Launch of FairTax New Jersey

All,
I have written several times about organizing the New Jersey FairTax movement more formally and have received helpful feedback from many of you.  The product of those efforts is the attached proposed Constitution and By-Laws of FairTax New Jersey.  This model will provide for identified membership and a small standing working board.

FairTax New Jersey, if ratified at the semi-annual meeting on April 17, 2010 in Collingswood, will be an unincorporated association under the supervision of Americans for Fair Taxation.  The language identifying the purposes of the Association is word-for-word those of AFFT's certificate of incorporation - substituting names where appropriate.  FairTax New Jersey will have the following 22 charter members:
Douglas Dash    
Stephanie Sharp
John O’Rourke
John Burchill
Thomas J. Freeman
Douglas Hartlove
James Bennett
Norm Simms
Randy Poulson
Christine Germann
Gene Louis Baldassari
Kenneth Tyburczy
Dennis A. Drake
Gaetana Triolo
Tessa Sherman
Marc Doran
Linda Gerisi
Joseph Assisi
Carol Hartlove
Barbara Panella
David Corsi
Kenneth A. Collins

If anyone on this list prefers not to be a charter member, please e-mail me.  Most of you are DD's or CC's. I would want all DD's and CC's to be members.

Conversely, if anyone receiving this e-mail is not on this list and wants to be a charter member, please e-mail me.  I would want a minimal level of commitment, though, because we do not want to have to disband membership meetings for lack of a quorum.

FairTax New Jersey will have a Board of seven, chosen by the members of the association.  The initial Board members, who have all agreed to serve if the Constitution and By-Laws are ratified, will be:
Douglas Dash
Stephanie Sharp
John O’Rourke
John Burchill
Thomas J. Freeman
Douglas Hartlove
James Bennett

The board members will commit to participate in regular telephone conference meetings, probably monthly, similarly to the way the Grassroots leaders and the RD's have been conferring nationally.

This board does not coincide with the New Jersey DD's and the CC's, and in fact is considerably smaller than that group.  I will suggest to the Board that FairTax New Jersey members be notified and invited to participate in Board conferences - at least in the beginning.  This practice was very successful in a non-profit orgainzation that I started in Summit, and it gave everyone a sense of participation.

The Board will be responsible for selecting officers, including the State Director - subject to the approval of AFFT.  I have said I would want to step down, but remain a member of the Board and the Regional Director.  The Board also will set state policy.

I believe that this plan will give the New Jersey FairTax movement a more professional image and enhance accountability of all of us to each other.  It will keep us as flexible as we are today with our present activities, and it will help FairTax New Jersey to reach the next stage of growth and development.

Please let me have your comments and/or questions.

Best regards,
~Jim