Tax Day in New Jersey
Getting out in public with even a minimal display can produce unexpected results. For example, for two hours on Tax Day 2023, April 18, we had a table in front of the Summit, New Jersey, Post Office. Most people file taxes electronically now, but the Post Office retains some of its symbolism. We thank Ira Smulyan of Union, New Jersey, for coming to help.
Interest was slow at first but picked up as time went on. Although we did not keep an exact count, at least half a dozen people took promotional items from the table. These were people who otherwise would have had no idea that there is an actual bill currently before Congress to replace the income tax and abolish the IRS. We hope that some of these people were curious enough about the FAIRtax to check out our web site, www.fairtax.org. Hopefully they also scrolled down to the "get updates" section and furnished their personal information.
We had a folding table and a FAIRtax banner. The banner is available from the FAIRtax Store, https://fairtaxstore.org/. Other items from the FAIRtax store include palm cards, bumper stickers, and a sticker roll that is a big hit at street fairs and other events. We also had a two-page piece that goes into the FAIRtax in greater detail than what fits on a palm card. I had a business card printed at Vistaprint https://www.vistaprint.com/ following approval from Marketing Team Leader Randy Fischer, randy.fischer@fairtax.org. If you want to print something with our logo, Randy needs to see it first, and he turns requests around quickly.
A business card with FAIRtax promo on the back is helpful because I can carry a supply in my wallet and hand one out when the subject comes up.
We mimicked a technique of a former town council candidate and waved at cars as they drove by. Many waved back and saw the banner.
The City of Summit, New Jersey, errs on the side of caution when it issues “Use of Sidewalk” permits such as the one we needed.
But with some planning, we can comply with Summit's regulations and your community's rules. Notably, Summit requires proof of insurance:
You will note on the insurance certificate that Summit requires the City to be added to the insurance for the event. You can get a certificate like this one from our insurance agent, Marie Taylor, Moody Insurance, in Frederic, Maryland. If you’re putting on a FAIRtax event, contact me to arrange insurance. There is no cost to you, but understand that coverage is not automatic and you need to request insurance at least three business days before your event to give Marie time to make the arrangements.
I should have started earlier with Marie with my coverage request. She immediately jumped on the request but needed time to hear from her underwriter. Because I started late, the underwriter approval came late, and we only had two hours instead of the initially requested four.
Summit also requires a “hold-harmless” agreement. PLEASE NOTE YOU HAVE NO AUTHORITY FROM AMERICANS FOR FAIR TAXATION TO SIGN ANY AGREEMENT BEFORE ASKING PRESIDENT STEVE HAYES, MARKETING TEAM LEADER RANDY FISCHER, OR ME. AND APPROVAL DEPENDS ON RECEIVING COVERAGE FROM OUR AGENT. Our risk tolerance is zero. For this event, we were able to sign the agreement once the insurance came through.
There were steps to follow, but having a table in a public place on Tax Day was worthwhile. We need more efforts like this to get our plan out to the public.
I would love to know if you had any events going on for Tax Day.
Jim Bennett
AFFT Grassroots Coordinator & Secretary🇺🇸 Call For Pictures & WriteUps - When others see your activity, they are inspired, the process snowballs and Representatives, Senators and, yes, even the President start to listen to you and me. Please send your material to me at Jim.Bennett@FAIRtax.org.
🇺🇸 The Official FAIRtax Store - Don’t forget to order your FAIRtax gear from the FAIRtax Store.🇺🇸 We've Got You Covered, If You Let Us Know - If you are planning an event, we have event insurance coverage available for you. Email me the "who-what-where-when" and I will obtain for you a COI. Once the event is underway, it's too late.