This week we celebrate the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Considered by many historians to be our two greatest presidents, they came from vastly different backgrounds.
George Washington was the son of a wealthy family who through inheritance and hard work was worth almost $500 million (in today’s dollars) at the time of his death. In contrast, Abraham Lincoln was the son of an itinerant farmer whose estate was worth around $100,000 (in today’s dollars) at the time of his death.
However, both men are credited with playing an essential role to ensure that we have a free United States. Without Washington, it is likely that not only would the United States not have won the revolution, it would have become a monarchy instead of a republic. In history, most successful military commanders have refused to step aside and became dictators. At the end of the revolution, George III, the king of England at the time, expected Washington to become king of his former colonies. When he was told that Washington was going to resign and go back to being a private citizen, George III said, “If he does that he will be the greatest man in the world.”
Washington created the office of the presidency. He was offered titles that he rejected. He always insisted he was a citizen that was being president for a limited time. At the end of his second term, many begged him to stay but he refused and returned to his Virginia farm.
Unlike Washington, Lincoln was a self-taught man who tried and failed at several businesses before studying law and becoming a lawyer. In the years before becoming president, Lincoln never made much money but lived what we would term a comfortable middle class life. Again unlike Washington, Lincoln was an avid politician and sought elected offices most of his life.
While Washington fought to obtain the right of the colonies to form an independent country, Lincoln was forced to fight to keep the country from dissolving.
What is less known about Washington is that he was for abolishing slavery. In fact, in his will he freed his slaves and provided retirement funds for older slaves. Both men, Washington and Lincoln, believed in the basic rights of men. Although from vastly different backgrounds, both men had an abiding faith that the citizens will do the right thing if given the true information.
Without these two men and their heroic actions, we would be living in a very different country today.
America’s Big Solution
The FAIRtax is America’s Big Solution and we need to redouble our efforts to get it passed. Bigsolution.org has simple information that will help people sign up both financially and to receive more information about the FAIRtax.
As you can see from Peggy’s great report, we are really making progress in D.C. By promoting the FAIRtax as America’s Big Solution, we will gain more local support and this will in turn pressure their representatives, in this election year, to study the FAIRtax and meet with us.
1040 Club
To those of you not familiar with the 1040 Club, AFFT is asking people to contribute $10.40 per month to AFFT. This provides a steady funding platform and allows us to spend our time not trying to raise money but actually working with groups to help make passage of the FAIRtax a reality. Thanks to each of you who have joined the 1040 Club. You are ensuring that Americans For Fair Taxation can continue to promote the FAIRtax.
If you are not a member of the 1040 Club, or if you are a member but want to join for someone else, please go to this link and sign up.
FAIRtax Power Radio
Whether you’re a FAIRtax volunteer or an informed citizen who wishes to be better informed, we encourage you to listen to FAIRtax Power Radio, the online radio show that is available when you are. Bob and Ron discuss criticisms of the FAIRtax that we have all heard over the years. This series is episodes 20, 21 & 22 and can be heard on SoundCloud (which is FREE) at these links:
FTPR 20 - bit.ly/1h2R4pO
FTPR 21 - bit.ly/1NX8Qrs
FTPR 22 - bit.ly/1M4NwlE
AFFT National LOGO Store
The AFFT national store is the place to find all FAIRtax items at great prices. Here is a link to the very popular palm card.
Thank You For Opening The FAIRtax Chronicles, Our Sponsored Mailings
We plan to do several of these mailings each month. If you take a minute to open the sponsored emails and click through to the website, you are making an in kind contribution to AFFT. It is not required to actually make a purchase, but your minute of time will ensure that AFFT is paid ever larger amounts from people paying for us to send their offers to our supporters.
Again, we are making every effort to ensure that we work with only reputable companies. If you feel that any FAIRtax-sponsored email is objectionable, please email us at info@fairtax.org and tell us why. You can also opt to not receive these sponsored email messages but still receive FAIRtax emails.
Thank you for staying FAIRtax strong!
