Inflation Tax- stay or go?

[SwordOfShannarah]

Obviously there are some differing opinions about this issue. Just to put my two cents out there I think it's valid for three reasons.

1- It's one of Ron Paul positions (he mentions is all the time)
2- It's a chance to educate the public (our biggest problem is ignorance which creates the apathy we see)
3- It's a perfect tie in with the Tea party which was also a tax

However there are cons. Trying to educate / hitting them with something they don't understand can cause confusion.. and that's not good.

Perhaps I can add a video about the inflation tax further down the page- if we replace the "Freedom to Fascism" video I can add an RP video where he talks about the inflation tax, etc.

At any rate - if the vote goes towards no please off suggestions. I don't really see the relationship with a protest on a tax to a protest against a war, etc. But if everyone feels this way and if we can come up with the proper wording then we'll make the changes.

[evadmurd]

Having it in there is OK I think, just shouldn't be the primary theme. Maybe have a mouseover that opens up a window with a definition of what it is?

[NewEnd]

3:05 says it all

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPwZ-wQFFu8

watch it, be amazed at the simplicity, adn the excellent, irrefutable explantion

(yeah, I am pimping this video, but its GREAT!)

[sketch]

It's a good thing to have on there, just not in the primary description. I wouldn't totally take it away. It would be good to find something more generalized to put up-front and then mention the inflation tax among RP's many other points.

[kylejack]

KEEP IT and EXPLAIN IT. A video and also a link to one of Ron Paul's articles about it.

Here's a good one! http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul334.html

[FunkBuddha]

Well, I wasn't gonna say anything but...

It might be best to stick with some text that hypes people up. Most, if not all of the people coming to the site already know his stances on issues or they wouldn't be wanting to donate.

You can always link to the campaign site for more information about the issues. If you decide to change it and need some advice let us know. Maybe we can come up with something better.

[jb4ronpaul]

tax in general should be the main theme, then can give details about how debt and inflation are really just more taxes

[ShowMeLiberty]

3:05 says it all

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPwZ-wQFFu8

watch it, be amazed at the simplicity, adn the excellent, irrefutable explantion

(yeah, I am pimping this video, but its GREAT!)

That IS great - I never saw it before so I'm really glad you posted the link. Thanks! Most people will be able to understand that, I think. It makes it pretty simple and it makes you want to do something about it.

[jmhelms]

The site is for people to make a pledge for December 16th, not inform people about ideas that can be confusing. If you leave it up I would suggest posting a link so that people that are interested in finding out what an inflation tax is can access the information quickly.

Add this video, the best I have seen yet: http://youtube.com/watch?v=J-3M2D3V94M

[cliche]

Remove it. The tie-in with the teaparty is nice but the site shouldn't focus on a single campaign issue like that. The 'revolutionary' nature of the tea party is sufficient enough to get the vibe across to people.

The site should just be to pump people up and show some subscriber stats. Just provide some links where people can go to find more information if they want it.

[Brad Zink]

I like the original concept of the website. It effectively ties the oppressive taxes of England to the expansion of the money supply. When people understand how their savings are being devalued, they will gravitate towards Dr. Paul's message. In addition, this is a timely issue due to the weakening of the dollar and the lack of faith in Wall Street institutions.

This can be viewed as a tremendous opportunity to educate the public.

[ronpaulyourmom]

On December 16th, 1773 American colonists, in an act of rebellion against the overreaching hand of the British empire, dumped tea into the Boston Harbor.

On December 16th, 2007 American citizens, protesting against the overreaching hand of the United States federal government, will dump millions of dollars into the Ron Paul campaign.

Or something like that.... We should speak strictly to the abuse of power and corruption. We should not take hardline stances, simply pro-freedom stances. These fit in well with the date.

[livinglegend]

I know you tried to tie the theme closely with the original Boston Tea Party's cause, but just talking about the "inflation tax" is uninspiring and the average person will be like "yeah....whatever..." when they read it.

I think it should be a general pro-freedom, pro-peace, and anti-overbearing-government message. That is inspiring and still shares themes with the original tea-party message.

[FreeTraveler]

RonPaulitician suggested this on another thread, and I like it, without the empire, but with rebellion.

On December 16th, 1773 American colonists, protesting against the overreaching hand of the British empire, dumped tea into the Boston Harbor.

On December 16th, 2007 American citizens, protesting against the overreaching hand of the United States empire, will dump millions of dollars into the Ron Paul campaign.

(replace "protesting against" with "in an act of rebellion against"?)
(replace "United States empire" with "federal government of the United States"?)

[hard@work]

The inflation tax is a core tenant of being a Ron Paul supporter. We absolutely must keep educating the public on this insidious method of taxation at each and every turn. This must be a core part of the platform, and it has converted Democrats in droves. If anything there should be more writeups and explanations as to what types of taxations are harming the middle and lower classes, and why.

[ronpaulyourmom]

The inflation tax is a core tenant of being a Ron Paul supporter. We absolutely must keep educating the public on this insidious method of taxation at each and every turn. This must be a core part of the platform, and it has converted Democrats in droves. If anything there should be more writeups and explanations as to what types of taxations are harming the middle and lower classes, and why.

