Cash Needed to Enact 3

Reforms in a Town if

Labor is 100% Volunteer

I’m going to reveal a secret. I do not want this to be a secret but it is a secret because nobody apparently has figured this out (and put the conclusion in any writing that I can find). The secret is that the out-of-pocket expense of creating prosperity for substantially all of the residents and small businesses in a small town (population between 5,000 and 15,000) is about $3,000 to $10,000 (as outlined below) if the required labor (which I also outline below) is voluntary (i.e., without compensation). Any services that I render (and remember, I only have so many hours that I can volunteer) are to be without any compensation to me.

Volunteering for political activities is not new. During every election we have millions of students, housewives, farmers, businesspersons, teachers, governmental employees, actors/actresses, cab drivers, candidates and others donating their time to their political causes. I’m going to make several guesstimates. I assume 1,000,000 individuals will participate without compensation in the next Presidential election cycle, and that the average amount of time to be spent is 100 hours, and that the average market value for those hours is $25/hour. This means that individuals in the U.S. are going to donate $2.5 billion of their time in what will amount to nothing more than increased concentration of the nation’s economy for the already wealthy.

At the same time, unless I can obtain some help, you will have only me and the few hours that I can donate trying to help you obtain prosperity in a different political way.

Imagine what you could do if you volunteered to help yourself (with some other volunteers) create prosperity in your own town. I’m willing to help (as a volunteer) for the first few efforts anywhere in the country, but I would not have time to help after my available hours are used up.

It might take a team of 3 to 10 individual volunteers (plus my free services) to push through the 3 needed reforms.

Here is an outline of the principal work that would be needed and the main out-of-pocket expenses that would have to be met.

1. House rentals for office and housing for volunteers, needed at different times for a total of about 5 months, at $750/mo, totaling $3,750 (unless the housing needs are also provided without compensation);

2. Office telephone, totaling $200;

3. NYS Notary Public licensing fee of $15 for each volunteer, totaling $45 to $150;

4. Gas and oil used in cars driven by volunteers, at $100 per volunteer, totaling $300 to $1,000; I assume there would be no other payments for use of the volunteers’ vehicles;

6. Photocopying and printing supplies, estimated to run from $1,000 to $3,000;

7. Other supplies, totaling $400;

8. Filing fees in court, totaling $400;

9. Food and beverages for volunteers, estimated at $4,000; and

10. Postage for mailing to voters, at $.55 per letter, 2 mailings x 3,000 to 7,500 homes, totaling $3,100 to $8,250.

The main things that have to be done:

1. Obtain signatures on 3 ballot-initiative petitions from 400 to 2,000 registered voters;

2. Submit twice as many as the required minimum number of signed petitions to the local legislature to see if it will enact the reforms without submitting the proposed reforms to voters (which it probably will not do because it could have done so already by this time);

3. Obtain additional signatures from 200 to 1,000 different registered voters if the local legislature refuses to enact the reforms;

4. Seek an injunction if the local government refuses to put any of the 3 proposed reforms on the ballot;

5. Visit each small business to explain the 3 reforms, ask for their participation and ask for a donation;

6. Visit each home (not already reached when signing petitions) to explain the 3 reforms;

7. Call each voter to ensure he/she votes, and take them to the voting place if necessary.

The total cost out-of-pocket expense ranges between $13,195 and $21,150, and probably can be obtained through local donations. The dollar amount is virtually nothing, when compared to the $ billions spent in federal election campaigns, and is comparable to the tiny $2,000 in annual tuition needed for my concept of the Equivalency College.

There is every reason for registered voters in small towns in the U.S. to start looking at this alterative way to obtain the laws that voters want. The rights I’m trying to exercise are not limited to the 3 reforms I seek. They can be used for almost anything, as long as the result is not illegal under federal or state law.

So, please contact me and let’s see how we can create prosperity in your community!

Carl E. Person

Revised 3/24/19 5:40 p.m.