American Voters for Fiscal Reform

Membership Information


Organization and Mission
American Voters for Fiscal Reform (AVFR) was established registered with the New Hampshire Secretary of State's Office on February 8, 2007 by its founder and director, Edward H. Smith; with the stated business activity on its Trade Name Certificate as "voter education and advocacy of fiscal reform in the U.S. Government". The organization's mission is focused on the need for American voters to have a more direct involvement in the budget and tax process of the federal government. Therefore, AVFR's basic operational activities consist of:

  1. educating voters about the real financial status of America through the extensive information posted at www.ehsreports.com and other printed and electronic communications;

  2. giving voters a non-partisan organization to voice their dissatisfaction with the financial performance of the federal government and voice their desire to participate more directly in the US budget process; and

  3. providing its members with a database of resources and critical information necessary to help protect their money, income, and assets in this era of relentlessly increasing financial pressure.

History of AVFR
It was the unique experiences with his clients that led Ed Smith, a 1970 graduate of Dartmouth College and life-long small-business consultant, to the conclusion that something was very drastically wrong with the manner and methods that the federal government employed to finance its operations. Having been involved with, or researched, a myriad of issues involving government agencies and departments, Ed became absolutely convinced that the federal government simply doesn’t have the ability to:

  1. represent the true interests of the people it is commissioned to serve when it comes to setting a national budget,

  2. allocate and prioritize expenditures in accordance with the actual needs of the people,

  3. equitably tax Americans to raise the revenues to support its budget and expenditures, and/or

  4. responsibly spend and account for its revenues and taxes.

He further believes that, at this point in America's history, it is necessary and appropriate for the American people to step in and take back the purse-strings from its government of partisan-politicians before it's too late. With the people actually (and not theoretically) in charge of its budget, America will have the greatest chance to avoid the inevitable downfall that will result from its continued fiscal irresponsibility and military conflicts around the world at the hands of what has become a "self-serving" government. Recognizing that American voters needed to immediately assert what sovereignty they have left to (a) become more directly involved in the U.S. budget and tax process, and (b) protect their money and property from unnecessary budget deficits at all levels of government, www.ehsreports.com was used to focus attention on AVFR's mission.

Current Status of America
Unfortunately, the federal government has orchestrated a mind-boggling set of sky-rocketing costs and dangerous circumstances that can not be cured by partisan politics. There is a growing frustration and concern among Americans that fiscal irresponsibility, in the quest for political power and control, has compromised American security and welfare. In fact, the U.S. proposed budget for 2009 has increased to more than $3 trillion while hundreds of federal programs and budgets have been slashed or removed to make more room in the budget for, most notably, military and security-related expenditures. Without arguing the justification for our current or future involvement in war, the reality is that state and local governments have to "pick up the slack" at a time when their costs of operation are also sky-rocketing. Take a close look at what's happening where you live: the maintenance of your roads and local infrastructure, the costs of education and healthcare, home values and housing costs, gas and energy prices, retirement costs, and much more. Then compare all the increasing costs with local income and wage levels - and employment trends. Most communities are, in fact, experiencing increased financial pressure. As the federal government has grown, it has become more inefficient. More and more money is wasted and Congress is spending money it doesn't have. Many consumers are being forced to follow suit; borrowing more and cashing in their savings and equities to support their governments, at all levels, and stay afloat. In the near future, as the "domino-effect" of deficits makes its way to your checkbook, you will be asked (or forced) to help make up the short-falls. Just take an inventory of all the taxes, service fees, registration and license fees, compliance fees, fines and penalties, and other "government-inspired" costs that you are now paying; and then consider the financial effect on yourself and your family if those costs continue to rise at their current pace. Will you be gaining, treading water, losing more of what you have, or going under? Even more important, however, is the fact that thousands of Americans are losing their lives at war under the watch and direction of the government officials who have been entrusted to apply America's resources in a manner which best promotes the future and well-being of all Americans. Therefore, it is time for all Americans to make sure their money and resources are directed, first and foremost, toward the preservation of life and liberty; and not to the continued preservation of a privileged Washington culture.

Ten Reasons to Join AVFR
Folks form all over the country have joined AVFR for a host of reasons. Here are ten of the major reasons:

  1. They are opposed to the escalating costs, especially in terms of human life, of U.S. involvement in war and they want to re-direct American resources and tax dollars to other areas. Many believe that efforts to resolve and settle the world’s cultural and political differences should shift to non-military methods and alternatives. Currently, the U.S. has over 2 million troops stationed around the world and military-related expenses are consuming over 50% of the total revenues of the federal government; with no relief in site.

  2. They believe that the basic budget priorities for federal spending would be best determined, in the final analysis, by a direct vote of the people. They feel that the current priorities for federal spending are just plain wrong - and at odds with the will of the people who the government is entrusted to serve in exchange for tax dollars.

  3. They understand that the federal budget is way over-inflated with waste, earmarks, unnecessary programs, unrealistic entitlements, and a host of other costs (many of which can’t even be accounted for) that taxpayers can not afford in the future.

