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“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” - Mahatma Gandhi
How To Hold Washington Accountable
Only in Washington do you have to push so hard for the acceptance
of something that would benefit the entire nation!
At this time, 68 Representatives have co-sponsored H.R. 25
alongside nine Senate (S.13) co-sponsors. If your representative isn’t on this list,
we urgently need your help to educate that member.
Remember, every time you contact your representatives in Washington,
they are reminded that YOU are representative of hundreds of people who will
let their voice be heard on election day.
Contacting Your
Elected Officials
To find out who your Congressman is, click here, and for tips on
talking to Congressional offices go here. Make
sure you have the FairTax fundamentals
and facts handy.
You are now ready to call your Congressional Representative
and Senator! Politely and respectfully tell the person answering the phone that
you would like your Representatives to represent you by co-sponsoring H.R. 25,
the FairTax Act of 2011. Give them your home and email addresses and ask them
to send to you the member’s official response to your request.
You might also consider contacting them through their
official website or Facebook. While you’re on their website, sign up for your Representative’s
email alerts to know when he or she will be in your area.
Did you know it’s often the number of contacts they receive,
not the quality of the legislation that compels them to consider supporting
certain legislation? Sad but true, so be
sure to recruit your friends to contact their representatives too.
Contact a Local
FairTax Leader
Volunteer FairTax leaders are all over
America and would love to have your help. More importantly, they need your help in reaching
your neighbors! These same leaders can speak to the organizations in your
community that are important to you.
Show Up and Be
Visible
Approach your representatives whenever they are in your area.
Attend town hall meetings and have multiple FairTax supporters ask them why
they are not supporting legislation that will transform our economy, end the
reign of terror by the IRS and bring millions of new jobs to Americans. Be sure
and bring FairTax information that you can share
with the audience.
Raise these same issues in letters to
the editor and opinion editorials you write to the local paper.
Media attention around tax day or tax related events make
your efforts have even more impact.
Community events are also great ways to educate people about
the FairTax. Many volunteer groups have booths at fairs, conventions and other
gatherings. By volunteering to represent the FairTax you can educate and sign
up many new supporters.
Become The FairTax “Go-To”
By making regular contact with the district staff, you can
become their FairTax resource. Once you’re
comfortable with the district staff, make contact with their tax aide in
Washington. Determine how “FairTax informed” the aide is and exactly where the
representative stands on both tax reform and the FairTax. Answer their
questions and guide them to trusted research about the FairTax plan.
Ask to meet face-to-face with your representative. Don’t be shy, be persistent! Know what kind
of policy goals are important to the Representative. During your meeting ask the member for their commitment
to co-sponsor H.R. 25 and offer to set up a FairTax briefing with H.R. 25
sponsor, Congressman Rob Woodall.
Hold Them Accountable
Did your Congressman promise to look into the FairTax? Did the
staff say they would get back to you? Did you get your requested response?
Politely and respectfully insist on answers and then share your answers with
other voters so everyone understands where the Representative or Senator stands
on the FairTax.
Doug Dash, a FairTax District Director in New Jersey,
recently shared his experience with his elected Representative in a letter to
the editor of his local paper. He said:
“…During our meeting
with you, we suggested a continuing dialogue with you, offering to answer any
questions you might have about the FairTax in the future. Yet on the radio, you
stated that we had not answered your questions. You indicated that you wanted
to talk to Congressman Robert Woodall of Georgia, the sponsor of the FairTax
bill in the House, which seemed like a reasonable course of action.
I have been in contact
with his Washington staff at least four times, asking them to reach out to you
about the benefit of the FairTax bill. Also, I have called or emailed every
co-sponsor twice, and asked them to talk to you about the FairTax. In March, I
emailed Joe Heaton, your legislative aide in Washington, and offered to answer
any questions he had. He never replied. Woodall's staff has told me they have
offered to meet with you several times and have never received a positive
response from you or your staff…”
Repeat, Recruit and
Re-Elect
Moving representatives Washington is not easy and it doesn’t
happen quickly. But it can be done. Numbers speak louder than words so keep
recruiting new volunteers. People translate to voters and voters translate into
numbers. Numbers are important to every
elected representative. If your Congressman isn’t friendly to the FairTax today,
it’s likely his challenger will be. Or the next challenger or the next.
Thank you for standing with fellow citizen as we march
toward the FairTax!
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