Time to saddle up?

Below please find the text of the entire response from Bob Schulz to Congressman Bartlett. It is fairly long. But it is extremely important that you carefully read the entire letter.  History is being made here and this letter makes you privy to what is happening.  I believe that it will be well worth your time to read it to the end.

You will be asked to help. I urge you to consider it.  This will be a major turning point for freedom and it could go either way. Your freedom, and that of your children and children's children will be affected by what you do, or don't do now.

Push is once more, in the history of freedom, fast coming to shove. IF the measures that Bob is suggesting that we take are unsuccessful in bringing our employees to accountability,

THEN, it will be time to saddle up.

For, in the event that the government is unresponsive - does NOT attend the forum to to redress our greivances in February -  as it promised to do,

THEN on Sunday, March 31st 2002, Bob will be on the mall in DC "filing" blank 1040s into "trash" barrels.

- and I, for one,  will be there with him.

How about you?

Best Regards,
Jake

(To view the letter  in it's original formatting go to the web site www.givemeliberty.org It prints out beautifully from the website and will be, I am sure, a historic document that you may want to pass on to your children.)

We The People Foundation For
Constitutional Education, Inc.
2458 Ridge Road, Queensbury, NY 12804
Telephone: (518) 656-3578  Fax: (518) 656-9724
www.givemeliberty.org

January 22, 2002
Hon. Roscoe G. Bartlett
Member of Congress
2412 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515 

Dear Congressman Bartlett:
On behalf of myself and the We The People Foundation for Constitutional Education, I want to thank you for all that you have done to support the People's Petition for Redress of our grievances related to the fraudulent origin of the IRS and unlawful operations of the income tax system. I thank you for your wisdom, your courage and your independence. Your steadfast and heroic efforts in defense of the American People's guaranteed constitutional right to have our government answer this historic petition are deeply appreciated by all of us who placed our trust in your integrity and leadership. I know that you have tried your best in our behalf, and for that I am most thankful. I continue to hold you in high esteem. No matter what the future may hold, I will always remember your courageous defense of our Constitution.
 

Neither of us has shared with the general public the details of your actions and what happened behind the scenes in the days leading up to July 20, 2001. This was the day Assistant Attorney General Dan Bryant and IRS Commissioner Rossotti, as a result of your personal intervention and persuasion, contracted with the American people to have experts from their departments appear in a recorded, congressional-style, public meeting to answer the people's questions regarding the federal income tax system.

We also have not shared with the public the details of what has been happening behind the scenes since July 20, 2001. Under the present circumstances, it is appropriate that these details be made available to the American people. Following is a chronology of the facts related to our Petition for Redress of Grievances. 

On June 11, 2001, I personally delivered a letter to President Bush at the White House. Copies of the letter were also hand-delivered to Speaker of the House Hastert and Senate Majority Leader Daschle at the Capitol.
The letter recited the numerous requests made by We The People Foundation For Constitutional Education to the Executive and Legislative Branches since May 1999 to answer our Petition For Redress of Grievances related to the income tax system.

The letter also provided a factual account of the government's evasive and unresponsive behavior, which ultimately led to my decision to embark on a hunger strike until either I died or the federal government agreed to meet in a public forum to answer the people's questions regarding the fraudulent origin of the IRS and the
unlawful operations of the income tax system.

On July 1, 2001, I delivered a follow-up letter to President Bush, with copies to Speaker Hastert and Senator Daschle. On July 18, 2001, Lawrence B. Lindsey, Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and head of the National Economic Council, sent a letter to me which read, "The President has asked me to thank you for your letters of June 11 and July 1 regarding the income tax system.  I understand your concerns and the arguments you make. Your letter of June 11 outlines extensively the concerns of the We The People Foundation for Constitutional Education, Inc. with regard to the efficacy of the current income tax system. While I believe the best way to address your concerns is through the court system, I have taken the liberty of sharing your letters with the Internal Revenue Service for their review.