  4. They recognize that budget shortfalls and cutbacks in federal domestic programs (like education, for example) mean more financial pressure on state and local governments to “pick up the slack”; the cost of which winds up on the shoulders of already over-burdened taxpayers.

  5. They question the fairness and application, in light of a $3 trillion-plus federal budget coupled with a $9 trillion-plus national debt, of using the graduated income tax to finance the major portion of government operations; especially when considering the fact that, currently, over 43 million Americans (almost one-third of all filers) pay no individual, federal income tax whatsoever. They further believe the federal income tax process should start with the basic premise that, as equal citizens with equal rights with an equal share in government services, all taxpayers should have an equal tax obligation; which, only for legitimate reasons of individual need or individual circumstances, should be deferred or set aside. Many believe that those who pay “more than their fair share” should receive some type of government bonds in consideration of tax contributions above and beyond the “call of duty” (as opposed to an increase in their marginal tax rates!).

  6. They want to know the real facts about their country’s real financial status and it’s likely effect on their personal well-being. They are concerned about being further “blind-sided” by additional financial disasters without any real warning (like the housing market disaster, gas prices, the Bear-Stearns bailout, food prices, and much more) and they want information about how to protect their property and money in the future.

  7. They don’t understand how or why the federal government allows so much money to be wasted; and they don’t believe it will ever stop unless government leaders are actually, not theoretically, accountable to the people.

  8. They are upset that the American legal system, with the endorsement of Congress, has become way too expensive for most folks to get justice; and too often, especially with respect to civil litigations, serves only as a vehicle for attorneys to extract outrageous fees from their clients and for big business (especially banks) to steam-roll over debtors.

  9. They see, for the first time in American history, the American middle class being unmercifully squeezed (costs and prices sky-rocketing, incomes and employment stagnating, home values and net worth declining).

  10. They see the American political machine (with the emphasis on Democrats versus Republicans) as setting the stage for increased financial and operational problems in Washington and not as the vehicle to restore the greatness of America or protect America from the further erosion of it’s own Constitution.

Benefits and Cost of Membership in AVFR
The overwhelming benefit of membership in AVFR is one of education about the devastating financial ramifications which are landing on the shoulders of American taxpayers as the federal government relentlessly pursues its agenda of deficit spending at odds with the will of the American people. This is happening in terms of the amount of the federal budget; the priority of expenditures in the budget, and the method of collecting individual taxes to finance the budget. With "full-disclosure" voters become more educated in these most fundamental areas of government finance, and their likelihood of achieving success in America - a capitalistic society - is automatically and dramatically improved. AVFR Members have experienced very significant results; citing substantial changes in the way they go about handling their financial affairs in this era of economic turmoil and, perhaps more important, reporting actual savings or cash benefits of thousands of dollars through the use and application of information they obtained through the AVFR Database of Information and Resources.

The bottom line is that membership in AVFR constitutes a proactive approach and program for members to deal with the extraordinary number of issues and concerns which are rooted in the way the federal government finances its operations; giving them the ammunition the need to make informed decisions when voting and giving them the ammunition they need to more effectively protect their money, property, and income in their day-to-day dealings in the marketplace.

It should be noted that it was the advent of electronic communications through the Internet that has paved the way for AVFR to manage and sustain it's membership organization and program in exchange for a one-time membership fee of $150. The rationale for this fee is three-fold:

  1. The one-time AVFR Membership fee includes a one-time contribution to the ongoing advocacy and promotion of AVFR's mission regarding the education of American voters and the advocacy of fiscal reform in the U.S. budget and tax process. It is expected that this contribution will be more than immediately recovered through each AVFR Member's respective gains and savings through their immediate use and application of information obtained through membership.

  2. In many instances, AVFR Members have used the information obtained through AVFR to attack and resolve current financial problems and issues that, through other more traditional avenues and professional advisors, would have cost them, literally, thousands of dollars.

  3. AVFR's financial model is based strictly on current results - and is not one of leveraging future membership renewal fees for any speculative purposes. The membership fee represents a very reasonable cost for the benefits a member can immediately receive.

AVFR Membership Agreement
A Member's name and any contact information provided to AVFR is strictly confidential and will not be disclosed to any outside parties under any circumstances without Member's explicit permission. Member agrees and understands that AVFR does not provide, nor should be construed to provide, legal or any other professional advice for which specific licensing is required by any applicable law. Member will receive via email, immediately upon AVFR's receipt of the Membership Form and membership fee, a unique username and password for online access to the AVFR Database Information and Resources. Member agrees not to re-distribute, or cause to be re-distributed, the information contained in The AVFR Database Information and Resources to any third parties for any reason without the permission of AVFR. Member will receive AVFR News, AVFR Member Updates, and information regarding additional Member benefits or offers on a periodic basis via email or regular mail as such information becomes available. The membership fee in AVFR is a one-time fee and, once paid, AVFR membership remains valid and active so long as AVFR exists and Member remains an eligible voter as a United States Citizen, abides by the basic terms of membership stated herein, and provides AVFR with updated contact information if/as changes in that information occur. Member agrees that all information published by AFVR is subject to applicable copyright(s) and all rights are reserved.