Labor Day
It is fitting that on the first Monday of each September, we celebrate the people who perform the labor that makes it possible for all of us to have the standard of living which we enjoy in the U.S.
Abraham Lincoln was himself no stranger to hard work and a person who understood the value of people who work to produce things. He said, "Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.”
Much of the push to celebrate Labor Day came from worker’s unions. Unions were very controversial but played a prominent part in securing rights for workers. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes said,
“In present conditions a workman may not unnaturally believe that only by belonging to a union can he secure a contract that shall be fair to him....If that belief, whether right or wrong, may be held by a reasonable man, it seems to me that it may be enforced by law in order to establish the equality of position...in which liberty of contract begins.”
In 1894, with strong pressure from the unions, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday.
Union Membership
Here are some interesting facts about union membership from the Department of Labor:
- The union membership rate--the percent of wage and salary workers who were members of unions--was 11.1 percent in 2015, unchanged from 2014 but down from 20.1 percent in 1983.
- Public-sector workers had a union membership rate (35.2 percent) more than five times higher than that of private-sector workers (6.7 percent).
- Workers in protective service occupations and in education, training, and library occupations had the highest unionization rates (36.3 percent and 35.5 percent, respectively).
- Men continued to have a slightly higher union membership rate (11.5 percent) than women (10.6 percent).
- Black workers were more likely to be union members than were white, Asian, or Hispanic workers.
- Among states, New York continued to have the highest union membership rate (24.7 percent), while South Carolina had the lowest (2.1 percent).
Why the Labor Movement Should Support the FAIRtax
There are many people who believe that labor unions have caused the prices of some products to rise to levels where they are not competitive. There is ample evidence that the public sector unions may have done too good a job in securing benefits for their members and that many municipalities may not be able provide the promised benefits.
However, there is no doubt that unions and the specter of unionization have created pressure on employers with non-union employees to provide higher wages and benefits.
Ultimately, the best guarantee of a job and decent wages and benefits is economic growth. Without a job, neither a union or non-union worker is going to be happy. Study after study has concluded that one of the biggest costs of unemployment is the loss of self-respect.
We know for sure that the more economic growth, the more jobs will be created. The more jobs created, then the better will need to be the wages and benefits to keep employees who will have many options.
When my wife and I visited Calgary, Canada, our hostess asked me what a McDonald’s worker was paid in Florida. I said that I wasn’t sure but assumed that it was under $10 per hour. She laughed and said that the local McDonalds was paying close to $20 per hour and having trouble finding qualified workers. They were even paying to train some employees so that they could perform the duties required.
When I asked the reason, she explained that high school drop-outs were able to make nearly $100,000 per year in the oil fields nearby. This meant that there was a shortage of workers and those available were much more valuable. This is true of any commodity. The less you have of it, the more costly it becomes.
With the FAIRtax, we will see sustained economic growth at a much higher rate than with the present income/payroll tax system. We will see huge amounts of foreign investment seeking to participate in the U.S. because they will not have a tax on their capital investments. This will lead to more production of goods and services and more better paying jobs in the U.S.
Humorous Labor Day Story
In 1934, Clem, a dirt-poor country farmer, learned that oil had been discovered on his farm and he was suddenly rich. Neither Clem nor his family had ever been away from the farm and had no electricity or running water.
When Clem received his first check, the oil company representative persuaded Clem to treat his wife and their four kids to a trip to see the Labor Day parade in New York. The oil company booked rooms at a fancy hotel.
As they were standing in the lobby in their new Sears and Roebuck clothes, Clem was fascinated by this shiny box with doors that had lights and opened and then closed again. Clem asked the bellman and was told that this was an elevator. He watched a little old lady enter the elevator and the doors close. The lights above the elevator flashed and stopped at the number five. A minute later, the elevator lights started going from five to four to three to two to one and then the doors opened and out stepped a beautiful young woman.
Clem turned to one of his sons and said, “Son, go get your mother.”
Conclusion
Abraham Lincoln made a comment that really applies to us now. “If any man tells you he loves America, yet hates labor, he is a liar. If any man tells you he trusts America, yet fears labor, he is a fool.”
All employees, whether union, non-union, employed by the government or a private party or self-employed, will do better under the FAIRtax. Pass the FAIRtax and see the lives of all of our people become more prosperous, and future generations will once again have the opportunity to enjoy a better life than their parents. Isn’t this what we all want?
1040 Club and Your Donations (Investments)
When you make a donation to Americans For Fair Taxation “(AFFT”), you are making an investment. You could be investing the money in something else. All of us want to see a return on our investment. We want to see the investment used wisely and that the organization provides what it promises.
AFFT has been working for a long time to educate people about the FAIRtax. We are still running into people who have not heard about the FAIRtax, but what a difference it is from even five years ago. The biggest fear of the D.C. Elites is if the American people realize that they have been “had” and demand common sense reform like the FAIRtax. The Elites know that their “friends” in Congress will desert them if threatened with being thrown out of office.
There is going to be some sort of change in the income tax code in 2017. If AFFT is not demanding, on behalf of you, that Congress not just make a few changes but make real reform, then there will be more of the same and America will continue to lose jobs and more of our children will be living with us because they cannot find jobs.
By contributing (investing) $10.40 per month, you help provide a financial base to AFFT. If you can make larger contributions (investments) these will be used not for salaries, as we are all volunteers, but for the needed updates to our economic studies which will be vital in 2017.