This website should not be about detailed education.... it's a marketing / fundraising page...

[terlinguatx]

...

[kylejack]

This website should not be about detailed education.... it's a marketing / fundraising page...

It can be both without hurting the fund-raising effort. Its going to get a lot of media coverage, so let's use it to educate as well.

[manny]

Thank you for putting these polls up.

I voted "no" here (it just isn't constitutional :P) but I don't want to see it removed entirely because it is important, just not at the forefront.

My reasoning is simple - with the ads, word of mouth, blogging, media coverage etc I think this website will be seen by an ever-increasing number of people who aren't aware of monetary issues and are wanting to find out about Ron Paul. I believe there are better subjects to make more prominent in order to get them interested in Ron Paul. They must first understand the costs of empire, the monetary system itself, what the supply of money and a fiat-currency are before they know what an inflation tax is.

The website looks beautiful and I like the layout and the fact it's fairly simple and not a long essay to read. Would it be possible to put up some more basic facts about Ron Paul, more links to ronpaullibrary etc. Ron Paul is now a mainstream candidate and I fear, even if at the expense of the intellectual rigour many here would like to see, promoting him must change to reflect that.

My opinion is that his record and story are of amazing importance. Look at how people flock to Obama because of his "story" and he was in the senate for one year before running for president! Many people would be impressed with a quick rundown of Ron Paul's incredible and consistent voting record and history.

I would also like to see his anti-war (before the war) role stressed as it's immensely popular.

Thanks again for asking for opinions - your effort is, I'm certain, appreciated greatly by everyone, even those that have different ideas.

[FunkBuddha]

On December 16th, 1773 American colonists in an act of rebellion against the overreaching hand of the British empire, dumped tea into the Boston Harbor. The casks were opened and the tea dumped overboard; the work, lasting well into the night, was quick, thorough, and efficient. By dawn, 90,000 lbs (45 tons) of tea worth an estimated £10,000 had been consigned to waters of Boston harbor. Nothing else had been damaged or stolen, except a single padlock accidentally broken and anonymously replaced not long thereafter. Tea washed up on the shores around Boston for weeks.

On December 16th, 2007, the 234th anniversary of that glorious night, American citizens protesting against the overreaching hand of the United States federal government, will dump millions of dollars into the Ron Paul campaign. We to will use this day to show the world that patriotic Americans are still alive and well today and just as willing to do whatever it takes to restore Liberty to this great Nation

I was thinking something like this.

[kylejack]

One thing to mention: the company that lost the tea at the Boston Tea Party still exists and still makes tea....if anyone has a way of using that to our advantage.

[Green Mountain Boy]

I was thinking something like this.

On December 16th, 1773 American colonists in an act of rebellion against the overreaching hand of the British empire, dumped tea into the Boston Harbor. The casks were opened and the tea dumped overboard; the work, lasting well into the night, was quick, thorough, and efficient. By dawn, 90,000 lbs (45 tons) of tea worth an estimated £10,000 had been consigned to waters of Boston harbor. Nothing else had been damaged or stolen, except a single padlock accidentally broken and anonymously replaced not long thereafter. Tea washed up on the shores around Boston for weeks.

On December 16th, 2007, the 234th anniversary of that glorious night, American citizens protesting against the overreaching hand of the United States federal government, will dump millions of dollars into the Ron Paul campaign. We to will use this day to show the world that patriotic Americans are still alive and well today and just as willing to do whatever it takes to restore Liberty to this great Nation

That sounds great! I like it.

[ronpaulyourmom]

Originally Posted by FunkBuddha
I was thinking something like this.

On December 16th, 1773 American colonists in an act of rebellion against the overreaching hand of the British empire, dumped tea into the Boston Harbor. The casks were opened and the tea dumped overboard; the work, lasting well into the night, was quick, thorough, and efficient. By dawn, 90,000 lbs (45 tons) of tea worth an estimated £10,000 had been consigned to waters of Boston harbor. Nothing else had been damaged or stolen, except a single padlock accidentally broken and anonymously replaced not long thereafter. Tea washed up on the shores around Boston for weeks.

On December 16th, 2007, the 234th anniversary of that glorious night, American citizens protesting against the overreaching hand of the United States federal government, will dump millions of dollars into the Ron Paul campaign. We to will use this day to show the world that patriotic Americans are still alive and well today and just as willing to do whatever it takes to restore Liberty to this great Nation

That is absolutely fantastic. Please use this!

[hillertexas]

the inflation tax is too specific...why not all oppressive taxes...what about income tax. I think you have narrowed the websited down to much...we need to appeal to the masses

[max]

This website should not be about detailed education.... it's a marketing / fundraising page...

agreed...there are plenty of educational resources....including ronpaul2008.com...


this isnt about educating...its about riling people up...

keep it simple amd emotional....Iraq war...IRS....Corruption....basic shit that folks are mad about...maybe throw in illegal immigration....

but stay off of monetary policy...at least as a central theme....

