A NEW DAY FOR THE FAIRTAX
Picture Credit: Wikipedia
Today, President Trump takes the oath of office, and FAIRtax has a window of opportunity that will stay open only for a short time. We have a President in the Oval Office who represents the best chance the FAIRtax has ever had.
President Trump has often made it clear that he is no friend of the income tax. First, he called for no tax on tips. Then, he called for replacing the income tax with tariffs. Then, he called for no tax on Social Security benefits. Then, he called for no tax on overtime. Then, he called for income-tax deductibility of interest on automobile loans. Then, he called for no double taxation of Americans abroad. These calls ought to lead to the FAIRtax, and they will, but only if we FAIRtax supporters play our cards right. The pressure on us is enormous.
What can you do to help? As a constituent, you have more power than you understand. Former Congress Member John Linder said the most effective pressure comes from constituents like you because you can vote. Corporations and lobbyists have seemingly endless financial resources, but they cannot cast a ballot. If you put in the effort to visit your Congress Member in your District, your Congress Member will think there are at least a hundred constituents like you who understand the FAIRtax – and demand it. A small vocal minority can sway a far larger majority.
Here is an excerpt from our new handbook about that step, and others, that you, as an individual, can take:
•Educate yourself about the FAIRtax. You do not need to be an expert. If you get a question whose answer you are not sure, call Kerry Bowers at (850) 376-1044, NC4Fairtax@gmail.com, or Grassroots Director, Jim Bennett, jim.bennett@fairtax.org, (908) 578-4975. Materials are available on the national website: www.fairtax.org.
•Order your FAIRtax materials and supplies from the FAIRtax Store, https://fairtaxstore.org/. Unfortunately, we do not have the budget to reimburse you, but you can find a variety of items at a reasonable cost, including palm cards. And shipping is complimentary (thanks to our Florida colleagues)!
I printed "business cards" at https://www.4imprint.com/, which I found effective, and I will gladly share the format. If you make up your own materials using the FAIRtax logo, you must clear it with Randy Fischer, (352) 804-0007, Randy.Fischer@FAIRtax.org. We need to know where our logos appear and the material they are attached to. Randy turns requests around quickly.
•Talk to friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues. Use your existing networks to educate others about the FAIRtax.
•Post about FAIRtax on your social media.
•Get speaking engagements with groups.
Contact David Morelli, davidamorelli@msn.com, (901) 482-6417. David is organizing a Speakers’ Bureau and has a training program and materials.
Political committees, political clubs, chambers of commerce, and service clubs such as Rotary, Lions, or Kiwanis are open to having speakers for their programs. If you are a member of other organizations, you may have an inside track to get a FAIR tax billing.
Jim Bennett (908) 578-4975, jim.bennett@fairtax.org, and Kerry Bowers, (850) 376-1044, NC4Fairtax@gmail.com, can provide you with frequent stress questions about the FAIRtax and suggested responses. Over time, you can develop your own. The “stress questions” will become repetitive as you speak at more events.
At the end of the talk, provide the attendees with materials and encourage them to go to “Get Updates” at www.fairtax.org and leave their contact information. You can tell them they will not get spam because we do not sell the list.
•Join our podcast program. David Morelli can approve you and put you into our Rephonic program. This method is the most cost-effective one for reaching a broad audience.
•Call into local talk shows. Delivering the right message could get you on as a guest. It has worked! Tell the listeners when you are about to finish that they can go to www.fairtax.org to get information about us.
•Develop your “elevator speech,” i.e., a short description of the FAIRtax that you can finish in an elevator ride up or down five floors. John Gaver, (713) 253-1723, jgaver@allegiancebooks.com, has developed one or two.
•Attend Congress Members’ and Candidates’ “Town Hall” events. Respect their rules about carrying signs. Get the Member to call on you. Then, ask if the Member will consider cosponsoring the Fair Tax Act [of 2023, HR25], the FAIRtax. The Member may ask you to explain to the group, in an "elevator speech," what the FAIRtax is. The move may get you a meeting with the Member or their staff – and followers.
•Write a “letter” to the editor of your local print or online news outlet. Most news outlets today are electronic.
•Set up a table or booth at a fair or event or march in a parade. CAUTION: You must notify me (Jim Bennett (908) 578-4975, jim.bennett@fairtax.org), first so that I can get insurance coverage. Coverage is not automatic. When you inform me, I will tell the insurance agent, and you and we will have coverage. If the event sponsor requires a certificate of insurance, we can provide one for you.
NOTE: When you find someone who expresses interest in FAIRtax, get that person to go to www.fairtax.org and scroll down to “Get Updates” on the main page. Fill out the fields for First Name, Last Name, Email Address, Mobile or any phone number), City, State, and Zip. Encourage the registrant to enter a “Zip+4,” which will identify the Congressional District. If you have permission, fill in the information for them.
