MEET THE “STICKY” GROUP – PART 1
Sometimes writings inspire people to act in unexpected ways. In 2020, we reviewed in a series of writings about the six principles of “sticky” ideas from Heath, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Take Hold, and Others Come Unstuck, (Arrow Books, 2007).
Florida State Director, Paul Livingston was inspired to put those principles into action. He assembled a group to come up with “sticky” messages for the FAIRtax. The group is now meeting every Monday evening by phone conference.
Who is in the group? We introduce four of its members:
Marty Sturmer, California, is retired from the City of San Francisco. His wife was an attorney with the San Francisco office of a New York law firm. Because of her position with the firm, the couple had to file quarterly estimates in six states. One state would object, then all the others would require adjustment. The process never ended.
Marty came to understand that the current tax code is a socialist override of a free economic system. He notes that government makes it all but impossible to take care of ourselves. Marty also notes that businesses, in the end, don’t pay taxes. They may have to write a check to the IRS, but in reality, taxes are just another cost of doing business that gets passed on to the consumer.
Marty declares that once you get that concept, it’s clear as day that the FAIRtax is the way to go. The income tax is incorrigibly corrupt.
Chuck Bailey, Alabama, and his wife, Mary Lynn, have been through many of the same travails as Marty. Chuck went to a town hall meeting featuring Newt Gingrich and FAIRtax Book author, John Linder. The gentlemen talked about their group, Citizens for an Alternative Tax System (“CATS”), the predecessor movement to the FAIRtax.
Like so many others, Chuck and Mary Lynn heard a lot about the FAIRtax from Neal Boortz and Linder on the radio when they lived in Atlanta. Chuck took an AFFT course in Alabama and became Alabama’s State Director when his predecessor left.
Rob Rohrbough, Nebraska, learned about the FAIRtax from his then fellow Nebraskan, Floyd Zabel. Rob has a passion for 20th-century history, noting that the 20th-century income tax goes back to Karl Marx. Rob declares that the tax code is no longer used primarily to raise the revenue needed to run the government. It has become a command-and-control mechanism for the elites in DC. Rob underscores the need to enlighten ordinary people about the struggle for our country.
One way to make progress is to chip away at the income tax, starting with the states. Rob is proud to note that Nebraska is one of the states looking to implement a FAIRtax-style consumption tax. Rob fully supports the efforts of State Senator Steve Erdman who is sponsoring a constitutional amendment to abolish all forms of taxation in the state except for consumption taxes.
Jim Bennett, New Jersey, is a little more pedestrian. His one personal encounter with the IRS involved not him, but his young daughter. When Jim showed up for her audit, the agent asked, "Where's Karin?" Jim then explained that Karin is twelve years old, that she was currently in school, and that he had prepared his daughter’s return. After scratching her head a bit, the agent proceeded with the audit, which was completed in a short time.
Jim always believed that sales taxes were more efficient than income taxes, but he had no idea there was an organized movement to replace the Federal income tax with a national sales tax. Jim first heard of the FAIRtax in 2005 during his commute home driving up the New Jersey Turnpike. A man Jim has never heard of before was being interviewed. That man was Neal Boortz. Upon hearing the interview, Jim knew he had to get involved, and he did—much to the continuing chagrin of his wife.
Next week we will introduce you to the remaining three members and will keep you posted on developments of the “Sticky Group.”
Do you have any “sticky” ideas for a FAIRtax message? If so, I would love to hear from you.
Yours In the FAIRtax Movement!Sometimes writings inspire people to act in unexpected ways. In 2020, we reviewed in a series of writings about the six principles of “sticky” ideas from Heath, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Take Hold, and Others Come Unstuck, (Arrow Books, 2007).
Florida State Director, Paul Livingston was inspired to put those principles into action. He assembled a group to come up with “sticky” messages for the FAIRtax. The group is now meeting every Monday evening by phone conference.
Who is in the group? We introduce four of its members:
Marty Sturmer, California, is retired from the City of San Francisco. His wife was an attorney with the San Francisco office of a New York law firm. Because of her position with the firm, the couple had to file quarterly estimates in six states. One state would object, then all the others would require adjustment. The process never ended.
Marty came to understand that the current tax code is a socialist override of a free economic system. He notes that government makes it all but impossible to take care of ourselves. Marty also notes that businesses, in the end, don’t pay taxes. They may have to write a check to the IRS, but in reality, taxes are just another cost of doing business that gets passed on to the consumer.
Marty declares that once you get that concept, it’s clear as day that the FAIRtax is the way to go. The income tax is incorrigibly corrupt.
Chuck Bailey, Alabama, and his wife, Mary Lynn, have been through many of the same travails as Marty. Chuck went to a town hall meeting featuring Newt Gingrich and FAIRtax Book author, John Linder. The gentlemen talked about their group, Citizens for an Alternative Tax System (“CATS”), the predecessor movement to the FAIRtax.
Like so many others, Chuck and Mary Lynn heard a lot about the FAIRtax from Neal Boortz and Linder on the radio when they lived in Atlanta. Chuck took an AFFT course in Alabama and became Alabama’s State Director when his predecessor left.
Rob Rohrbough, Nebraska, learned about the FAIRtax from his then fellow Nebraskan, Floyd Zabel. Rob has a passion for 20th-century history, noting that the 20th-century income tax goes back to Karl Marx. Rob declares that the tax code is no longer used primarily to raise the revenue needed to run the government. It has become a command-and-control mechanism for the elites in DC. Rob underscores the need to enlighten ordinary people about the struggle for our country.
One way to make progress is to chip away at the income tax, starting with the states. Rob is proud to note that Nebraska is one of the states looking to implement a FAIRtax-style consumption tax. Rob fully supports the efforts of State Senator Steve Erdman who is sponsoring a constitutional amendment to abolish all forms of taxation in the state except for consumption taxes.
Jim Bennett, New Jersey, is a little more pedestrian. His one personal encounter with the IRS involved not him, but his young daughter. When Jim showed up for her audit, the agent asked, "Where's Karin?" Jim then explained that Karin is twelve years old, that she was currently in school, and that he had prepared his daughter’s return. After scratching her head a bit, the agent proceeded with the audit, which was completed in a short time.
Jim always believed that sales taxes were more efficient than income taxes, but he had no idea there was an organized movement to replace the Federal income tax with a national sales tax. Jim first heard of the FAIRtax in 2005 during his commute home driving up the New Jersey Turnpike. A man Jim has never heard of before was being interviewed. That man was Neal Boortz. Upon hearing the interview, Jim knew he had to get involved, and he did—much to the continuing chagrin of his wife.
Next week we will introduce you to the remaining three members and will keep you posted on developments of the “Sticky Group.”
Do you have any “sticky” ideas for a FAIRtax message? If so, I would love to hear from you.
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.
🇺🇸 CPAC Finally, save the dates: February 24-27, 2022 (probably), for either Orlando, Florida, or Washington, D.C. (National Harbor, Maryland). Plan to be at the CPAC (“Conservative Political Action Conference) annual convention. The FAIRtax Guys were there this year and say next year we need to turn out in numbers. You don’t need to be a conservative to attend and help the FAIRtax.