The Plan.

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by Michael Boldin

“It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people’s minds.”
–Samuel Adams

When I registered the domain for tenthamendmentcenter.com on June 25th, 2006, I had a very modest goal – to reach someone, anyone actually, with the idea that the solution to all our problems is through a mass decentralization of political power as the constitution mandates.

The plan at that time? Pretty simple – to start pointing out as many constitutional violations as possible. Since almost everything the feds have been doing for a long time is outside the scope of the powers delegated to them in the constitution, finding topics to focus on would be easy. The hard part? Reaching people.

Approaching our 5 year anniversary this Saturday, I recognize that we’ve certainly reached a few people, and more. Legislators in almost every state have seen versions of our bills and resolutions considered, and some have even passed too. Dozens of volunteers around the country are helping our cause, and leading local Tenth Amendment Center chapters. The media, never before speaking of nullification, now recognizes the growth of a nullification movement around the country. And most importantly, those grassroots groups around the country that are working to stand up for the tenth amendment on a state level have followed our lead and made the 10th their mantra.

In just five years, we are proud to say, the Tenth Amendment Center has been a great success – not only educating people, but activating for real change in your lifetime.

As I wrote in my last column, eight hours for liberty, we’ve done all this on less than a shoestring budget. In fact, the big organizations that now feel it necessary to attack our work because it has grown dangerous to their hold on centralized power raise our YEARLY BUDGET EVERY EIGHT HOURS.

That’s why we need your help right now – because we can’t continue this forever without your help. And many of you have already answered our first call for help – getting us more than 50% towards our first goal. THANK YOU!

What are we asking for? We are asking you to help a keep the TAC growing as a winning organization in both scope and influence. And, with just a modest amount of funding, not the millions that the establishment always needs, we can do that together.

With that in mind, I’d like to share with you just what our fundraising goals are for. I’m not one who ever thought I’d be asking people for money, but it’s something we must do, so here’s where your dollars will go should you decide to join our cause with a financial commitment right now.

FINANCIAL GOALS, TIER 1. – $15,000

1. GOAL REACHED, THANK YOU! $3600, break even.
Our modest monthly operating costs of $2500 are about $600 short per month. Thank you for helping us reach what’s needed to get to our financial break-even point!

2. GOAL REACHED, THANK YOU! $2000, outreach staff.
It’s essential for a growing organization to be able to communicate with supporters about various issues. Thanks to your initial contributions, we are running a small call center with three dedicated part time team members who are doing the tough work of calling people to ask their opinions, engage, fundraise, and collaborate. Your help is allowing us to build a community, and future action alerts will be far more effective.

3. GOAL REACHED, THANK YOU! $2400, Tenther Radio
Our last outreach campaign enabled us to learn the ropes and purchase the professional audio equipment needed to run a quality weekly radio program. With the addition of a professional radio producer, we are finally launching a weekly Internet radio show! Tom Woods will be joining us for our kickoff this Wednesday, and every week we’ll have amazing guests, important information, and we’ll take your calls too.

4. ALMOST THERE! $1200, reserve.
For each level of our campaign, it’s essential for us to be financially sound. No longer will we operate in the red, and we will start putting a small amount in reserve for expenses or projects that may arise in the near future. While very modest, $1200 on hand will cover plenty that we’ve missed out in, including marketing materials, event sponsorships, and the like.

5. $3600, help me eat!
For the past five years, I’ve been running the TAC out of pure devotion to the cause. I’ve been fortunate, though, to actually pull a small hourly wage of a little under $7/hour. But, as our movement grows, I’m needed in more ways than I ever expected. Speaking at events around the country, taking media requests and live interviews, holding conference calls with volunteers and legislators, and much more. All this takes a lot of time. In fact, I rarely work less than 60 hours per week. But, with the low pay, I’m still required to keep a part time private sector job to cover my food and rent bills each month. I will continue my dedication to the cause no matter what, but i feel it’s time for me to move away from that and dedicate myself full time to the TAC without distraction. $600 a month is all that I need to make that commitment. Can you help me?

6. $2400, tour coordinator
We’ve just taken on a national tour coordinator, John Michaels, who will take on much of the daily load required to organize and schedule more Nullify Now! Tour dates around the country. John has spent over a decade doing the same for a major label rock band, and is already a massive help for our team. He’s doing much of the work already as a volunteer, dedicated to the cause, but we need to be able to pay him a small monthly stipend cover additional time that will be required to ensure more educational events around the country go smoothly. Just $400 a month is what’s needed.

7. $700. Fees.
This one is there, not a happy one, but it exists. To cover the credit card processing costs of this phase of our campaign, we will be billed for it. We believe in the free market, so while the fees hurt a bit, we appreciate the great business service that our processor, piryx, provides us!

FINANCIAL GOALS, TIER 2- $10,000

1. $2400, help us keep Bryce Shonka as deputy director!
Through great work from our former grassroots director, AND the help you gave us over the last six months, we’ve been able to promote Bryce Shonka to deputy director of the TAC. No, he’s not getting a massive salary, obviously, but he IS taking on bigger and better projects, developing his leadership skills along the way. If we are to be able to continue this kind of executive leadership at the TAC, we’ll need just $2400 to keep Bryce on in this important new role. Please support his work!

2. $2400 legislative liaison
As we work to get state level nullification bills not only introduced, but passed, it will become more and more important for legislators to be fully educated not only on the bills themselves, but on the lies and distortions that the media has and will use against them. Having a team member dedicated to educating and working with state legislators is key to growing this movement.

3. $600, fees
We believe in the free market, so while the fees hurt a bit, we appreciate the great business service that our processor, piryx, provides us!

4. $2400, video production
Great multimedia content is essential to reach more people, especially the youth – who rarely read more than 140 characters on twitter! With just this small amount committed to our cause, we will be able to produce 2-3 additional high-quality videos every month. Please help us!

5. $2200 reserve
When an important media campaign arises, we can get a professional press release distribution. We can produce radio ads when needed, we can expand our regular outreach, and more.

There you have it. While there are many, many more things we’d like to do (we have goals for the next three tiers ready too, and will publish them if we get closer), we feel confident that what we’ve been doing already will continue to grow into a major political force. And, adding these modest growth goals will bring us there even faster.

HELP US TODAY!

Bottom line? We need your help right now. Whether you are able to join our campaign with a pledge of $5000, or something more modest like $50 or $35, we need your help today.

Please join us and make a contribution to defending the constitution. Together we’ll work to make our motto part of our daily life: The Constitution. Every issue, every time. No exceptions, no excuses.

Join us in our commitment to liberty today. Please help us with a gift at the following link:
http://www.tenthamendmentcenter.com/donate/

Thank you!