So, how does a grassroots organization run totally by well-meaning volunteers get on THE major national business network? We found out on October 9, 2017. Our Marketing and Communications Committee scored a home run when Chairman Steve Hayes was invited on to the Fox Business Network’s Varney & Company to talk tax reform. After flurries of Facebook posts, comments, messages, and pleas combined with dozens of Twitter tweets a producer reached out to Steve Hayes seeking his appearance at a Tampa Fox studio on October 11.
In the near 5 minute segment Mr. Hayes and host Stuart Varney sparred a bit over whether tax cuts are tax reform. Mr. Hayes made some critical points.
- The system is not only broken it is imploding.
- The present framework presented by the Administration and Congress is a potential Christmas gift to lobbyists and Congress.
- Continuing the income tax system in place while making minor adjustments opens the door for thousands of amendments.
- REAL tax reform comes from the FAIRtax.
To our knowledge this is the FIRST and ONLY time these points have been hammered home to an audience of millions on a major network.
Stuart Varney opened the debate with “we don’t have enough time for full scale tax reform would you be in favor of tax cuts…” and this set the tone. What followed was clearly a news media establishment attempt at messaging and selling “half a loaf”. It was clear that Fox News has decided to declare victory for Congress and the army of lobbyists. Mr. Hayes battled on by rejecting Mr. Varney’s statement that #FAIRtax is “pie in the sky” declaring that the “wheels are coming off” the current system. Agreeing to disagree it was clear that Mr. Varney was impressed.
So what did we, the volunteers, do to help finally break “the glass ceiling” of major network news? Through catchy graphics we have posted regular, hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly posts. We have accumulated “Page Likes” and “Followers”. We have increased the reach of our posts, and have engaged tens of thousands of people in discussions, debates, and replies. We have argued and educated on Facebook and Twitter. On virtually every social media page of every member of Congress (and nearly every member has one), and on every major media outlet we have pounded home our message. Persistence does pay off.
But we need YOUR help. What can you do? Invite your Facebook friends to “Like” our page, invite everyone you can on Twitter to “Follow” @FairTaxOfficial, and do more. Retweeting,sharing and getting others from your workplace, your church, or your baseball team to “get in the game” on social media will help to open the doors to more and more appearances on more shows as the tax reform debate continues. And, we have to mention it, donate if you can so we can do ads on social media to reach even more people promoting events like the WEBINAR and the FAIRtax GUYS LIVE both of which are monthly. Our next live event on our page at www.Facebook.com/FairTax is next Tuesday October 16 at 8:00pm EDT. Be there and invite your friends.
Randy Fischer, Director and Chairman Marketing and Communications
Americans For Fair Taxation