A more substantive response will be forthcoming from this office once the IRS has had the opportunity to assess your grievances.  I would be remiss if I did not suggest that you end your fast.  Whether or not federal tax
experts attend a meeting your organization has scheduled for September 18 will be determined based upon their substantive assessment of your arguments. While your personal commitment to the cause of tax reform is
dramatic, I hope that you will not endanger yourself physically in this cause. Please be assured that your letters will receive careful attention at the IRS.

Note: In reviewing my file and the events of last summer, I must now assume that when Commissioner Rossotti spoke with you by telephone on July 19th, and agreed to have his experts meet with our experts in a recorded public forum to answer our questions, he was responding to Mr. Lindsey's directive.
 
On July 9, 2001, I delivered an updated version of the People's Petition for Redress of Grievances to one of President Bush's aides at the White House. I also met with you and three members of your staff, where we
first discussed the issues related to the fraudulent origin and unlawful operations of the IRS, and you made the decision to help the American People in their quest for a response to this historic Petition.
 
On July 17, 2001, you held a press conference on the House Triangle to announce the fact that you had placed top priority on getting the appropriate people in the government to agree to respond to our Petition. Rep. Ron Paul also strongly supported the fundamental right to be answered.

It is now known that between July 9th and July 18th, 2001, management level personnel at DOJ and IRS were steadfast in their refusal to have their experts meet with representatives of the American People in a recorded public forum. For instance, Floyd Williams, the IRS Director of the Office of Congressional Affairs, stated the IRS would only agree to a private, unrecorded meeting between myself and the IRS Chief Counsel. Karen Wilson (Mr. Williams' counterpart at DOJ) suggested we submit our questions to DOJ and IRS in writing and wait for a response. She said she was otherwise in support of IRS' proposal for a private, unrecorded meeting.

You replied that the proposal for a private, unrecorded meeting was totally unacceptable and that the questions had to be answered in a public forum. You emphasized the importance of allowing the public to see and hear the people asking the questions and those answering them. You strongly and effectively argued that to submit the questions in writing to DOJ and IRS would allow for delay, obfuscation and confusion, and would bring to ruin what you considered to be a proper, Constitutional Petition For a Redress of Grievances.

From July 18th through July 20th you negotiated on the People's behalf, by telephone, with IRS Commissioner Rossotti and with DOJ's Assistant Attorney General Daniel Bryant. They expressed concerns about the security of a public meeting and wanted to know who would be "on the gavel" to control the meeting and keep it professional and orderly. After speaking with me about their concerns, you contacted Dan Bryant and Charles Rossotti and offered to hold the meeting on Capitol Hill and to personally gavel the meeting if Henry Hyde was not available.

On or about July 19th, in a telephone conversation between you and Commissioner Rossotti, Rossotti agreed to have his experts participate in a recorded, public, congressional-style hearing on Capitol Hill, with appropriate controls. You telephoned me and asked to see me in your office. When I arrived, you told me of Commissioner Rossotti's agreement.

On July 20th, Assistant Attorney General Dan Bryant also agreed, but told you he needed a formal request from you. He asked that you put your request for the meeting in writing. You telephoned me and asked to see me in your office. When I arrived, you prepared a hand-written letter to Dan Bryant. You then telephoned Mr. Bryant to tell him you had the formal request in hand and asked how soon he could meet with us. Bryant said he
would see us right away in his office at the Department of Justice building.

We met with Dan Bryant that afternoon. We fully discussed our written Petition for Redress of Grievances (he had previously received a copy of the Petition that was hand-delivered to the White House on April 13, 2000 and again on July 9, 2001). We also reviewed the terms and conditions of your offer to preside over the proposed congressional-style hearing on Capitol Hill. He penned a note at the bottom of your written request, agreeing to "do everything within my power to ensure that the Dept. of Justice will provide appropriate representatives to participate in a congressional briefing hosted by Congressman Bartlett in connection with the above referenced matter." Roland Croteau and Burr Deitz (a Director of the WTP Foundation) were also in attendance.

Later that day, Friday, July 20, 2001, my office issued a press release and posted it on our web site, announcing the details of the agreement. Apparently, the news quickly found its way around the Internet. Between Friday, July 20th and Monday, July 23rd, as I would later learn from you, Dan Bryant apparently received a phone call or two from "higher ups," protesting his July 20th commitment to have DOJ answer our questions in a public forum.