With a name and valid email address, the registrant will receive our Chairman’s Report, Grassroots Corner, and notifications for The FAIRtax Guys’ weekly podcast notices. Market research indicates that the average adult needs five exposures to a message before it registers. We want the FAIRtax message to register!
•Write, including email, your Congress Member.
•Visit your Congress Member in the District Office. If the Congress Member sees one constituent take the time and make an effort to visit, the Member will imagine there are more supporters in the District. Visiting the Member in the District, as opposed to Washington DC, has the advantage that the Member will not leave you when called into a meeting after you have made the D.C. journey. You will usually get fifteen minutes to half an hour. You will need to arrange the meeting with the Congress Member’s Scheduler.
If the Congress Member is busy, try to get a meeting with the Chief of Staff in the District.
Generally, Congress members and staff members have a strict code of conduct regarding not discussing campaigns. Please respect that rule.
If the meeting with the Member is successful, a follow-up meeting with the Legislative Director might be next. The Legislative Director typically sits in Washington, DC, and is the one who gets into the weeds on legislation. The Legislative Director will probably give you half an hour. Let Jim Bennett, (908) 578-4975, jim.bennett@fairtax.org, know if a trip to D.C. is impractical. Jim or Jake Buscher, VA, can combine a visit with others and go down to D.C. from New Jersey.
A follow-up meeting with the Member is also a good idea.
If the Member is willing, have them co-sponsor HR25, the Fair Tax Act, and urge them to talk it up in their town hall meetings. The Member has a stage and a megaphone that few of us have! Offer technical help.
The remarks about Congress Members apply equally to members of your state legislature.
•Candidate Briefings.
Candidates for public office are generally eager to learn about new ideas such as the FAIRtax. Sometimes, the campaign manager is receptive. A good source of information about Congressional candidates is https://www.politics1.com/. Jim Bennett, (908) 578-4975, jim.bennett@fairtax.org, has a two-page FAIRtax introductory piece on Word that you can adapt. If the candidate is unsuccessful in their election bid, try to maintain contact. The candidate will usually give you between fifteen minutes and half an hour. This person may become a FAIRtax advocate.
If the Candidate says “yes” to the FAIRtax or to its principles, get the Candidate to sign the FAIRtax pledge and talk up the FAIRtax in their stump speeches. You can download the pledge from https://fairtax.org/candidate-pledges/no-more-income-taxes-2024-candidate-pledge. The Candidate has a stage and a megaphone that only few of us can hope for! Offer technical help.
•One of our volunteers suggested that if none of the existing candidates is cooperative, then run or recruit someone willing to run and get their name on the ballot. Voters will see the name with a FAIRtax slogan. In my state, an independent candidate must gather 800 signatures from registered voters in the state to run for the U.S. Senate. To run in a Congressional District for the U.S. House of Representatives or a state Legislative District, the number is 100 signatures from registered voters in the District. (Registered party candidates need more). The number in your state may be different. Pay attention to formal requirements and filing deadlines.
Our volunteer suggests that you, or the other candidate, can then put the other candidates on the defensive. Several years ago, FAIRtax supporter Dave Corsi ran in the Republican primary (he needed 200 signatures because he ran in the Republican Party) in the Sixth Congressional District of New Jersey and debated the leading candidate. Dave made FAIRtax one of the four planks in his campaign platform and did surprisingly well on a low budget, even though he did not win. Dave had previously run as an independent.
•Generally, be visible, be a good ambassador for the FAIRtax, and be on the lookout for opportunities. Keep in mind that FAIRtax is nonpartisan and single-issue.
•This list is suggested and not exclusive. If you have other ideas, please share them with Jim Bennett to benefit all FAIRtax-ers. You know best what works in your area.
If you want to step up and take a leadership role, there is more material in the handbook. You can find the handbook at https://fairtax.org/about/make-a-difference. Please remember the guidelines in the handbook that FAIRtax is nonpartisan and single-issue.
I would love to hear from you if you undertake any of these – or other – activities now that we have our first "FAIRtax President.”---------------------------------------------------------
WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED – IF YOU LET US KNOW.
As a reminder, event insurance coverage is available, but you must let us know. Once the event is underway, it's too late. If you are planning an event, let me know the who, what, when, and where, and I will get you a certificate of insurance.---------------------------------------------------------
TAKE BACK CONTROL!
🇺🇸 Call For Pictures & WriteUps - We need more of you to send in pictures and news. If you have something to share, please send your material to me, Jim.Bennett@FAIRtax.org, (908) 578-4975, or fax (908) 598-2888. When others see your activity, they are inspired, and the process snowballs. When the process snowballs, Congress Members, Senators, and even the President start to listen.