Edward Smith’s letter (May 29) claiming that Free Staters are “helping the majority of NH residents live a better life” left me scratching my head.
When Free Stater Ian Underwood used stealth tactics to cut Croydon’s school budget in half, the locals voted by a vote of 377:2 to undo his “helpful” action.
“[W]e are your neighbors,” declares Mr. Smith. Most new neighbors move to a community for a job, school or other opportunity, or to be near family or friends. But Free Staters are here to hijack New Hampshire and make it their “homeland.” They’re encouraged to run for local and state offices and then work to reduce or eliminate services that most of us value, like local police and fire departments, public schools and road maintenance. Some candidly proclaim that they hope to cut services so drastically that many Granite Staters will feel compelled to move elsewhere. Some want to secede from the United States.
The Free State vision of New Hampshire is one where the idea of “the common good” has been cast aside, everyone is out for themselves, and we have individual rights but no shared responsibilities. Mr. Smith says that “this is something a majority of voters want.”
Let’s prove him wrong in the next election.
Mary Wilke
Concord