On July 23, 2001, I received an e-mail from your aide, Lisa Wright, which read: {"Congressman Bartlett asked me to contact you to inform you must take URGENT action in order to preserve the agreement as a result of your 7/20 meeting with Dan Bryant at USDOJ.1) Immediately pull down from the website the previous presentation of the meeting that begins with the subject - "The fast is over". 2) Replace it with a corrected version ASAP and distribute this to your list. Reference to Bryant must be limited explicitly to quoting only his handwritten comments. "I will do everything within my power. . "Reference to Hyde -- that he will be invited -- NOT EXPECTED.  Reference to a date -- to be determined, hopefully in mid to late September. 3) You must call Dan Bryant ASAP and apologize for the inaccuracies in the e-mail. This is his personal number
-- 202-514-2141."}

NOTE: On or about July 25th, I placed a call to Dan Bryant. He did not return the call.
 
On July 30th, I issued a revised press release and posted it on our web site.
 
On July 30th Lisa Wright of your office sent an e-mail to Dan Bryant at DOJ and Floyd Williams at IRS. It read: "Mr. Bryant and Mr. Williams:

Attached is a 7/30/01 news release from We the People Foundation for Constitutional Education which follows up a meeting Congressman Bartlett had on July 20 at DOJ w/ Asst. Atty. Gen. Dan Bryant and Bob Schulz
concerning Mr. Schulz's Petition for Redress concerning the tax code and IRS enforcement of the tax code. Congressman Bartlett personally affirmed that this release is an accurate reflection of the July 20 meeting.

Congressman Bartlett discussed the request for a public forum at which appropriate IRS representatives would participate in an earlier meeting with Floyd Williams of IRS and Karen Wilson of DOJ and subsequently in a
phone conversation with IRS Commissioner Rossotti. Congressman Bartlett hopes that DOJ and IRS officials will contact Mr. Schulz directly concerning coordinating and ironing out the details for the public forum on Capitol Hill. Please feel free to contact Congressman Bartlett if you have any questions and so that we may procure the necessary space for the meeting."
 
On July 30th Lisa Wright forwarded to me a message from IRS' Floyd Williams. It read: "Treasury/IRS has not agreed (either verbally or in writing) to participate in a public forum with Bob Schulz."
 
On August 13, 2001, Tax Notes published an article under the heading,"Backroom Deals, Fleeting Promises Put Income Tax Hearing in Jeopardy," by Warren Rojas. In the article, IRS spokesman Frank Keith is quoted as saying, "As of right now, no final agreements have been made."
 
On August 29, 2001, your office issued the following statement; "Congressman Bartlett is continuing to actively pursue and secure participation by representatives of both the Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service at the September 25-26 forum organized by We the People," said Lisa Wright, a spokesman for Congressman Roscoe Bartlett.  "He expects Dan Bryant, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legislative Affairs at the Department of Justice, and IRS Chairman Charles Rossotti to fulfill their personal commitments to
him."(my emphasis).

In early September, I met in your office with you and three of your aides, including Sallie Taylor and Lisa Wright. You said DOJ and IRS were trying to "wiggle off the hook" and that Sallie and Lisa had an "alternative proposal." Sallie and Lisa proceeded to describe their alternative proposal, which, instead of having the agree-upon public forum, would have me submit the Peoples' questions to you in writing. You would then post the questions on your web site and send them to DOJ and IRS for an answer.

The answers would also be posted on your web site. I told Sallie and Lisa that their proposal was unacceptable to me and that you had already argued with DOJ and IRS (successfully) the futility of such an approach. Upon hearing my response you turned to an aide and asked him to call Dick Armey, the House Majority Leader, to request an immediate meeting with him. We were told to proceed to Mr. Armey's office. You, I, Sallie Taylor, and another of your aides (I don't remember his name) met with Dick Armey and one of his aides, who took
extensive notes during the meeting.

