FSP president Carla Gericke said this during the announcement:
"You may be wondering what the future of the Free State looks like? We will be be unveiling a comprehensive plan about the next phase at Liberty Forum in a few weeks, but I can say this: We will continue to solicit signers, and we will be encouraging all past participants to move. Over the next few months, we will be reaching out to them via email, mail, and phone. Ultimately, we want 20,000 people to move to New Hampshire.
Now, I know the question you all want to ask is, how many will actually come? First, 10% have ALREADY come, without the move even being triggered. Second, it’s difficult to speculate at this time, but the goal remains 20,000 movers. Finally, I believe, if we build it, they will come.
As we continue to build on our early, impressive successes in the Granite State, the federal government will continue its brazen overreach, whether it is police state tactics like national surveillance and police militarization, or the unconstitutional wars taking a toll on millions of innocent lives across the world, or them trying to get their grubby little paws on OUR internet. As more people awaken to this reality, more people will seek solutions, which life in New Hampshire as part of the Free State offers.
In the future, we will see the expansion of personal and economic freedoms here. People somehow seem wary of the notion that freedom works, but what if New Hampshire can lead the way? If autobahns work in Germany, why can’t they work here? If pot legalization works in Amsterdam and Colorado, why can’t it work here? If gambling works in Monaco--or, apparently, as long as the government runs it, like the Lotto--why can’t it work here? If deregulated markets keep Hong Kong competitive, why can’t we see more of the same here? If unfavorable tax burdens are forcing people and companies to leave certain states, why not welcome them to New Hampshire and build the Silicon Millyard right here?
In ten to twenty years, I know New Hampshire will stand as a wealthy, prosperous, autonomous example--a beacon of liberty--for the rest of the world to emulate. The future for the Free State Project in New Hampshire looks bright... First New Hampshire, then the world!"
Her full speech can be found here: https://freestateproject.org/blogs/press-releases/its-official-fsp-president-carla-gerickes-speech-trigger-move-press-conference
The FSP clearly has high hopes for this project, but I'm skeptical about how successful they will be at getting the 20,000 people to move to New Hampshire - especially those that pledged 15 years ago when the organization started their campaign. I'm also curious as to how much they would be able to change in the state of New Hampshire, which despite having a large number of independent voters, tends to lean solidly Democrat. What do you think? Will the FSP succeed in creating a Libertarian state?
