Our game plan for overcoming the cold state problem

Pretend you're a state government. Debt Shrinking population Unfunded pension obligations working hard to now say "bankruptcy" too loud

New Athens (me) says: we want to build a top-tier american city in your state. we have three waitlists: 100,000 families 1,000 businesses $10B capital waiting to deploy largest econ develoment project in US history in your state

the deal: you let us try we get charter: we follow state constitution, otherwise blank legal slate whatever land we buy follows our rules reasonable limits like cap on land you get safe money 20% gross city tax revenue you spend nothing. we build all our own infastructiure, not you you owe our residents nothing. we provide all services, not you

if we succeed you get billions of dollars into your general fund. $3 billion/year if we reach goal of top-20 city within 20 years. benefit entire state economy secure your state's future: young families, businesses, and capital doesn't cost you anything like dropping a columbus or phoenix or denver in your state but you don't pay for anything

if we fail because we do something stupid revoke our charter and shut us down you didn't lose any money because you didn't put any in

why we'll succeed normal people stuff best of the left, best of the right nice houses under $200K safe neighborhoods / bad guys in jail great schools good jobs inexpensive healthcare sane men sane women culture, nightlife full churches ...everybody going to get laid

What we aren't no religious cults not a tax avoidance scheme extreme partisans can come, because it's a free country, but we're saying to the true believer christian monarchists and true believer communists, there's nothing for you here.

how we build turn new athens into a SCENE. join Team Human. we have blank slate and $10B every wonk with a good idea entrepreneurs free to builld ambitious young people looking for adventure used to show up in NYC with a dream and $200; now New Athens Come build the future. not an app, but an actual city. it's a frontier for people. in contrast to Elon's space frontier, which is for robots

why? america needs babies figure out how to make babies without violating basic american values problem today is that EVERYTHING works against families that's why building a city: it's the smallest social unit where we can fix everything all at once technocratic plan: make parenthood affordable, enjoyable, and normal. output = babies.

why we'll be popular the alternatives are terrible mass migration industrial scale surrogacy grow kids in artificial wombs population collapse -> economic collapse -> death

who will invest AI companies and their investors reason 1: they want money, and we're going to make them money. same deal as our host state: they get cut of city's gross tax revenue reason 2: smartest people in AI noticing that people who make and use their tools stop having kids, that's a big problem, and NA is a real potential solution culture rapidly turning against AI companies so supporting NA is smart politics

if it works, it's a model for American renewal fix everything all at once feedback loop magnet for pioneers, which means magnet for business no collapse. if anything, the worse it gets elsewhere, the more people move to NA host state gets rich and won't want to shut us down

one more thing: grand bargain with tech industry smart people know that tech ruined a lot of what used to work...but also we all love tech. something has to change Grand bargain in new athens: you may not carry tech on your person no smartphones, watches, wearables, implants, injectables, even dumb phones. get caught carrying and get a ticket even a kid can understand. no FOMO because nobody gets has them applies to children, adults, cops applies everywhere: work, home, public spaces, private spaces tech stays on the table or in a vehicle. technically, we go by weight: all self-powered devices that send, receive, or record data minimum weight 20lbs exceptions for medical devices that restore normal function balance = keep the good stuff, save our souls

to businesses: hoover up great workers who like our low cost of living and lifestyle. you are going to have to open office here because nobody wants to move away

Growth strategy (public facing)