You told Mr. Armey that DOJ and IRS were trying to wiggle off the hook and break their commitment to answer the People's questions in a public forum. Mr. Armey said it was important to have the hearing proceed as planned and that DOJ and IRS had to be "locked down." Armey said the way to do that would be to show DOJ and IRS that they were running the risk of offending many more Congressman than you if they broke their commitment. Mr. Armey then suggested that you prepare a letter to Attorney General Ashcroft and to Treasury Secretary O'Neil, which would thank them for their commitment to have the appropriate personnel from their departments participate in the income tax hearing and which would be signed by numerous members of the House of Representatives. Mr. Armey and you discussed a list of House members that both of you believed would sign the letter.
 
On September 12, 2001, I communicated my request to you that the tax hearing be postponed due to the events of September 11th. I posted that message on our web site.
 
On October 12, 2001, you delivered a letter and video message to me in which you announced that the event had been rescheduled for February 27 and 28, 2002. Your letter stated "A letter of support and confirmation
signed by myself and other members of Congress has been drafted, circulated, and will be sent to officials at the Department of Justice, Treasury and the IRS, informing them of the dates and times and requiring their attendance. I will personally chair the event and have invited other members of Congress to attend and sit on the panel.You have my word as an elected member of the United States Congress that I will do all within my power that this event go forward, the IRS and DOJ attend as they have promised to do, and are compelled to do by the
Constitution."(My emphasis).
 
On January 7, 2002, Tax Notes published an article under the heading,"Schulz Hopes to Bury Tax Code at February Hearing," by Warren Rojas. In the article, Mr. Rojas wrote, "While the IRS has yet to officially confirm or deny its participation in the hearing, a Bartlett press aide acknowledged receiving a letter from Justice around
Thanksgiving stating plainly that the DOJ would not attend any Schulz-related events." (my emphasis). Note: I was never told about the "Thanksgiving letter." This was the first time any of the three government officials who were parties to the July 20th contract with the American People had put in writing that they were reneging on their agreement.
 
On or about January 8, 2002, I telephoned Lisa Wright to tell her that I had read the Tax Notes article and was very concerned about the Thanksgiving letter from DOJ which informed you that DOJ would not attend
the income tax hearing. I called to inform Ms. Wright that it was my intention to bring the February hearing to the attention of tens of millions of Americans, and ask them to wait to file their tax returns until they heard all of the questions and answers at the February hearing. I felt it was now time, as Mr. Armey had previously suggested,
to do all I could to "lock the DOJ and IRS down" and demand that they keep their commitment to the American People.

It was time to demand that they respond to our questions regarding the fraudulent origin of the IRS and the unlawful operation of the personal income tax system. I informed Ms. Wright that many thousands of Americans were already aware of the February hearing and were waiting for the answers to the questions before deciding how to file their tax returns. I explained that if DOJ and IRS were going to renege on their commitments, they were going to have to answer to a very large number of Americans. My call was passed through to Lisa's voice message system where I left a message. I asked her to call me.
 
On January 11, 2002, Lisa returned my call. We discussed "Operation Wait to File Until the Trial." After we completed the call Lisa called back to say that if your name was mentioned in the "Wait to File" flyer/ad, she
would like to approve the wording. I told her your name, together with those of Dan Bryant and IRS Commissioner Rossotti were mentioned in the first paragraph, which I then read to her. She said my use of the phrase "public hearing" was wrong, that the word "hearing" had a technical meaning on the Hill and that I should use the phrase "public forum." She also said that you did not have the power to force DOJ and IRS to attend
the meeting. I replied that I understood that you had no more power at that time than you did on July 20, 2001, when you merely requested that Commissioner Rossotti and Assistant Attorney General Dan Bryant have
appropriate personnel from their departments participate in the "public, recorded congressional-style briefing- hearing" on Capitol Hill to answer questions "concerning the legal jurisdiction and authority of the IRS."At
the July 20 meeting both Mr. Rossotti and Mr. Bryant agreed to your request and formally entered into a contract with the American people to have their "appropriate representatives participate in a congressional
briefing hosted by Congressman Bartlett."
 
