago, is in fact plagiarized from L. Neil Smith's "Covenant of Unanimous Consent", without so much as a mention or hat-tip to the original author, who is now thoroughly incensed.

Typical... of the Keeniacs.

MANCHESTER, N.H.―To demonstrate a spirit of voluntary cooperation, the New Hampshire Liberty Alliance has joined the state Department of Transportation’s Sponsor-A-Highway program for a two-mile section of roadway between Lee and Durham.

The Liberty Alliance, a non-partisan coalition working to increase individual freedom in New Hampshire, will be responsible for cleaning both sides of the roadway for two-miles along Rte. 4 between Lee and Durham at least four times a year for the next two years. For the first outing of the commitment on Sunday, June 13, 12 members of the alliance came out in the rain and spent more than two hours picking up 36 bags of debris, which included trash cans, hub caps, old license plates and empty soda bottles.

NH Senator Sylvia Larsen is President of the Senate, which under New Hampshire's structure of government arguably makes her the most powerful person in the state -- unlike the Governor, she doesn't have an executive council to appease. Like myself, she was born in Wisconsin, and has been involved in NH politics since moving here. Unlike myself, she served in the Wisconsin State Legislature.

But I digress. Senator Larsen enjoys a tremendously supportive following in her adopted home town of Concord. At least, she did. It seems that the proprietors of some mom & pop restaurants are not too thrilled with the Senator's recent voting record.

"If Congress were to pass a law requiring that all our citizens between the ages of 18 and 25 were to be pressed
into service for prostitution to pay off the national debt... would we all sit meekly by and watch them go off? I THINK NOT. So obviously, we have the power of nullification." Rep. Itse - one of the reasons I... ♥ NH

Reposting this disturbing message from Rep. Dan Itse. While I do not agree with the partisan nature of the email, I am deeply disturbed by the image below, which appears to be a "back-room deal" between the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House, and appears to completely subvert the Democratic process. --Denis

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Fellow Patriots,

This email is to inform you of the darkest day in the Legislature to date. Last Wednesday the motion was made to non-concur with the Senate on HB1128 and ask for a Committee of Conference on the condition that the Senate would reconsider their action on SB450 and non-concur and ask for a Committee of Conference by 3PM. Never before has a conditional motion been made in New Hampshire.

The Dow dropped nearly 1,000 points in a matter of minutes yesterday. The DJIA "circuit breakers" worked as expected, and trading stopped for 15 minutes. When trading resumed, the Dow gained back some of the loss, but was still down 400 for the day. This followed a string of down days for the index -- it was down 8.5% in the week to Thursday.

Now, some media are reporting that this drop may have been the result of a glitch or typo in an automated trading system. Bollocks! (read more...)

Seen today at the State House, just outside the Governor's office. It's a coffee can with a little slot in the top for donations. Looks like somebody finally is taking the State budget deficit seriously!

h/t Rep. Movsesian and thanks for thinking it was me who put it there... I wish I could claim credit, alas, I cannot!

Starting around 3:00 into the video, Walter Williams and Judge Napolitano talk about the Free State Project, and the idea of states "ending the relationship" with the US Federal Government. If only they knew how far along NH really is...

Thanks for the mention, guys! Come on up to the Free State any time!

I am honored to have been invited to speak at the 2010 "Tea Party" rally in Portsmouth, NH. Below is the text of my speech.
-Irena

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Greetings, my fellow Americans! My name is Irena Goddard. I come to you today with a unique perspective, and a serious warning. I come to you today to incite you to action!

If you're concerned about the loss of freedom in America, and you're not in New Hampshire, the only real question is what are you waiting for?

Yeaaahhh!!! The healthcare bill passed! Now I am certain that my investments in gold and silver will pay off sooner rather than later, as the US Dollar enters its inevitable currency crisis.

Hats off to President Obama, for ending the war in Iraq, oops, I mean, for ending CIA predator-drone assassinations, oops, I mean, for being the BEST EVER RECRUITER FOR THE FREE STATE PROJECT!

... I am posting here, my preferred outcome for when 213 liberty-lovers some day get themselves elected to the NH State Government:

• bill #1: secede
• bill #2, allow competition in all State functions
• bill #3, go the fuck home, stop there, come back in 2 years

Honestly, in their heart of hearts, who could not get on board with that!?!?