Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 12:23:12 -0700
From: rsrchsoc@ionet.net ("John Wilde")
Subject: [lpaz-discuss] Fw: What Can We Do? How to make CAFR a political reality?
To: ice-bucket-owner@yahoogroups.com
Cc: CAFR1@aol.com ("Walter"), legality-of-income-tax@egroups.com ("LOIT"), LibertarianExchange@yahoogroups.com ("LibExc"), dmeador@poncacity.net ("Dan Meador"), lpaz-discuss@yahoogroups.com ("lpaz-discuss")
Reply-To: lpaz-discuss@yahoogroups.com
ICE, Walter and others,
This is a bit long so bear with me. There is a political strategy that will
work using CAFR. While Walter and I have talked on occasion, it has not been
about CAFR. But I have been aware of the work he has done for a few years.
What I have come to realise is that CAFR by itself will not develop the
political legs to get up and go by itself. Telling people about CAFR is not by
itself (yes there have been a few exceptions) going to be enough. Just as
repealing or getting rid of the federal income tax will not grow any political
legs. In order to get CAFR into the mix we are going to have to do something
that is going to get us to the table. We are going to have to take some actions
that will send the people and the media asking us about what we are doing and
then just at the right moment, set the hook in the mouth of the big fish. There
are ways to approach it on the local, state and federal level.
LOCAL LEVEL:
(1) Initiative: If you are in a state that provides for initiative and
referendum at both state and local levels, take out an initiative to "repeal"
any sales or income tax or both that your local city, town or county government
has imposed on you. Once you have started the initiative, you will get the
attention of your local government. Should you get enough signatures to have it
qualify for the ballot, they'll scream like a bunch of stuck pigs. The loudest
will come from your local fire and police union thugs who will yell that if you
repeal these taxes then we'll have to cut back on police and fire protection, by
laying of cops and firemen.
The trap has been laid. Now you have a well spoken person who has been
schooled on the "CAFR numbers" by either Walter or some CPA type who believes as
you do and you let it be known that the cop's and firemen's unions are lying.
The person points out that the city, county or whatever has been keeping a
"second set of books" (wonderful soundbite words). Those books are the CAFR (of
course say the words not the accronym). That not only is there enough income to
make up for the "short fall" that would occur from the repeal of the taxes, but
there is enough income to fund all of government's current functions.
The press may ask how CAFR came about. This is where Walter becomes the
consultant that explains to the spokes person the basic source of CAFR and what
it is today, a "slush fund built on the backs of the taxpayers." More wonderful
soundbite words.
(2) Petitioning counsel or board: If you do not have local initiative and
referendum power, then you are going to have to become a little more creative.
In every city, town or county charter there are provisions for "petitioning" the
counsel, commission, alderman whatever term is used in your locality. Those
provisions are mandatory. If you petition to be heard, then the Petition must
be scheduled at least at one of the regular meetings of the board, counsel etc.
(That pesky First Amendment don't ya know). Get as many people as you can who
live in the city, town or county to sign the petition. Have the specific text
of the ordinances or charter that impose the tax stated in the petition as you
are gathering signatures. Then file the petition. One of two things are going
to happen.
They are going to accept the petition and schedule it for one of the
meetings. In that case, you must get a committment from as many as you can of
those who signed the Petition to be there that night of the meeting. Have the
primary spokesman speak. He or she is the one who gets in contact with Walter
and a friendly CPA type to explain the numbers. You discuss your petition and
propose the repeal, note that there will be objections due to the loss of
revenue and then explain that any "shortfall" can be made up through CAFR.
You should do this Petition every other month, hopefully gathering more
signatures each time. Keep pushing the button. If the counsel or board refuses
to repeal the targetted ta, then at the next election, target one of the
members of the counsel or board (preferrably the one who is considered the most
powerful and "untouchable." It might require putting someone up to run against
him or her. Your primary issue, he or she supports a "slush fund built on the
backs of the taxpayers." That by using those funds, the city, county or town
would not need to raise another dime from the taxpayers themselves. You may not
win, but you will make a dent in the tephlon of the utouchable. Then after the
election, you start all over again and every other month make the petition and
keep pushing. After two or three petitions being rejected let it be known
subtly who will be the next target. Go after one or two whose support was just
enough to get him or her on the counsel or board.
The other thing that could happen is the counsel or board could refuse to
schedule the petition for any hearing. As I said, it is a mandatory duty, not
discretionary. Anyone know the remedy for failure to perform a duty? It is
Mandamus. You turn it into a media event, file the action and explain that the
counsel or board is refusing to hear your petition. Explain the details to the
media. All you can do in court is explain the duty to hear the petition. While
fighting the first one out in court start your second one to be filed in two
months. The idea here is keep pushing the button. Someone will eventually open
the door, if only to stop you from ringing the damn bell.
Again, set one of the members of the counsel or board up as a target (pun
intended. As the original heading stated this is war don't ya know).
STATE LEVEL:
(1) Initiative: Just as I explained for the local, start an initiative for
a state wide repeal of any income tax. We are going to do so hear in Arizona
starting in October. All the procedures are essentially the same. If you are
in a state that does not have an income tax go after the sales tax or property
tax.
(2) Lobbying: If you don't have the ability for initiative and referendum,
then you are going to have to put letters together signed by several people who
live in the legislative district of you legislature. Having it coordinated in
several districts would not be a bad idea. It may require as many as 500 to a
1000 signatures in each district to get their attention. Identify a spokes
person(s) who requests a meeting to explain your position. Then when you get
there, the spokes person(s) must be ready to discuss CAFR. Ask to have the
legislation introduced to repeal the income tax. In states without an income
tax, go after the sales tax or property tax. Any legislature that won't deal
with you, target him or her at the next election again pointing out that they
have a "slush fund built off of the backs of the taxpayers."
Whether at the state or local level, any initiative you take out, the form
must be near perfect and all of the i's dotted and the t's crossed. Those who
think they are in charge will do all in their power to keep the initiative off
of the ballot. They don't want the people to vote for freedom.
With the petitions to counsels and boards or letters to state legislators,
they must be precise and again the letter must be supported by several hundred
to a thousand signatures.
FEDERAL LEVEL
As I pointed out above, I don't think that having the federal income tax
repealed will grow legs on its own. Nor do I believe that CAFR will be additive
enough to get the attention of those "in charge" of the hen house. CAFR must
find something to latch onto. That would be the National Retail Sails Tax. I
am not advocating adopting a National Retail Sales Tax. However, right now it
is the only mechanism that is even receiving any attention in the discussion of
"overhauling" the tax system. There are two or three organizations that are
proposing an NRST.
Walter and others need to approach these people, discuss in depth what CAFR
is all about and get a committment from them to use the NRST to get in the door,
but once they get their they will expose CAFR and what it really means. If we
can't get a commitment from any of them, then an organization sponsoring its own
version of an NRST would be in order. Use the idea of the NRST to get us in the
door, with the idea that once we are there and at the table say "suprise,
surprise, surprise." Heeeerrrrrreeee'ssssss CAFR. Any NRST front organization,
must be set up by someone other than Walter Burien. Walter must be camoflage
until the face to face.
The other alternative is that Bob Shulz or someone from We the People get in
touch with Walter Burien and if there is enough time build CAFR into the get
together coming up in D.C. on September 18 and 19.
g'day
John Wilde
ICE wrote:
> From: <CAFR1@aol.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2001 11:00 PM
> Subject: The Question was asked: What Can We Do? Well, war could work as a
> last option!
>
> Folks:
>
> For the last three years, every person that contacts me after finding out
> about the CAFR asks:
>
> What can I do per the my local government' CAFR?