On January 12, 2002, in response to Lisa's one concern, I changed the phrase "public hearing" in the first paragraph of the Wait to File flyer/ad to "congressional-style hearing". We then launched "Operation
Wait to File Until the Trial" by posting an article on our web site and by sending that article to our mailing list. The article included the flyer to be published in newspapers and a letter to be direct mailed to
about 300,000 individuals.
 
On Monday, January 14th I was in Milwaukee working with one of our attorneys on the questions for the hearing. I received word that Lisa had called my office and asked me to return the call. I tried several times
on Monday and Tuesday to reach her by phone. I left voice messages on her machine, informing her that I would be returning to my office that afternoon at approximately 3 p.m. While en route from Milwaukee to Albany
on Tuesday, January 15th I tried unsuccessfully to reach you by phone. I did manage to speak to Sallie Taylor. I told her to let Lisa and you know that I would be back in my office at 3 p.m. should either of you need to
speak to me. I would not hear from anyone in your office until 8:20 p.m. Thursday evening, January 17th.
 
On Monday, January 14th, Kim Herb, Legislative Assistant to Congressman John Linder sent an e-mail to "District Directors" which read,

"Recently, it has been stated that there will be a Congressional hearing on the IRS.  I wanted to dispel this rumor. There will be NO hearing. I repeat, there will be no Congressional hearing on the IRS in February.  In response to a hunger strike by Mr. Robert Schulz, Congressman Roscoe Bartlett agreed to facilitate a meeting on IRS and tax topics.

Accordingly, Mr. Bartlett arranged for "We the People" to have a public forum on the IRS, at which time "We the People" will debate such questions as the legality of the Sixteenth Amendment and the ratification
process.  However, no officials from the IRS or Justice Department will attend. Again, for emphasis, NO officials from either the IRS or Justice Department will be in attendance.  The administration believes that these
questions have been sufficiently addressed, and there is a fair amount of judicial precedence on this issue to confirm that assertion. Congressman Bartlett will likely give an opening statement, however, I understand
that his comments will be limited to acknowledging that the "We the People" organization has a right to free speech and to voice their opinion.  I recognize and support the Bush Administration's position. 

We have no interest in pursuing the ratification of the Sixteenth Amendment as a viable and legitimate argument in the fundamental tax reform movement.  As such, I do not anticipate that Congressman Linder, as the official sponsor of the FairTax, will have any role in the February public forum organized by "We the People."  At 3 p.m. Thursday, January 17th, as part of Operation Wait to File Until the Trial, I delivered several thousand letters and flyers to the personal fax machines of the following individuals:
 
Members of the American Judges Association
Judges of The Federal Circuit
Mayors of Largest U.S. Cities
Federal Tax Court Judges
Supreme Court Justices
Radio Station General Managers
Radio Talk Show Hosts
550 Partners of the Big Five Accounting Firms
Executive Cabinet Members and Cabinet Legal Advisors
Members of the Association of Copy Editors 

At 8:20 p.m. on Thursday, January 17th I received a call from Lisa Wright. She stated that she had just forwarded via FedEx your letter informing me that you were "canceling the forum," and that you were
"dismayed" by the "rhetoric" of the "Wait to File" ad and that you would not be party to any movement that tells people not to pay their federal income taxes. I tried to reason with her, but it was late and she was in
no mood to listen.
 
I hope that you can understand how very disappointed I am with your actions. From the beginning of our discussions, I expected you to encounter great difficulty in holding both Mr. Rossotti and Mr. Bryant to
their word regarding the February hearing. At this point, it is clear that neither DOJ nor IRS ever intended to keep their commitment to you or the American People. Their refusal to answer these substantive questions
regarding the fraudulent origin of the IRS and unlawful operation of the income tax system demonstrates the federal government's pervasive and arrogant disregard for the constitutional rights of the American People.
It is now clear, that on July 20, 2001, their objective was to stop the hunger strike and temporarily mollify the outrage of thousands of Americans who were demanding that our government agree to publicly answer
the People's Petition For Redress of Grievances.