[NewEnd]

On December 16th, 1773 American colonists in an act of rebellion against the overreaching hand of the British empire, dumped tea into the Boston Harbor. The casks were opened and the tea dumped overboard; the work, lasting well into the night, was quick, thorough, and efficient. By dawn, 90,000 lbs (45 tons) of tea worth an estimated £10,000 had been consigned to waters of Boston harbor. Nothing else had been damaged or stolen, except a single padlock accidentally broken and anonymously replaced not long thereafter. Tea washed up on the shores around Boston for weeks.

On December 16th, 2007, the 234th anniversary of that glorious night, American citizens protesting against the overreaching hand of the United States federal government, will dump millions of dollars into the Ron Paul campaign. We to will use this day to show the world that patriotic Americans are still alive and well today and just as willing to do whatever it takes to restore Liberty to this great Nation

Waaay too wordy. I still haven't read it, and do not care too.

It needs to be concise.

[wisconsinite]

the inflation tax is too specific...why not all oppressive taxes...what about income tax. I think you have narrowed the websited down to much...we need to appeal to the masses


Ditto

[monotony]

The real question may be: Feedburner stay or go? If we got a single shareable "sign-up script" tied to teaparty07. People could make a number of sites promoting this event. While sticking to the tea party theme they could choose how they wanted to represent it in the modern day. Just a minor suggestion though, I love what you've been doing with this.

I agree. It would not take very long for a good programmer to create a webservice and widget that could insert the email addresses into a single database, but have mini-pledge banners on ALL Ron Paul supporting sites.

We've got longer than a month before this thing hits and we are going to promote the crap out of it. It would be great if people could signup all over the web instead of having to specifically go to teaparty07 to register. I still can't even access that site.

[moberley]

This website should not be about detailed education.... it's a marketing / fundraising page...

Everything is about education. Observe how Ron Paul himself campaigns. He rarely passes up an opportunity to teach.

Besides the inflation tax seems to be a relatively easy concept to communicate, especially with an audience of people who are already interested in the upcoming election.

[derdy]

I voted yes.

If they have made it to teaparty07 then they know changes need to be made! They also NEED to be educated and familiarize themselves with terminology that was previously unfamiliar!!

That is key! Getting people to talk about inflation and monetary policy is key!

[expatinireland]

I voted no as many people will draw a blank when they see "inflation tax".

If simple is the order of the day replace with: . . . protest current (or today's) illegal taxation.

Or a bit more wordy . . . protest illegal taxation by the US Government and private Federal Reserve Bank.

I believe the theme of taxation is key and the day can be used for education with a speech on the inflation tax topic by the Good Doctor.

I know next to nothing about web design practice but isn't there some way that people who want to learn more about "protest illegal taxation" can open a box or page that defines what we mean by "illegal taxation"

[Colin]

I strongly disagree with keeping it there. We shouldn't be raising awareness of an issue at the expense of promoting Ron Paul's candidacy. And it is at that expense. Here's why: using monetary policy to get supporters would require convincing people that there's a problem and then convincing them that voting for Ron Paul is the solution. People already recognize a lot of problems; the war, taxes, national debt, etc. For those issues, all we have to do is convince them that voting for Ron Paul is the solution. It's easier. With the same amount of effort, we can get more supporters using those issues.

Think of what's necessary to convince people that monetary policy is a problem. First, they need to know what it is. Most people wouldn't be able to define "monetary policy," "fiat money," "the federal reserve," and maybe not even "inflation." The amount of attention we would need to command is unattainable. Most voters aren't even that interested in politics. Assuming they understand the terms of the issue, we would have to convince them that the money they've been using for their entire lives is illegal (if we retain the "illegal and oppressive" phrase). The overwhelming majority would consider that absurd. Even if we convince them that there's a problem with the dollar, they'll just think that the federal reserve should do a better job, not that we need a new currency.

We have to work with what we're given. And what we're given is a pool of voters that don't understand or care about monetary policy. But don't despair, they care about the war! They care about taxes! Some might even care about the Patriot act. Since we're trying to win the Republican primary, I think we should go with taxes.

Ask yourself which headlines are more effective at getting people interested in Ron Paul's candidacy. That is the goal right?
"Paul Supporters Raise $10,000,000 to Protest High Taxes"
"Paul Supporters Raise $10,000,000 to Protest War"
"Paul Supporters Raise $10,000,000 to Protest Fiat Currency" (headline writers would love the irony)
"Paul Supporters Raise $10,000,000 to Protest Monetary Policy"
"Paul Supporters Raise $10,000,000 to Protest the 'Inflation Tax'"

[seapilot]

should be "For Liberty" simple and to the point.

[jrich4rpaul]

We're against more than just the inflation tax. Putting only that on the site makes it seem as if it's all Paul has going for him.

My suggestions:

1-Short history lesson about the Boston Tea Party
2-Short and to the point descriptions of Ron Paul's views on the most important issues (end the war, end the income tax, restore liberty, etc)
3-Short conclusion about the connection between the Boston Tea Party, current government, and the statement we're trying to make

[sroll2237]

We're against more than just the inflation tax. Putting only that on the site makes it seem as if it's all Paul has going for him.


