"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that has."
-- Margaret Mead
The above quote has such a ring of truth that I decided to use it as the opening line for this month's newsletter. When I first read it I recalled many examples throughout history, which demonstrate its truth. Maybe you can think of some, too. In my humble opinion CATS is proving to be one such group; of which I am proud to play a part. What do you think?
NRSTA Briefing
National Retail Sales Tax Alliance Briefing
April 5, 2002
Dear NRSTA Member,
On April 8, 2002 NRSTA "kicked off" the VOTR Campaign, a petition drive to force the Congress to act on fundamental tax reform.
The web site is www.votr.org
Voters Organized for Tax Reform (VOTR) is a cooperative volunteer project providing Americans with a single voice to demand that Congress implement a simple, fair, stable and economically sound fundamental tax reform solution that completely replaces the current progressive income tax system by the year 2005.
Ten years of fundamental tax reform advocacy by earnest, concerned, dedicated citizens has resulted in no significant national debate re: the implementation of fundamental tax reform solutions.
Congress has taken no action toward fundamental tax reform other than to offer campaign promises and rhetoric, and to further complicate the failed federal income tax system.
It is time for citizens to do something to take back their country. Now is the time to act!
Please check out the www.votr.org web site. Sign the petition online. Be sure to include your spouse, voting age children, and other persons in your sphere of influence. Remember, numbers are important. This is a special kind of petition and we believe it may have a very real impact on congressmen and/or challengers in your district.
However we need your help to maximize coverage and successfully make an impact on Congress.
Don't forget to send the web site address to your email address list along with your "strong" suggestion that they sign the petition.
Please note that there is a parallel program to the online petition: We have hard copy sequentially numbered petitions for those people who may be Internet challenged. We need their numbers also. Please do not sign both the online and the hard copy petitions.
Volunteer VOTR Co-coordinators and VOTR Corps people are needed to maximize our efforts. To volunteer call 1-866-868-7872 or volunteer at our web site: www.salestax.org
We are making a special appeal to our members for additional funding to pay for the printing and distribution of the petitions, data management, and promotion of the web site to maximize the number who actually sign petitions.
Please make a contribution for the VOTR Program. Go to our NRSTA web site and make a contribution by credit card or call us at 1-877-937-6778 with your credit card contribution.
If you prefer, mail your check to NRSTA, 8094 Rolling Road, PMB 905, Springfield, VA 22153.
Your help will be greatly appreciated. A $100 contribution will enable us to add 100-signed petitions. We need to raise $10,000 immediately for this project.
Remember, time is short. The November elections are in six months. The 2004 Presidential election is only two years and six months. We have work to do. Let's Roll!
Sincerely,
Neal C. White, President
National Retail Sales Tax Alliance
8094 Rolling Road, PMB 905
Springfield, VA 22152
Toll Free Phone: 1-877-937-6778
Email: Nwhite@salestax.org
Web: www.salestax.org
Do you have your VOTR number? I have mine! Check www.votr.org or call toll free 1-866-VOTR USA!
Call VOTR USA to volunteer to help. Phone: 1-(866) VOTR-USA (1-(866) 868-7872)
DOES THIS MAKE SENSE? The United States spends about $40,000 a year on a family of four below the poverty line. If they just handed them a check they would be out of poverty, but instead they waste it on the bureaucracy and end up making people more dependent without lifting them out of poverty.
April 15th Rallies
On April 15, dedicated Las Vegas CATS members gathered at the IRS Office on Oakey and Decatur to distribute information about CATS and the national retail sales tax. What a brave and hearty group of volunteers - facing the brutal 50mph wind to spread the good news about CATS and H.R. 2717 to hundreds of Las Vegas residents.
The vast majority of the citizens we encountered were grim-faced until glimpsing us, wearing our CATS "NO IRS" T-shirts, at which point their frowns turned to smiles. Most of them were eager for information about how to replace the IRS and income tax with a NRST. We obliged them all by passing out approximately 1000 flyers between 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Then, between 5:00 - 10:00 p.m. we took turns outside the Main Post Office on Sunset Road to give information to the hundreds of last-minute, tax-filing citizens lined up in their cars. It was interesting to again watch the serious facial expressions change to smiles when people would spot the large "NO IRS" symbol on our T-shirts. Over 1200 CATS flyers went out to the masses during the 5 hours our active CATS members spent in the strong wind.
We made a point of informing everyone that we were not protesting, but simply providing information regarding the most significant change in the tax system to come along in the last 89 years.
After the rallies the Las Vegas Chapter received more phone calls from people asking for information than any of our previous rallies. The idea of a national retail sales tax is catching on like wildfire and rapidly spreading across this great country.
We made a video of the rallies, which we will show at our May 13th meeting.
I would like to thank everyone who helped make this year's rallies a success. Thank you Marvin W., Nick G., Richard T., Beth G., Joe O., Nick G. Jr., Christy G., Amber C., Terri B. and Delores.
"The Squeaky Wheel Gets The Grease"
This year, 2002, is an election year; so as always at this time candidates throughout the U.S. are throwing their respective hats into the political ring. Each one has several "platforms", which they use to show us, the voters, where they stand on the various issues. Every one of them listens closely to the public to see what issues are "squeaky wheels". At the present time tax reform/replacement is a squeaky wheel.
A large number of candidates are running for office on a platform, which includes abolishing the IRS and replacing the income tax with a national retail sales tax. You might want to know where a specific candidate stands on this issue, so that you are able to gauge what their actions may be when voting on legislation that has an impact on such important concepts as: freedom, privacy, fairness, and individual rights.
This one topic can be a fairly accurate measurement of the general, overall philosophy a candidate has regarding the aforementioned concepts. By no means is this the final word on how a candidate will vote on every bill once he/she gets elected, but it is an indication of his/her inclination.
Ask them the question: "Do you support abolishing the IRS and replacing the income tax with a national retail sales tax?" A lot can be learned from this simple question and the answer (or double-talk), which you will get. As each hat is thrown into the political ring it is up to us, the "thoughtful, committed citizens", to ask the right questions, listen to the answers, and observe the actions of those who would represent US in government.
On that note I would like to thank Marvin W. and Nick G. for attending the recent Town Hall Meeting by Lynette Boggs-Mcdonald who is a candidate for Congress.
Meeting Date and Time Changes
Please remember that this month's meeting will be on Monday, May 13 at 7:00 p.m.
