Free Staters' decision due in on Monday

Free Staters' decision due in on Monday

by Dean Abbott • Staff Writer • 09/21/03

The Free State Project, a libertarian group seeking to persuade 20,000 limited-government activists to move to a single state to influence public policy, is nearing the deadline to announce which state its members will target.

Ballots indicating members' choices are due Sept. 22 and the public announcement of the results is planned for Oct. 1. Though the list of possible states includes Vermont, Wyoming, Delaware and several others, New Hampshire has long been a front-runner as a likely choice for the group.

University of New Hampshire Political Science Instructor Dave Corbin said that if the group came to New Hampshire with sufficient numbers and a well organized political agenda, they could make a tremendous difference.

"The world could be theirs in New Hampshire," he said.

If New Hampshire is chosen, some members would begin moving here immediately though none are obligated to come for five years. Members of the group would likely settle across the state.

The group started its drive to recruit members – of whom promise to move to the selected state – in September 2001.

The group's Web site describes the political positions of many of its members.

"Most FSP members support policies such as the abolition of all income taxes, elimination of regulatory bureaucracies, repeal of most gun control laws, repeal of most drug prohibition laws, complete free trade, decentralization of government, and wide scale privatization."

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