I definitely agree. This event is about reaching the mainstream to raise a lot of money. Therefore, we should focus on issues that mainstream people care about (high taxes, the war) and not a more abstract one (the inflation tax). We all understand that, but most people don't and the purpose of this website is NOT to educate people (they can google Ron Paul and what he stands for). The purpose is simply to get people to sign up, we need to remember that. So in summary, you don't need to take out the reference, but aat least also include that we are protesting the war and high taxes in general.

[uncloned21]

How about mentioning the inflation tax AND something more people will be aware of. ALSO, keep in mind that likely 95% of the people viewing the site will be RP supporters aleady

[CelestialRender]

The focus (on the moneybomb hq websites) has to be on mobilizing the grassroots, NOT on obscure policy points.

Anyone who's at www.teaparty07.com already googled Ron Paul.

[lucius]

Obviously there are some differing opinions about this issue. Just to put my two cents out there I think it's valid for three reasons.

1- It's one of Ron Paul positions (he mentions is all the time)
2- It's a chance to educate the public (our biggest problem is ignorance which creates the apathy we see)
3- It's a perfect tie in with the Tea party which was also a tax

However there are cons. Trying to educate / hitting them with something they don't understand can cause confusion.. and that's not good.

Perhaps I can add a video about the inflation tax further down the page- if we replace the "Freedom to Fascism" video I can add an RP video where he talks about the inflation tax, etc.

At any rate - if the vote goes towards no please off suggestions. I don't really see the relationship with a protest on a tax to a protest against a war, etc. But if everyone feels this way and if we can come up with the proper wording then we'll make the changes.

Inflation tax stay...

[manny]

Shannarah makes some good points there. I wonder though when people think of the Boston Tea Party are they thinking of tax protests strictly? Isn't its importance more derived from it being part of the birth of a nation. America was founded on Liberty - of which economic freedom is just one part (albeit an important one).

I think mentioning inflation is cool but it shouldn't be the major point. The net must be cast wider: This site should be for every Ron Paul supporter or even those sympathetic to sign up to - peace, civil liberties, rule of law, national sovereignty, no amnesty for illegals, lower taxes, ending the military industrial complex and dealing with currency debasement are all important.

If Dec 16 is to be the biggest donations day ever we should be getting people onboard who agree with any of that stuff, especially ending the war which has 70%+ so 210million people believing in it. I think policies which lead to inflation are incompatible with a free society, so I'm not trying to argue... but Ron's appeal goes far beyond that... even if just to those who want an honest man in charge for once. Let's get them all on board :)

[sroll2237]

Shannarah makes some good points there. I wonder though when people think of the Boston Tea Party are they thinking of tax protests strictly? Isn't its importance more derived from it being part of the birth of a nation. America was founded on Liberty - of which economic freedom is just one part (albeit an important one).

I think mentioning inflation is cool but it shouldn't be the major point. The net must be cast wider: This site should be for every Ron Paul supporter or even those sympathetic to sign up to - peace, civil liberties, rule of law, national sovereignty, no amnesty for illegals, lower taxes, ending the military industrial complex and dealing with currency debasement are all important.

If Dec 16 is to be the biggest donations day ever we should be getting people onboard who agree with any of that stuff, especially ending the war which has 70%+ so 210million people believing in it. I think policies which lead to inflation are incompatible with a free society, so I'm not trying to argue... but Ron's appeal goes far beyond that... even if just to those who want an honest man in charge for once. Let's get them all on board :)


Manny is right on the money here. We need to appeal to and get everyone on board who doesn't like the direction the country is headed and wants to see someone (Ron Paul) change the face of politics and lead this country in the right direction or who just wants to "Stick it to the Man." So KEEP the inflation tax, BUT, also add in all the other issues that americans are fed up with (loss of liberties and freedoms, the war, illegal immigration, High taxes in general, the inflation tax, a corrupt, partisan government). We need to appeal to the masses, not paulites (they'll already sign up) that feel disenfranchised by this government. Only by doing this will we make dec. 16 the enormous success that it has the potential to be.

[iddo]

Please keep the inflation tax, people have to understand that inflating the money supply is worse than simply forcing people to pay more taxes (Ron Paul and other Austrian economists make this argument all the time).
Here's one example of op-ed piece in relation to Ron Paul in the GOP debates:

When Ron Paul said inflation was the hidden tax, I yelled at the screen, “He’s right! Follow up: This is a key comment!” Instead the moderator, other candidates, and the crowd just stared at him and probably just wanted a baked potato with their cheese burger. (link) (http://kob.com/article/stories/S249459.shtml?cat=500)

[Energy]

Shannarah makes some good points there. I wonder though when people think of the Boston Tea Party are they thinking of tax protests strictly? Isn't its importance more derived from it being part of the birth of a nation. America was founded on Liberty - of which economic freedom is just one part (albeit an important one).

I think mentioning inflation is cool but it shouldn't be the major point. The net must be cast wider: This site should be for every Ron Paul supporter or even those sympathetic to sign up to - peace, civil liberties, rule of law, national sovereignty, no amnesty for illegals, lower taxes, ending the military industrial complex and dealing with currency debasement are all important.

