NH Union Leader's editor blog mentions FSP adopt a highway

[Russell Kanning]

actually I didn't take any vows  but if I break a bottle over your head ........ I will just have to clean it up later ..... so I guess we can will have to stay friends

[Kat Kanning]

actually I didn't take any vows 

  What was that wedding-thing?

[Lloyd Danforth]

I hope you were wearing your FSP shirt.

They gave us Serv-a-Palooza shirts to wear.? Timberland paid beaucoup bucks for these events, so I was happy to wear the shirt for them!?

A free pair of boots would have been a better deal

[Lloyd Danforth]

actually I didn't take any vows? but if I break a bottle over your head ........ I will just have to clean it up later ..... so I guess we can will have to stay friends

Just break the bottle over his head on some other group's piece of highway!

The highway clean-ups have offered us another oppourtunity to socialize and we get a couple of signs!

[Michael Fisher]

The highway clean-ups have offered us another oppourtunity to socialize...

[Lloyd Danforth]

Well....you know....get together!

[tracysaboe]

See, I guess if I was over there. The adopt a highway thing is something I probably wouldn't support -- but to each his own. If it was actually a public road -- as opposed to government owned (see Roderick's "Libertarian Plea for Public Property" for the discinction http://libertariannation.org/a/f53l1.html ) -- then I would, but helping the government take care of it's property? I've got better things to do.

In my opinion all your help does is free up government resources to terrorize us more.

But that's just my oppinion.

See also Blocks "Unionism II"

Specifically,

Let us take one last crack at public sector unions, which brings about a further complication. One of my correspondents mentions that "The last 2003 show of ABC's 20/20 news show had a story on how public employee unions are fighting against people who volunteer for the public good," referring to "one of the great 'Give Me a Break' segments by host John Stossel" (see on this No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Are Volunteers Taking Workers' Jobs? ABCNEWS.com).

The general issue is that citizens have been volunteering to do things like help public sector unionists collect trash in parks, aid them in planting flowers, help them stack books in public libraries, etc., and the unions have reacted viciously, as is their wont.

Before we can shed libertarian light on this contentious issue, let us first ask, What is the libertarian analysis of ordinary people volunteering to help the government do jobs it should not be doing in the first place? To put it in this way is almost to answer the question.

There is no difference in principle between volunteering to help the state perform illegitimate acts (of course, these are not illicit, per se, as are concentration camps; rather, it is improper, in libertarian theory, for governments to take on such responsibilities) such as regarding libraries, schools, parks, etc., and sending them monetary donations for such purposes. In either case, one is aiding and abetting evil, and risking being found guilty of crimes against humanity by a future libertarian Nuremberg trial court.  http://www.lewrockwell.com/block/block36.html

[Russell Kanning]

See, I guess if I was over there. The adopt a highway thing is something I probably wouldn't support -- but to each his own.

It is really easy to not support it.... stay in SD or ....when in NH, just do not help us pick up the trash.

[Kat Kanning]

stay in SD

[Michael Fisher]

There is no difference in principle between volunteering to help the state perform illegitimate acts (of course, these are not illicit, per se, as are concentration camps; rather, it is improper, in libertarian theory, for governments to take on such responsibilities) such as regarding libraries, schools, parks, etc., and sending them monetary donations for such purposes. In either case, one is aiding and abetting evil, and risking being found guilty of crimes against humanity by a future libertarian Nuremberg trial court.? http://www.lewrockwell.com/block/block36.html

The "new libertarian Nuremberg trial court" won't take me alive.

[Michael Fisher]

That's like saying the Red Cross should be prosecuted for treason for helping tyrannical governments take care of prisoners of war.

Or, more directly, it's like prosecuting someone in the US for treason for volunteering to clean up a road in Cuba, China, or North Korea (thus teaching the locals the value of volunteerism) simply because the governments own all the roads.

That's an awfully deep hole you're digging there...? ?

[Dreepa]

Whenever I go hiking I always bring a bag with me to pick up trash on the way.
Am I a govt agent?  No  I just like clean trails.  It is the right thing to do.

I made my inlaws clean up a section of the beach we were at last week.  The thought I was crazy.

[cathleeninnh]

I've done this for years. I walk every day and I don't want to see the same trash each day. Ownership seeps in and you get ticked to see new trash where you picked up yesterday.

[Russell Kanning]

http://www.unionleader.com/response_show.html?article=60840

[Lloyd Danforth]

Reading Denise's letter made me wonder who  came up with the "adopt a highway' concept.
My imagination led to a vision of a gov crew of overpaid state workers being paid  every day to keep the same highways clear.