On September 19, 2022,  Victor, me and later FAIRtax-er Ed Coda met with staff members Kean MacLelland from State Assemblywoman Michele Matsikoudis’ office, and Lisa Allen from Assemblywoman Nancy Muñoz’s office.  Both are in State District 21.  We met upstairs at the Elks Lodge in Sumit, New Jersey, where Victor and Ed are members. Lisa Allen is not only a staffer for Nancy Muñoz, she is an elected member of the Summit City Council in her own right.

What exactly was the pitch to these two? After all, the FAIRtax is a federal, not a state level bill. So, the first option at the state level is to encourage states to adopt a resolution similar to the Florida Senate Memorial of May 22, 2014, expressing support for the FAIRtax. Then, if the legislators want to go bigger, they can start adopting their own state-level FAIRtax. To that end, we gave the staffers packets that included a copy of both the Florida Memorial and the Alabama Economic Freedom Act – Alabama's version of a state level FAIRtax.

The packets also included an article showing that New Jersey is Number One – in net outbound migration. Therefore, a state-level FAIRtax here would be curative medicine. The packets also included an extract from the 2007 Tuerck article "Fiscal Federalism: The national Fair Tax and the States," Beacon Hill Institute, Boston. The article showed that, with a state-level FAIRtax, private employment in New Jersey would increase 12.5%; state investment would increase 94.7%; gross annual wage rates would increase 7.6%, and real disposable income would increase by 10.5%. The article shows the data reviewed and the methodology employed.

We plan a follow-up in November. Meanwhile, Victor intends to have a social at the Elks Lodge for FAIRtax-ers in the area. All New Jersey FAIRtax-ers are invited.

I would love to hear about your efforts with state legislators.