Conclusion

Contrary to what the wealthy have taught us to believe, a strongly progressive income tax does not take away from the economy or diminish incentive for honest work and creativity. The strongly progressive tax rates have been in effect for approximately 70 of the last 100 years and have served the public well. It has enhanced our freedoms and allowed the lower classes to advance rapidly. It funded important government programs and services which serve us all.

The claims to the contrary by the right wing have now proven themselves wrong across the board and are substantially responsible for the economic mess we are in today. The strongly progressive income tax coupled with the electoral reforms proposed by the Fundamental Reform Network can entirely change the way our government and economy work to the betterment of us all.

In a representative democracy such as ours, we can change this in one election if a popular revolt makes it totally clear that any incumbent or candidate for office will not receive the majority of votes cast in this fall’s elections unless they are dedicated to fundamentally change the way our government and economy works taking away the stranglehold of the rich. We have to make the message clear: We know how the game is played and we won’t stand for it any longer. Fear tactics will no longer work on us. Join us or be voted out of office. Serve the public as you are elected to do, or you’re out. Taking huge corporate campaign contributions will automatically result in our not voting for you regardless of other promises you make or how good they sound. Our votes can’t be bought. We are energized by this injustice and we are all pledged to personally vote and to turn out the votes of the 98% of us who will benefit through these changes.

Totally eliminating the ability of the ultra-rich to buy our government and economy is what we expect of our representative. This is what we demand of our representatives. Nothing less will do.

It only takes about 10% of the uncommitted independent vote plus a good turn out by the Democratic base to make that happen. This is nothing compared to the approximate 5% of the voters who identify with the extreme right. The odds are strongly on our side. And what will energize that kind of surge in support? Nothing short of a plan to eliminate the corrupting influence of big money in our governmental decisions through electoral reforms and reinstating the strongly progressive income tax once and for all.

This is the change we believed Obama had promised us, but it appears he succumbed to business as normal inside the belt way. Obama’s Audacity of Hope brought out the Democratic base, the independent voter and hoards of new voters especially among the young and minorities. The pundits are already forecasting the continued decline in popularity of Democrats in Congress and the President, and a resurgence of the right wing in this fall’s election. The only way that can happen is for them to successfully blame the gridlock they caused on the Democrats. But it is not nearly enough to insure the retention of power by the Democrats. Not at all. Not as long as they too are bought. We have to change the way our government is run or live with the mess we have.

We need not let that happen. We must not let that happen. The Fundamental Reform Network has a positive and achievable vision, a plan to make it happen and the means though which we can make this effort possible. “Against a great evil, a small effort does not result in a small result. It produces no result at all.” The choice is our. Will you join with us to make this happen?