If Dec 16 is to be the biggest donations day ever we should be getting people onboard who agree with any of that stuff, especially ending the war which has 70%+ so 210million people believing in it. I think policies which lead to inflation are incompatible with a free society, so I'm not trying to argue... but Ron's appeal goes far beyond that... even if just to those who want an honest man in charge for once. Let's get them all on board :)


Yeah, broaden the audience.

There's no mention of the Boston Tea Party being the catalyst for an entire REVOLUTION, the American Revolution. Get people aware of what's going on and get them excited that they can join in Revolution II to DO something about it. Corral the 70%+ unhappy with the war/occupation. Here's a crude example:

==================

On December 16th, 1773, American colonists dumped tea into the Boston Harbor to protest an illegal and oppressive tax. This pinnacle event, known as the Boston Tea Party, sparked the American Revolution that rallied support for Patriots in the thirteen colonies who went on to successfully fight for our country's independence.

This December 16th American citizens will dump millions of dollars into the Ron Paul presidential campaign to express their frustration with government's support of:

Preemptive wars and foreign occupation that cost billions of taxpayers' money and threaten our national security and economy
Flagrant abuse of the monetary system that drives the value of our dollar down (inflation tax, federal income tax, manipulation of money supply)
Lack of respect for our personal liberties and freedom (Patriot Act, National ID card, warrentless wiretapping and searches, ignoring habeas corpus)

==================

[sroll2237]

There's no mention of the Boston Tea Party being the catalyst for an entire REVOLUTION, the American Revolution. Get people excited that they can join in Revolution II. Here's a crude example:

==================

On December 16th, 1773, American colonists dumped tea into the Boston Harbor to protest an illegal and oppressive tax. This pinnacle event, known as the Boston Tea Party, sparked the American Revolution that rallied support for Patriots in the thirteen colonies who went on to successfully fight for our country's independence.

This December 16th American citizens will dump millions of dollars into the Ron Paul presidential campaign to express their frustration with government's support of:

Preemptive wars and foreign occupation that cost billions of taxpayers' money and threaten our national security
Flagrant abuse of the monetary system that drives the value of our dollar down (inflation tax, federal income tax, manipulation of money supply)
Lack of respect for our personal liberties and freedom (Patriot Act, National ID card, warrentless wiretapping and searches, ignoring habeas corpus)

==================


I like this idea! I think it would work well to broaden the base.

[Fig]

Inflation tax needs to go because nobody knows what it means. Replace it with some statment about taxes in general.

like this, i love this:


==================

On December 16th, 1773, American colonists dumped tea into the Boston Harbor to protest an illegal and oppressive tax. This pinnacle event, known as the Boston Tea Party, sparked the American Revolution that rallied support for Patriots in the thirteen colonies who went on to successfully fight for our country's independence.

This December 16th American citizens will dump millions of dollars into the Ron Paul presidential campaign to express their frustration with government's support of:
Preemptive wars and foreign occupation that cost billions of taxpayers' money and threaten our national security
Flagrant abuse of the monetary system that drives the value of our dollar down (inflation tax, federal income tax, manipulation of money supply)
Lack of respect for our personal liberties and freedom (Patriot Act, National ID card, warrentless wiretapping and searches, ignoring habeas corpus)
==================

[iddo]

Inflation tax needs to go because nobody knows what it means.

I disagree because all the other Republican candidates, as well as G.W. Bush, make claims about how the low taxes that they offer are so great, and it's a total fraud because of the inflation tax (which they dare not mention).

[Energy]

Simple... keep inflation tax (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflation_tax) and link it to wikipedia (like what I just did but open in new window, or use some javascript to have a bubble popup when cursor is placed above), which has a down-to-earth explanation:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflation_tax

This will resonate with many people: "Negative effects of inflation tax is that it hurts middle class and low-income people the most."

If people can learn something from Ron Paul like inflation tax that DIRECTLY hurts them, they'll wonder what else they can learn from Ron Paul, and why no one else talks about something this important. Stir up the pain and offer the solution.

[mfoley1]

hmmmm tough call...why not leave it and have it link to a page that can clearly explain what it is.

[sroll2237]

hmmmm tough call...why not leave it and have it link to a page that can clearly explain what it is.

That's a good idea.

[ronpaulyourmom]

The purpose of this page is not to convert people.

The purpose of this page is to united all existing Ron Paul supporters under a united push to raise money for him. Since the Ron Paul base is so broad, the text on the page itself should seek to focus only on those things all RP supporters are united under.

I think the only truly common thread among all RP supporters... is to curb the abuse and unprincipled thrist for power found in the federal US government at this time.

[Energy]

The purpose of this page is not to convert people.

The purpose of this page is to united all existing Ron Paul supporters under a united push to raise money for him. Since the Ron Paul base is so broad, the text on the page itself should seek to focus only on those things all RP supporters are united under.

I think the only truly common thread among all RP supporters... is to curb the abuse and unprincipled thirst for power found in the federal US government at this time.

"Uniting all existing Ron Paul supporters" is the easy part. We don't have to say much and they're in.

