I have written and spoken in the past that because of the Free State Project, “New Hampshire is the luckiest state in the history of the United States.” (State Rep. Cynthia Chase—a statist transplant from statist Rhode Island—recently
reinforced that view with her public outburst that “Free Staters are the single biggest threat New Hampshire is facing today”; after my Grokster buddy Steve MacDonald broke the story on GraniteGrok.com it went viral, resulting in priceless national publicity for the Free State Project).
The power of native New Hampshire activists joining with Freestater immigrants was demonstrated Monday night at the annual town meeting in the Free Town of Grafton where efforts to increase local spending and taxing were decisively defeated and reversed. An initial motion to reduce— instead of increase—the annual town spending budget by 20% failed by a single vote. A following motion to reduce the budget by 10% passed. Successive motions to reduce various spending warrant articles by 10% also passed. How could this happen? Easy….
The basic attitude at the town meeting was “The economy is awful, and lots of us have had to reduce our own family budgets by 10% or more…so why does town taxing and spending have to go up every year?” The message was greeted with repeated majority votes that cut proposed spending by the town. The votes were driven by people born and raised in Grafton, joined by long-time residents, joined by relative newcomers who have moved to the small town in recent years as part of the Free State Project migration. The results are a tribute to Grafton and its people: Cheers and kudos to you all!