Citizens for Limited Taxation & Government
"The Commonwealth Activist Network"
18 Tremont Street #608 * Boston, MA 02108
Phone:(617) 248-0022 * E-Mail:
cltg@cltg.org
Visit our web-page at:
http://cltg.org
_______________________________________________________________
Catch Barbara tonight on NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw in a segment on
"Fleecing the Taxpayers" -- 6:30 PM tonight, TV-7 in Boston.

*** A Message from Barbara ***
Thursday, May 14, 1998

I Just want to thank everyone who helped with the income tax rollback petition drive and challenge, and those who have sent words of encouragement since we learned we won’t be on the ballot.

We have been collecting thoughts and suggestions from activists who have e-mailed, written and called, and are evolving The Plan. The next phase will be a letter to all CLT&G members to get their input. Then, since we aren’t doing a petition drive in June, Chip & I are going to the International Taxpayers Conference in Vancouver from June 10-14.

I had declined the invitation to be on a panel there because I couldn’t leave during the drive, but now Chip and I will both be speaking. I intend to share some of our activists’ thoughts with the conferees, and Chip will give expert testimony on activist databases and in-house fundraising. Mostly, we will collect more ideas from leaders of other taxpayer groups around the country and the world, who deal with many of the same things we deal with: economic good times leading to voter complacency, teachers unions, and politicians who are the same the world over.

This will also be part of the vacation that many of you have recommended we take, thank you. It’s great fun being with other people like us. If any of you want to go, registration is still open.

So when we have a full collection of ideas from our activists, members, and other groups like ours, and have "vacated" for awhile to let the ideas simmer, we will return, confer again with member activists, and let you know The Evolved Plan.

In the meantime, let us all continue our guerilla warfare, from Chip’s contest for a commonwealth slogan to my possible appearance, perhaps tonight, on NBC’s Fleecing the Taxpayers series. Even if I don’t make the cut, it will probably be worth watching: Tom Brokaw (the most bearable of the Big Three) between 6:30 and 7 PM for stories about government waste.

Thanks again for your support during a difficult campaign.
Barbara

P.S. I promised to tell some of you about the ongoing battle between Mrs. McGillicuddy and Mr. I. Mallset (this is insider stuff for petitioners, who have all met Mr. I. Mallset). Mrs. McGillicuddy was our prototype taxpayer during the Prop 2 ½ campaign, the senior citizen, widow of course, who was trying to keep her house so she could have the children and grand-children home for Thanksgiving.

Whenever the opposition would talk about government needs, we would say "but what about Mrs. McGillicuddy?" One opponent told me, long after we won, that it was the one thing he couldn’t handle.

Anyhow, at that time, it was Mrs. M. against the MTA, League of Women Voters, Mass. Municipal Assoc., Mass. Taxpayers Foundation, etc. But I always sensed that they were just opponents, while the real enemy was public apathy—and last fall, after a hard weekend at the mall, I saw the enemy clearly: Mr. I. Mallset. We have to deal with him first.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
You can e-mail CLT&G at -->
cltg@cltg.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"The only alternative to limited taxation and government is unlimited taxation and government"