CLG Nashua Meeting July 12th - Margarita's (Upstairs @ 11:30)

[Ragnar76]

10:30 to 11:30: Optional Pre-Meeting Coffee Discussion

Riverwalk Cakery & Coffee House (35 Railroad Square)

Possible Discussion Questions/Topics:

1.   Is self-sacrifice a virtue?
2.   Can government stay small?
3.   The Austrian School of Economics' perspective on the business cycle

11:30-1:00 p.m. July Group Meeting

1.   June-July in Review
2.   Website Update
3.   Group t-shirts, merchandise update
4.   Local News
5.   2-Minute Open forum
6.   Group Survey Feedback
7.   Book Swap
8.   Member donations

[Kat Kanning]

What is CLG?

[FTL_Ian]

FYI:

Margarita's Mexican Restaurant was a major supporter of the NH smoking ban.  You may want to boycott this establishment and take your business somewhere liberty-oriented, or at least neutral. 

[Ragnar76]

CLG = Coalition for Limited Government

A coalition of liberty-friendly activists interested in promoting small-goverment, pro-liberty ideas and policies locally. We have conservatives, libertarians, and yes, some anarcho-capitalists/voluntaryists that want to limit gov't to nothing, but we try to stay focused on local and State economic and regulatory issues that we can work together on (e.g. the seat belt law, property tax increases, etc).

We looked at several venues last year and for a number of reasons the members chose Margaritas. The downtown location is easily accessible, they serve good food, and there's plenty of space - we normally have the entire upstairs to ourselves. If we have a suitable alternative I'm sure members would be up for relocating but we try to maintain continuity for our meetings (first Sunday of every month, same time, same location).

I've always taken the position that we should do what's best for the group. Obviously I despise their support for a smoking ban but I'm sure I also oppose the political views of a number of business owners that I give business to because in my judgment they offer the best value. Everything being equal, we'd drop Margaritas in a second for a pro-liberty or at least an apolitical establishment but I just don't see an equal alternative at the moment. We could really use a Taproom-Nashua but until that day Margarita's appears to be working out thus far.





 

[FTL_Ian]

Weird.  I'd think there are lots of places to eat with good food and a lot of room in Nashua.  We have them here in Keene.  You'd think the "Coalition for Limited Government" would start out by not patronizing business people who openly agitate for more government. 

[jaqeboy]

Dan at the Nashua Garden on Main Street was an organizer of the opposition to the smoking ban. You could probably have his whole upstairs on Sundays (if he's open then).

http://www.yelp.com/biz/nashua-garden-nashua

[jaqeboy]

Dan and his partner also own Castro's Back Room, a cigar smokery (I think it's next door), hence their interest in keeping laws in check that restrict smoking.

http://castros.biz/

[Ragnar76]

The Margarita's issue may be a moot point since we decided last Sunday to move the meeting to the evening of the second Thursday of the month. (Some members had work conflicts and others would prefer open weekends). We're looking at several options at the moment and should have a decision, at least for the August meeting, by next week. 

What I find striking is that of all the questions you could ask you choose to question the particular location we've been meeting and indirectly the group's principles. Why not ask about our goals, our plans for activism, or maybe just offer some encouraging words for another pro-liberty group in New Hampshire? I don't understand this paranoid urge to try to identify contradictions or weaknesses in any individual or group that doesn't strictly adhere to anarchism as the ideal political philosophy and civil disobedience as the ideal form of political activism. I assume most of us are at least a little biased to our own city/local activist network and our preferred form of activism but that doesn't make us competitors. A growing, successful group of activists in Nashua is good for Keene and vice versa. 

















 

[FTL_Ian]

Ragnar,

It's great that there are activists in Nashua.  I'd only known of two or three.

If you'll review the thread, you'll see there was only one question asked of you, by Kat. I simply gave you a heads up to the fact that you were planning to patronize a statist establishment.  No need to be defensive.  Meet where you want, just don't expect a whole bunch of people to show up and voluntarily contribute to aggression advocates.

Glad to hear you are reconsidering.  Jack's suggestion seems to be a good one.

[Friday]

Meet where you want, just don't expect a whole bunch of people to show up and voluntarily contribute to aggression advocates.

The group has been meeting regularly for months (it may be over a year now), and lots of people have shown up.  FYI, there's a whole big state outside of Keene.

[FTL_Ian]

Glad to hear it.  (Except for the patronizing Margarita's part)  I've only really heard about Grafton, Manch, Concord, and Portsmouth.  Aida moved here earlier this year and said Nashua was awful for activism.  That's the only real testimonial I've heard so far.

[Fluff and Stuff]

Glad to hear it.  (Except for the patronizing Margarita's part)  I've only really heard about Grafton, Manch, Concord, and Portsmouth.  Aida moved here earlier this year and said Nashua was awful for activism.  That's the only real testimonial I've heard so far.

She does very little activism and doesn't seem as political as the average person. 

As far as I know, most of the activism in Nashua consists of tons of political activism.  It's decent activism.  We might have influenced a state senator from Nashua to be against a primary seat belt law, for example.

[jaqeboy]

Dan at the Nashua Garden on Main Street was an organizer of the opposition to the smoking ban. You could probably have his whole upstairs on Sundays (if he's open then).

http://www.yelp.com/biz/nashua-garden-nashua

Dan Quinn's his name - couldn't remember it the other day - good guy, good deli sandwiches and beer and the place has character.

[AntonLee]

Meet where you want, just don't expect a whole bunch of people to show up and voluntarily contribute to aggression advocates.

The group has been meeting regularly for months (it may be over a year now), and lots of people have shown up.  FYI, there's a whole big state outside of Keene.

I hadn't heard.