However, I shared your faith in our Constitution and your belief that at the top of our government were trustworthy men and women of moral integrity. Like you, I believed that no matter the practical difficulty,
there were enough people of honor at the highest levels of our government, that the People's Constitutional Petition For Redress of Grievances would be heard. I did not believe that those who we have trusted to lead our nation would turn their backs on the American People, disregard our Constitution and Bill of Rights, and hold in such low esteem the personal liberty so many of our countrymen have sacrificed and died to defend over the past 225 years.

I believed that our highest government officials would honor their oaths of office to defend the United States Constitution, and its guarantee of every American's right to petition our government for a redress of grievances.
Congressman Bartlett, I wish you had told me sooner about the Thanksgiving letter from DOJ, and your apparent decision (if Kim Herb is to be believed) to merely give an opening statement at the February hearing, "limited to acknowledging that the 'We the People' organization has a right to free speech and to voice their opinion." I wish that you had told me then that our Petition was not going to be publicly and officially answered by the government.

You say in your letter to me dated January 17 that the newspaper ad is "misleading" and "has made it impossible for the forum to take place because the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) will not participate."  This is most offensive to me. There was no need to misrepresent the facts. As the paragraphs above demonstrate, the ad had nothing to do with the reluctance of DOJ and IRS to participate in the February income tax hearing. We now know that their decision not to participate was put in writing to you last Thanksgiving, nearly two months before the "Wait to File" campaign idea occurred to us. In fact, the Wait to File campaign is a direct result of learning from the January 7th edition of Tax Notes that you had received DOJ's Thanksgiving letter of withdrawal.

In your press release you say, "I will not be a party to advocating the non-payment of federal income taxes." This statement is also highly offensive, for it is nothing more than an unjustifiable, aggressive attack on my reputation and character. Your statement is also a misrepresentation of the facts and reflects a deliberate attempt to paint
me and the Foundation as irresponsible law-breakers. In fact, the ad does not advocate the non-payment of federal income taxes. It suggests people do what the law allows them to do-- wait until February 27th to file
their tax returns.

Neither I nor the Foundation have ever advocated, supported or encouraged anyone not to pay a tax they lawfully owe or not to file any tax return documents they are required by law to file. Ever. As we both know, the
purpose of these important hearings is to have the government show us the law so that all Americans may be guided by specific requirements for filing.

In your letter and press release you say that you "remain[s] committed to ensuring the right of Bob Schulz and other citizens to exercise their constitutional rights under the First Amendment to get answers about federal tax policy from the government," and you propose, as an alternative to the public forum, that you deliver our questions to DOJ and IRS and that you post our questions and the answers on your web site.

In fact, as you yourself argued so effectively last July, this would be tantamount to our agreeing not to have our questions answered. To use your own words, this approach "would allow for delay, obfuscation, confusion and to otherwise bring to ruin" what we have so patiently, intelligently, professionally and rationally developed into a proper petition for a remedy of the people's grievances.

I now fear for the future of our Constitutional Republic. A constitutional crisis has now developed. Whether we have a written Constitution that protects our unalienable rights as Americans is now a question. Whether the Constitution is any more than a piece of paper is now a question. Whether we have a federal government limited by a Constitution and Bill of Rights is now a question.

Here is what I have decided must now be done in response to the decision by DOJ and IRS not to participate in the public, recorded truth-in-taxation hearing on February 27-28, and also your decision last Thursday to withdraw your commitment to support this public forum.

First: Last week I spoke to your aide, Sallie Taylor, to request a meeting with you as soon as possible. She said your calendar would not allow such a meeting before Wednesday, January 23rd, and that she would have to speak with you to see if that is what you wanted to do. My purpose is to respectfully request that you reconsider your decision to cancel the February meeting.

Second: We plan to proceed with a recorded, public forum on February 27 and 28 in Washington DC. Because of the importance of this issue to the American People, we hope that you will decide to help us hold this event as planned in the secure location of the Science and Technology Committee Hearing Room. However, in the alternative, we have booked the Marriott Hotel for the two days.

