What we have done. What we must do to make a difference.
Four years ago, I and a dozen other citizens with diverse interests and backgrounds formed a new tax-exempt, education organization named after New Jersey’s motto, “Liberty and Prosperity”.?? That was not our original plan.?? We at first tried to work with existing groups to fix New Jersey.
?? But after months of research, we discovered that money problems like high taxes, lack of affordable housing, college, insurance, health care, etc., and social problems like violent crime, poor public education, illegal immigration, grown children who can’t afford to leave their parents’ homes, etc., were not separate problems, but the? result of a bigger one.????????
?? We often get pain and fever when we are sick, but taking aspirin for the pain, or an ice water bath to bring down the fever will not make us healthy.? We only get healthy when our immune? system gets the germs under control.??
?? In 1776, the founders of? this country created a remarkable system of government “conceived in liberty”.??? “Four score and seven years” later, Americans fought a brutal civil war to give our nation a “rebirth in freedom” that recognized the “unalienable rights” of African Americans.? The principles of? liberty that created this country are found in our Declaration of Independence, our U.S. and New Jersey Constitutions, New
Jersey’s motto, “Liberty and Prosperity”, and the speeches of Abraham Lincoln.
?? The system of liberty described in those documents is the immune system that kept our? country healthy for most of our first 200 years.? That system is not functioning now, because few Americans today know or care enough about it.? When was the last time you or your children read any of the basic documents that describe our system of liberty??? The key to fixing
New Jersey and the rest of the country is for most Americans to again understand, support, protect? and defend those basic American principles of liberty.
?? After months of research, we could not find a single government or private organization in New Jersey dedicated to that purpose.?? We only found “taxpayer” groups and political clubs that complained about high taxes, but did nothing to stop the government spending that caused them.?? We found? “advocacy groups” demanding that government give benefits like “low cost housing” or “affordable health care” to some, by jacking up the prices paid by everyone else!?? We could not find a single group dedicated to “liberty and justice for all”.
?? And so we created “Liberty and Prosperity, 1776, Inc.”? Our state motto declares that liberty and prosperity are only found together.?? It explains why? “economic development” programs do more harm than good when they give special privileges to some, and take basic rights from others.
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?? During the past four years, we studied the basic ideas of American liberty and agreed that these seven programs would begin to cure New Jersey’s most serious problems:
1.? No eminent domain for private gain.
2.? Enforce federal immigration laws.
3.? Make tax and zoning laws fair, simple, and applied equally to
everyone.
4.? Cut taxes by cutting government spending.
5.? Post all government contracts and employee salaries on the
internet.
6.? Don’t sell, lease, or hock our public highways.
7.? Repudiate all unconstitutional debt.? (Only a small fraction of NJ’s $105 billion of public debt was legally approved by the? voters as required by our NJ Constitution).
?? If you do not agree with these ideas, we invite you to share your views with us at any breakfast discussion group, dinner meeting, or on my two-way talk radio program that broadcasts every weekday afternoon on WIBG 1020 AM radio from 3PM to 5PM.?? We urge you to invite one of our speakers to exchange ideas at your school, church, synagogue, or social group.?? For
details, please go to our website at www.libertyandprosperity.org or call me at my Somers Point law office at (609) 927-7333.? Or e-mail me at seth@dandy.net.
?? If you agree with us, we urgently need your help.???? We need $400 each week, or $20,000 each year just to maintain our current level of activity.?? We need $150 per week to maintain the radio program,? $200 per week to maintain our office and web site, and $50 per week to send out written newsletters each month.?? But if we want to truly change the culture of New Jersey, we must do a lot more.??? We would like an extra $400 per week to reach more people through FM radio, road signs, and distribution of booklets containing our Declaration of Independence, state and federal constitutions, and speeches of? Abraham Lincoln.??
?? We can raise that money if you do your share.?? So far, you and
800 others have signed up for? our newsletter.? If most of you pay associate member dues of just $30 per year, we can continue our current activities for all of 2008.?? If we can persuade just 200 more people to contribute $100 per year, we can raise the $40,000 we need to change the political culture of New Jersey.
?? We also need volunteers for many projects.?? These projects
include looking up information on the internet, typing, putting address labels on mailings, helping at information booths, contributing to the web page, etc.??? Please contact me and? tell me what you are ready, willing, and able to do.
?? To apply for associate membership, please send your name,
address, telephone number, and? e-mail address to me, Seth Grossman c/o Liberty and Prosperity 1776, Inc. 453 Shore Road, Somers Point, NJ 08244, or call me at 609-927-7333.?? Please send your check for $30 payable to “Liberty & Prosperity 1776, Inc.”?? Dues are NOT tax deductible.
?? Liberty & Prosperity 1776, Inc. is recognized by the? IRS as a
501(c)(3) tax exempt organization.?? Your donation (not dues) may be tax deductible.?? If you wish to make a donation, please give us your full name and address so we can send you the written acknowledgment required by the IRS.
?? Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
SETH GROSSMAN
Acting President