Everything we do needs to convert to degree or at least raise curiosity in other camps who happen to come on the page. At teaparty07, it does help to succinctly educate the fence sitters a part of what this "revolution" is about; an opportunity to bring awareness to a concept like "inflation tax," which seriously and directly hurts average Americans (the media sure as hell isn't going to). That alone can help convert (or spark a journey to) because it sets Ron and his campaign apart from the other guys who fail to intelligently talk about what's really happening to people's very own money and answers the question: "Who's this guy, what's in it for me?"

Imagine the coverage after the 16th where Ron is interviewed and talks about one of the themes of the site partly responsible for energizing people to give: inflation tax caused by the Federal Reserve

[jake]

Remove it. The tie-in with the teaparty is nice but the site shouldn't focus on a single campaign issue like that. The 'revolutionary' nature of the tea party is sufficient enough to get the vibe across to people.

The site should just be to pump people up and show some subscriber stats. Just provide some links where people can go to find more information if they want it.

very good perspective and after much thought, I agree.

[Mckarnin]

I think the focus should be on "unconstitutional taxation". I'm no expert but I feel that would encompass inflation tax, the IRS and Social Security?

If it is decided to keep the "inflation tax", wording perhaps it should hyperlink to information.


In response to someone suggesting educational sister sites...perhaps people could pick different topics and make "Tea Crate" websites and a stack of teacrates on the TeaParty07 site could link to different sites? Probably too complicated.

[Mckarnin]

I don't like "overreaching". It's too generalized. A lot of people who are not well aquainted with the Boston Tea Party and the current unconstitutionality of IRS, Social Security, etc... won't get it.

[Alabama Supporter]

The masses do not understand the inflation tax. Please broaden the focus to taxation in general.

Thanks for asking!

[Alabama Supporter]

Will the results of this poll matter to the "decider"? I really hope so. The people hate taxes and this damn war! The voters don't care about "inflation tax".

[rebelforacause]

a.) people won't understand it
b.) too dangerous

[paulitics]

I know you tried to tie the theme closely with the original Boston Tea Party's cause, but just talking about the "inflation tax" is uninspiring and the average person will be like "yeah....whatever..." when they read it.

I think it should be a general pro-freedom, pro-peace, and anti-overbearing-government message. That is inspiring and still shares themes with the original tea-party message.

I agree with this.

[Vvick727]

after reading the posts, i change my vote from yes to no.
too bad i can't change it in the actual poll.

[sroll2237]

Will the results of this poll matter to the "decider"? I really hope so. The people hate taxes and this damn war! The voters don't care about "inflation tax".

I hope he does listen, because it's so important to broaden the base.

[Alabama Supporter]

bump. swords, it looks like the people have spoken. Are you going to modify the language?

[K1RBY]

why not just switch it to Income Tax, which everyone obviously knows about that one....

[Wayne Hammond]

Will the results of this poll matter to the "decider"? I really hope so. The people hate taxes and this damn war! The voters don't care about "inflation tax".

As noted by Trevor, what counts is not what we here say, or what Trevor says, what counts is what Dr. Paul has said, and he is making the term "inflation tax" a very key phrase in his campaign.

Trust me, when next month's inflation figures come out around this time in Dec. (right before the money bomb day), people WILL be talking about inflation. Dr. Paul is really ahead of the pack on this issue - this will become very apparent in months to come.

It's a CENTRAL point and I think it should stay on the site. Most people are already starting to see how inflation affects them and this is an issue that is increasingly becoming more and more important.

Yes, the war issue is important to people, (but it's also a divisive issue that several people disagree about) BUT EVERYONE hates inflation (except the govt) ... as the dollar continues to be devalued and inflation rears its head, people will be concerned less and less about issues "over there" and will demand politicians solve our problems over here.

What concerns voters the most is how policies affect them directly (as in their pocketbook). As stated in a previous Presidential election... "it's the ECONOMY, stupid".

The "inflation tax" concept ties in with that perfectly.

TREVOR... please keep it "as is" with the inflation tax. Thanks.


.

[ShowMeLiberty]

Yeah, broaden the audience.

There's no mention of the Boston Tea Party being the catalyst for an entire REVOLUTION, the American Revolution. Get people aware of what's going on and get them excited that they can join in Revolution II to DO something about it. Corral the 70%+ unhappy with the war/occupation. Here's a crude example:

==================

On December 16th, 1773, American colonists dumped tea into the Boston Harbor to protest an illegal and oppressive tax. This pinnacle event, known as the Boston Tea Party, sparked the American Revolution that rallied support for Patriots in the thirteen colonies who went on to successfully fight for our country's independence.

This December 16th American citizens will dump millions of dollars into the Ron Paul presidential campaign to express their frustration with government's support of:

Preemptive wars and foreign occupation that cost billions of taxpayers' money and threaten our national security and economy
Flagrant abuse of the monetary system that drives the value of our dollar down (inflation tax, federal income tax, manipulation of money supply)
Lack of respect for our personal liberties and freedom (Patriot Act, National ID card, warrentless wiretapping and searches, ignoring habeas corpus)

==================

This is a pretty good suggestion. If "inflation tax" specifically is going to be removed, I like this as an alternative.