Please go to this link to invest in AFFT and in your and your family’s future.
New FAIRtax Book
Do you know of someone who would like to learn the basics of the FAIRtax but is not an avid user of social media? Perhaps someone who would prefer to read a booklet either in print or electronic form? If so, we have just what they need. The title is America’s Big Solution which is available in both print and electronic formats. America’s Big Solution was written by Florida volunteer Terry Tibbetts in an effort to reach people who lean toward getting more information than you can fit into a 140 character “tweet" or a Facebook post. America’s Big Solution will take the reader through a brief but thorough introduction to the FAIRtax and give suggestions for further study.
You can find America’s Big Solution on the three most popular platforms -- Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the Apple iBook Store. To purchase the electronic form for the Amazon Kindle or the print form, go to this website. To find it for your Barnes & Noble Nook, go here. And if you’re an Apple user, go to the iBook store at this site. The print version (only available at Amazon) is $9.25 whereas the electronic versions are all priced at $2.99. (Apparently electrons are less expensive than paper and ink!) All royalties go to Americans For Fair Taxation.
Please share this information with everyone you know. The more people know about the FAIRtax, the easier it will be to steer Congress into the only REAL tax reform proposal on the table at this time.
AFFT National LOGO Store
THE FAIRTAX® LOGO STORE
SUPPLYING EDUCATIONAL/PROMOTIONAL ITEMS
NEW Store Item --- ABS Vinyl Bumper Stickers
PLUS 25% off on all FAIRTAX Banners plus many items going on BOGO sale for September.
We will start running BOGO specials soonest for the months of September and October. Super Deals, so watch the Store frequently!
Now is the time to spread the word and present our FAIRtax logo to the public.
Your FAIRtax Store is ready to meet your promotional needs as we move out of the Convention season and into the final phases of electing a new USA President.
WWW.FAIRTAXLOGOSTORE.ORG
When visiting the Store, don’t forget to order a supply of FAIRtax palm cards. Besides handing out palm cards at meetings and events, whenever you send mail through the post office, including at least one FAIRtax informational palm card in your envelope. And remember, many entities send you postage paid envelopes for whatever reason. So, why not send them back with an enclosed palm card and a FAIRtax sticker on the outside for all to see - keep spreading the word.
Please take a moment and visit our store by clicking here.
FAIRtax Power Radio
FAIRtax Power Radio is the brainchild of Bob Paxton, a Florida volunteer with previous radio experience and someone who is devoted to getting the FAIRtax passed into law as soon as possible. He invited Ron Maiellaro, another Florida volunteer, to join him. Together they are “The FAIRtax Guys” and they have created a series of podcasts that not only introduce the listeners to the FAIRtax but also discuss the many different aspects of the FAIRtax as it relates to the economy, our Constitutional rights, politics, business and anything else that comes to mind. After all, the FAIRtax will affect and be affected by every aspect of American life.
FAIRtax Power Radio has been around for almost two years, but a few months ago, we had a new beginning. We moved our main distribution platform to Spreaker where you can listen to and download our 30 minute podcasts for free.
Last April, when we moved to Spreaker, we decided to start from scratch and reintroduce the FAIRtax from the beginning to our listeners. In the first few episodes, you will hear details of the immense problems with the current income tax system and why it cannot be fixed. In fact, it’s so serious that even Thomas Jefferson gets involved in the discussion in episode 3. Then you’ll hear the most important aspects of the FAIRtax explained by Bob “Paxworthy” using his “You Might Be A FAIRtax Fan!” routine. We have interviews with various people such as a local business man, a Congressman and a member of the Board of Directors of Americans For Fair Taxation. We have examples of some of the wackiest tax deductions allowed by the IRS and the tax courts. We have analyzed the proposed tax reforms that the House Ways & Means Committee titled “A Better Way” and explained why it’s not “the best way.” In episode 18, Thomas Jefferson returns five years after his first visit however this time, the FAIRtax is the law of the land. A new episode is posted every Friday morning but you can tune in at anytime that is convenient to you.
If you’re an iTunes user, you can find FAIRtax Power Radio in the podcasts section of the iTunes store. Again, it is free and you can listen and/or download the podcasts at any time.
Both Spreaker and iTunes are available for your smartphones using the free apps. We are also working to get FTPR on other platforms such as iHeart Radio and TuneIn; more on those efforts at a later date.
Since our move to Spreaker and iTunes, we have increased our listenership but we need more, many more people to listen to FAIRtax Power Radio if we are going to force Congress to adopt the only REAL tax reform in front of them. YOU can help to inform the American people by not only listening to FTPR but also by sharing this information and these links with everyone in your contact list.
As The FAIRtax Guys say in every episode, When You Understand It, You’ll Demand It!
Thank You For Opening The FAIRtax Chronicles, Our Sponsored Mailings
We plan to do several of these mailings each month. If you take a minute to open the sponsored emails and click through to the website, you are making an in kind contribution to AFFT. It is not required to actually make a purchase, but your minute of time will ensure that AFFT is paid ever larger amounts from people paying for us to send their offers to our supporters.
Again, we are making every effort to ensure that we work with only reputable companies. If you feel that any FAIRtax-sponsored email is objectionable, please email us at info@fairtax.org and tell us why. You can also opt to not receive these sponsored email messages but still receive FAIRtax emails.
Thank you for staying FAIRtax strong!