Third: I am attaching to this letter our initial set of questions relating to the fraudulent origin of the IRS and the unlawful operation of the income tax system. These are the preliminary questions that we intend to present to the IRS and DOJ at the February meeting. We are releasing these questions several weeks earlier than planned. We have a number of additional questions currently being prepared that will be released upon completion. By copy of this letter to Attorney General Ashcroft, Treasury Secretary O'Neil and Mr. Lawrence B. Lindsey, we are
demanding that experts from DOJ and IRS be present on February 27 and 28 to answer the questions in a public forum. As you previously stated, the written exchange of questions and answers with DOJ and IRS would be utterly futile.

Fourth: We are posting the questions on our web site along with an invitation for all learned persons to answer these questions and participate in the February 27 and 28 hearing. We will request that interested parties contact us by e-mail using a prepared form.

Fifth: We will extend an invitation to the February 27 and 28 event to every organization, large or small, that is concerned about the protection, preservation and enhancement of human liberty in America, and that is interested in limiting the size, scope and costs of the federal government to the enumerated powers of the Constitution.

It is now imperative to summon all patriots in this cause for liberty and justice. It is time to ask all right thinking Americans to stand united and put a collective foot down against this arrogant disregard for our liberties, rights and freedoms, whether it be an erosion of our right to petition the government for a redress of grievances, our right to privacy, our right to property, our right to firearms, our right to fully-informed juries, our right to honest representation and voting, our right to a truly independent judiciary, our freedom from the influence of the "same hands" in all three branches, our right to honest checks and balances, our right to the fruits of our labor, our right not to have the government waste the fruits of our labor under the pretense of caring for us, our right to laws that do not favor public over private education, our right to home school our children, our right to have the war powers clauses adhered to, our right to have all treaties approved by the Senate, et al.

If the DOJ and the IRS do attend the event and provide honest, forthright answers to the people's questions relating to the authority of the IRS to force employers to withhold the income tax from the paychecks of their
employees and to force most Americans to file a tax return and to pay the tax, we believe the probable outcome will be a more limited federal government, a cleansing of our political system and a restoration of
power to the states and the people.

Sixth: We are calling on all patriotic Americans to help reveal the truth regarding the true limits to the federal taxing powers by standing up for our Country and its founding principles.  In light of the decision by DOJ and IRS to ignore the People's fundamental, Constitutional right to petition our government for a redress of these grievances, we are respectfully requesting all Americans to:
1) Demand that the IRS and DOJ attend the February hearing and publicly answer the questions, as they committed to do last July.
2) Wait to file their tax returns at least until February 27th.If IRS and DOJ fail to appear at the citizens' hearing to answer the People's questions, we will then respectfully request every American citizen and business to defer filing of their tax returns and suspend employee withholding. The American People should not be obligated to pay a tax that the federal government will not, and cannot, publicly defend on lawful or moral grounds.
3) Stand together on the mall in Washington DC on Sunday, March 31, 2002, and peacefully protest the unlawful income tax by filing their blank 1040 forms in metal waste drums. Congressman Bartlett, do we still have a written Constitution in America?

Do we still have a Bill of Rights? Do those documents still memorialize in writing what we believe most deeply in our hearts as Americans? Or have they become mere abstract concepts that have no real bearing on our moral conduct as nation? What good is our Constitution and Bill of Rights if we do not treasure them and protect them?
It has been said that the limits of tyrants are prescribed by the tolerance of those whom they oppress.

I, for one, will not accept the decision by the DOJ and the IRS (our servant government) not to answer the People's questions in a recorded public forum---a decision that continues a longstanding history of unlawful, abusive and unaccountable conduct by our government. The refusal of DOJ and IRS to answer these questions in a public forum can only be interpreted as a glaring admission of guilt. Congressman Bartlett, you gave your word to the American People. I respectfully ask that you keep your word to protect and defend our Constitution at this critical moment in America's history.
Wholeheartedly,
_____________________
Robert L. Schulz
Chairman
cc:Hon. Lawrence B. Lindsey
Assistant to the President for Economic Policy
Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20530

Hon. John Ashcroft
Attorney General of the United States
Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20530

Hon. Paul O'Neil
Secretary
Department of the Treasury
1500 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20220