Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1992 11:45:54 GMT From: John F. McMullen (mcmullen@well.sf.ca.us) Subject: File 5--Net "do-it-yourself" political activity (NEWSBYTES Reprint) Warren Announces Do-It-Yourself "NET" Political Activity 1/13/92 WOODSIDE, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1992 JAN 13 (NB) -- Jim Warren, founder of InfoWorld and the West Coast Computer Faire, has announced a plan under which US taxpayers may let their legislators know their desire for expenditure of tax revenues. In a statement posted of the Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link (WELL), Warren outlined a proposal under which taxpayers would fill out a form that specifies the desires of the taxpayer for the uses of her/his tax payment. The form will then be sent to the taxpayer's elected representatives. Warren said "As we approach tax-day, it emphasizes that we again worked more than a third of last year for the government and politicians. This year, let's tell them how WE want them to use the hard-earned money they take from us. When we send in our taxes, let's also send copies of this to our current and potential elected representatives, especially to this year's political candidates. (Let's not blame the IRS; they're just doing what our elected representatives tell them to do.) Please feel free to copy this to friends, neighbors, customers, business associates and company and community bulletin boards." The form, designed by Warren, provides spaces for the taxpayer to fill in dollar and percentage figures for the expenditure of the funds. Warren also committed, if taxpayers send copies of the forms to him, to publish summary reports reflecting the desires of the aggregate of the reporting taxpayers. Warren's form follows: To: ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ TAX ALLOCATION INSTRUCTIONS FROM A VOTER Here are the taxes that I know you are taking from my work last year, and here is how I want you to use them. (For other projects that you or your campaign donors desire, please depend on the hidden taxes that I cannot easily identify.) This is a very serious matter to me, even though this note is a form. Please respond and tell me how much of our earnings you, as our elected representative, want to take in taxes, and how much you want to spend in each budget-area. Please send me _____ copies of your response for my friends, neighbors and business associates. (And, a lack of response will be noted as a response.) How to use MY taxes: Federal allocations: Fiscal-1992 Federal Budget 1. % $ 18.0% $ 290,820M National Defense 2. % $ 2.2% 35,679M International Affairs 3. % $ 1.2% 18,934M Science, Space and Technology 4. % $ 0.3% 4,129M Energy 5. % $ 1.2% 19,708M Natural Resources and Environment 6. % $ 1.2% 20,219M Agriculture 7. % $ 6.5% 105,780M Commerce and Housing Credit 8. % $ 2.1% 34,312M Transportation 9. % $ 0.4% 5,768M Community & Regional Development 10. % $ 2.9% 46,934M Education,Employment, Soc.Services 11. % $ 5.0% 81,300M Health 12. % $ 7.0% 113,811M Medicare 13. % $ 13.8% 222,691M Income Security 14. % $ 21.7% 351,109M Social Security 15. % $ 2.1% 33,380M Veterans' Benefits and Services 16. % $ 0.9% 14,842M Administration of Justice 17. % $ 0.8% 12,688M General Government 18. 12.7% $ 12.7% 206,343M Net Interest 19. % $ deficit reduction 20. % $ 0.0% 0 tax reduction/refund/rebate to me ------ --------- ------ ----------- 100.0% $ 100.0% $1,618,447M my taxes & your FY-1992 budget Thanking you for your attention to this constituent request, I remain, From:______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ Warren told Newsbytes that, following his posting, MicroTimes editor Mary Eisenhart told him that he can include a copy of the form in an up-coping column in that 200,000 circulation publication. Warren also stated that any forms sent to him for summarization will be held in the strictest confidence and not shown to others. He said "I must hold them for the possibility that anyone doubts that the basis for our published summary actually existed." Warren also commented to Newsbytes on the potential of network mobilization, saying "We have in the computer network the largest circulation publication in the nation and it is free for the logon cost. This is the beginning of the implementation of effective electronic citizenship. Warren said that at least 2 other electronic political projects are planned for 1992. (Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/Press Contact: Jim Warren, 415-851-2814 (fax); jwarren@autodesk.com (e-mail)/19920113) Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253