[Alabama Supporter]

As noted by Trevor, what counts is not what we here say, or what Trevor says, what counts is what Dr. Paul has said, and he is making the term "inflation tax" a very key phrase in his campaign.

TREVOR... please keep it "as is" with the inflation tax. Thanks.


.

Then why would he run a poll to ask the question? It does matter what we say from what I get from the original post???

[Wayne Hammond]

Then why would he run a poll to ask the question? It does matter what we say from what I get from the original post???

I think Trevor already gave the answer here:




From my view point first and foremost I find the original post/tone of this thread totally disgregards the poll we took here:

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=34716

At the time of the post the poll was 50/50 and even now it's still pretty much the same.. so what gives anyone the right to demand anything? As a group we're split on the issue. Lets start respecting that other people have their opinions and no matter how important this is to you it is also important to them.

As a compromise (and from someones suggestion) I have made the text "inflation tax" link to an article about it which is written by Ron Paul. Now the answer is there if anyone wants to learn about it or is curious and the visitor gets to hear the definition from Ron Paul himself. For me this settles the argument. The poll was split and now a major detraction / reason for no votes has been addressed.

The issue was first raised on Friday and discussed on Friday and Saturday all day long, then the decision was made, and the results are now on www.teaparty07.com. To hash this all out again, nearly 3 days later is wasted effort.

I, for one, am willing to accept Trevor's decision. After all, he has shown that he has the ability to make these types of decisions, while considering other opinions of the community, with excellent results. After all, the guy had a huge part in raising $4.3 million for this campaign. I think we owe him the benefit of the doubt here.



.

[ShowMeLiberty]

Thanks, Wayne - I hadn't seen Trevor's answer (scanned the pages too fast I guess!).

I just looked at the www.teaparty07.com site again and it looks fantastic!

[uncloned21]

Please leave the relationship with the inflation tax. Remember how much the theme of the fundraising drive was emphasized in the media? We want people to wake up to montery policy and realize that EVERY other candidate is ignoring it completely! Overnight 2% polls for giuliani, hillary, obama, romney, everyone. Hell, if the people all knew what was going on, we would have a revolution overnight and put Ron Paul into power immediately.

[rebelforacause]

Talk about what people can understand

1.) income tax ( tax spending accountability)
2.) defending the constitution and our liberty

[traviskicks]

Abolish the IRS! It is a perfect fit and will resonante!

[LBT]

As I've said in another thread, the Boston Tea Party was actually a protest because some protectionist taxes were lowered. It is NOT a defense for lowering taxes. If the tax issue is the focus, the Boston Tea Party would be a fit for promoting a protectionist tariff agenda.

It's strength is that it was, at heart, a protest about the lack of representation in government. It was the catalysing event in the struggle for self-determination, for freedom.

[Alabama Supporter]

I think Trevor already gave the answer here:



The issue was first raised on Friday and discussed on Friday and Saturday all day long, then the decision was made, and the results are now on www.teaparty07.com. To hash this all out again, nearly 3 days later is wasted effort.

I, for one, am willing to accept Trevor's decision. After all, he has shown that he has the ability to make these types of decisions, while considering other opinions of the community, with excellent results. After all, the guy had a huge part in raising $4.3 million for this campaign. I think we owe him the benefit of the doubt here.
.

You act like the site is set in concrete. All we are lobbying for is to change a few words to make this appeal to MORE people. I would say that a 50/50 split is not a consensus. From a marketing perspective do you want this to have the largest reach among the people or only the ones who are "hyped" up about monetary policy?

BTW, I applaud and respect all the effort that these men have put into the site. I think it looks great. We all just want this to be as perfect as possible.

[Wayne Hammond]

You act like the site is set in concrete. All we are lobbying for is to change a few words to make this appeal to MORE people. I would say that a 50/50 split is not a consensus.

At this point, you're creating nothing but division amongst the ranks and this is not contributing to the cause. Please drop it - It's a done deal. What part of Trevor's quote don't you understand? He said, "for me, this settles the argument".

There is a fine line between productive. cooperative grassroots effort and someone trying to promote their own narrow agenda. The decision WAS MADE and we now need to get behind the EFFORT.

If you can start an effort that is able to raise more than $4.3 million in one day, then we will take your word for it and give you the benefit of the doubt. Until then, WE WILL SIDE WITH TREVOR, who has proven himself of great value to the campaign.




From my view point first and foremost I find the original post/tone of this thread totally disgregards the poll we took here:

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=34716

At the time of the post the poll was 50/50 and even now it's still pretty much the same.. so what gives anyone the right to demand anything? As a group we're split on the issue. Lets start respecting that other people have their opinions and no matter how important this is to you it is also important to them.

As a compromise (and from someones suggestion) I have made the text "inflation tax" link to an article about it which is written by Ron Paul. Now the answer is there if anyone wants to learn about it or is curious and the visitor gets to hear the definition from Ron Paul himself. For me this settles the argument. The poll was split and now a major detraction / reason for no votes has been addressed.

[Alabama Supporter]

Wayne, I'm addressing Trevor, not yourself.

Trevor polled the audience and it is clear there is already division by looking at the poll results.

Is this enough to derail the effort? Hell no. It is just a matter of marketing and reach that many have eloquently described.

[Wayne Hammond]

Wayne, I'm addressing Trevor, not yourself.

Trevor polled the audience and it is clear there is already division by looking at the poll results.

Is this enough to derail the effort? Hell no. It is just a matter of marketing and reach that many have eloquently described.

When this issue was settled by Trevor, the vote was 50-50, and now a small group of divisive forum members, a day or so later (yourself included) have revived this issue to challenge Trevor's decision... most of us have dropped it and accepted what Trevor has decided upon.

Time to move on to more important issues...


.

[jonathanwebb]

When this issue was settled by Trevor, the vote was 50-50, and now a small group of divisive forum members, a day or so later (yourself included) have revived this issue to challenge Trevor's decision... most of us have dropped it and accepted what Trevor has decided upon.

Time to move on to more important issues...
.

Agreed. I'm just a casual observer here, but you guys need to get behind this teaparty07.com creator and just start promoting his web site. It looks super to me. The press is looking at this group closely now and it's no time to argue.

Go Ron Paul!!!

[KewlRonduderules]

If I could change my vote now, I would. At first I was against it. Now, I really like what he did. He got rid of the word "illegal" and he hyperlinked "Inflation Tax"

Perfect!!!

Works well.

:)

[georgia_tech_swagger]

replace it simply with "excessive taxation"

[MozoVote]

Honestly, I think if opinion here is running 49-51 the site owner/editor should just do what he wants. Representative government works that way sometimes.

It bugged me a little at first but I think leaving it in as a link is OK.

[NinjaPirate]

Trevor, I've suggested in the past that all the "money matter movies" be put on a SEPARATE PAGE, and have a link created for that page, and then place the link on the main teaparty07 site. That way the movies will be out of view but they will be available to those who might want to watch them.

IMO, it's a good compromise. Thoughts???

[JimDude]

Looks like were split on this issue 50/50...

I say, lets do it. If this is truly a revolution than people have to learn about this kinds of things.

[SeanEdwards]

The inflation tax is a core tenant of being a Ron Paul supporter. We absolutely must keep educating the public on this insidious method of taxation at each and every turn. This must be a core part of the platform, and it has converted Democrats in droves. If anything there should be more writeups and explanations as to what types of taxations are harming the middle and lower classes, and why.

I agree with this post. Monetary policy is a core Paul issue, and it's one we should hammer because it's one he owns completely, and because it is so timely. Media is going batshit right now about the economy, and Paul is the only Presidential candidate offering a sound reasoned explanation and solution.

And it totally ties in with the historic Tea Party which was a protest against unjust taxation.

[uncloned21]

Please leave the relationship with the inflation tax. Remember how much the theme of the fundraising drive was emphasized in the media? We want people to wake up to montery policy and realize that EVERY other candidate is ignoring it completely! Overnight 2% polls for giuliani, hillary, obama, romney, everyone. Hell, if the people all knew what was going on, we would have a revolution overnight and put Ron Paul into power immediately.

And now with the Fed video on the page, everything is perfect!!

[jb4ronpaul]

Please leave the relationship with the inflation tax. Remember how much the theme of the fundraising drive was emphasized in the media? We want people to wake up to montery policy and realize that EVERY other candidate is ignoring it completely! Overnight 2% polls for giuliani, hillary, obama, romney, everyone. Hell, if the people all knew what was going on, we would have a revolution overnight and put Ron Paul into power immediately.

And now with the Fed video on the page, everything is perfect!!

I thought the main goal is to raise as much money as possible, not something else. I really think if half of people are asking for something, it is in the best interest of the grassroots and the event to listen to each other and come to some sort of consensus. We don't need to please every single person, but if half believe something should be changed that should be listened too by others.

[Joey Wahoo]

I strongly agree that we should emphasize unfair taxation generally, but not the inflation tax. Frankly, it comes off as too weird.

Ron Paul usually does a great column each year around April 15 on taxation. I suggest one of those be linked.

I also suggest thinking it about it this way--our founders were willing to start a revolution against the most powerful nation on the planet, rather than submit to a tax that so small it wouldn't even be noticed by Americans today. Perhaps compare that tax to the amount of taxes we are required to pay today, then say lets start our own revolution, and let it begin with the liber-tea party.

[Paul.Bearer.of.Injustice]

Now that you have the Bernanke video on there, all that's left is a nice little comment to the effect of "Discover Ron Paul and find out why his campaign has received more donations from our troops than any other candidate". That will suck first time visitors in like moths to a flame.

[max]

Looks like were split on this issue 50/50...

I say, lets do it. If this is truly a revolution than people have to learn about this kinds of things.

This isnt about education!!!!

It's about maximnizing DONATIONS!

The education will come when these millions of dollars are being spent and RP becomes well known....

This idea is basically EXCLUDING the potential donations of the anti-war Democrats and Independents...

[cero]

PLEASE get rid of it or RE-word it!
PS: I love democracy in action heh split right down the middle...

[austin356]

I change my vote from go to stay since Trevor changed up its presentation.