John "KingofthePaupers" Turmel introduces the Pauper Party of Ontario

NOTE: John "KingofthePaupers" Turmel introduces the Pauper Party of Ontario to participate in the 2011 Ontario election scheduled for October 6, 2011. In this article, John makes reference to creative ways to take advantage of the "tax credit" system for the province of Ontario - by sharing information he gave to the federal Marijuana Party and Libertarian Party way back 11 years ago. Enjoy the read!!


JCT: Fascinating doings happening. I hadn't noticed that it only takes 2 candidates in a general election to found a political party in Ontario.

You have up until 2 days before the election to register it. That's Tuesday, September 13, 2001. So I sent a filled out form to register the

Pauper Party of Ontario

Pretty clear whose interests will be at heart.



The PAUPER PARTY PLATFORM will be standard:

 We want no cops in gambling, sex, or drugs or rock&roll. We want no usury on loans, pay cash or time, no dole.

 So we'll cut funding to cops in gambling, sex, drug prohibitions and have an Ontario LETS Timebank like PayPal but where you can log and and buy in for your usuryfree credits with your Mastercard or with an IOU for time, and
you debt can be paid with Mastercard or Time at work.



So this is a chance for those who beef all year about the injustice of the world to tell the voters what's been going on.



The Ontario Election is free. Don't take in contributions and don't spend on election expenses, just go the the meetings and do web politics and you can file a special Zero Money form. No auditor needed!



And getting 25 signatures can be done in under an hour if you're good as I am after so many signatures sought and got:



Knock knock: Hello, I'm John Turmel and I want to be an independent candidate in the general election but for the right to speak, I need 25 signatures. No need to vote for me, this just gives me the right to present my own ideas. Will you give me the right to speak?"



8 out of 10 will say yes and sign. Some will want to find out what you're for before they sign and you can't afford to waste time explaining to a guy who's going to say: I don't like what you say, I'm not letting you say it. I usually repeat "if you don't like what I say, don't vote for me. This is just to give you more options.

"

When pressed, I'll say: I want interest-free government loans and cops out of victimless crime. But I want the chance to explain it in depth, so how about giving me the right to speak and decide if you want to vote for me or not.



If pressed some more, a little poetry could win the day: I want no cops in gambling, sex, or drugs or rock&roll, I want no usury on loans, pay cash or time, no dole. Give me the right to speak about it and decide for yourself. (Don't explain it to an economist. It hits his cognitive dissonance bone and they never sign, they think it's dangerous. To them maybe.)



Anyway, I've scored some hours with 30 people signing, especially if you catch several together. When one says "sure, I'll give you the right to speak," the others pretty well have to give you the right to speak too.



So are there any paupers out there who want to take advantage of the Ontario election to tell their story in support of no more funding for marijuana prosecutions and usury-free loans?



Nomination date is Thursday Sept. 15, 2011



I can only bet that anyone who does avail themselves of this opportunity to speak their independent minds will have a memory they'll long cherish. Actually doing something to get into the historical record, like running in an election, is pretty neat.



Anyway, I'm going to be spreading the good word, and I hope a few others take advantage to do the same since it's free but for the few of hours for signatures and registration. I'm sure I can arrange interest-free loans for any who'd like to run but can't spare the $200 for 6 months.



There might not be another chance like this in 5 years! Take an opportunity to state your grievances officially. And it can all be done in one morning like I've often done on the last morning.



Best of all, once we're an official party, here's what we can do with tax credits to fund out activities. I had explained this to both the Green and Marijuana Parties so here's the latest version:



"Though I'm explaining how federal tax credits work, Provincial tax credits work the same way with slightly different numbers.
75% of the first $372: $279 back.
 50% of the next $857 between $373 and $1,240: $428.50
33.3% of next $1,580 between $1241 and $2821: $526.67 

Max contribution $2,821 gets back Maximum credit $1240.



But here's my explanation of how it works from years ago:



JCT: So now that they had party status, they could use government tax credits subsidize all pro-marijuana activities that they approved of anywhere in the country, subsidize compassion clubs, subsidize lawyers, subsidize the
anti-prohibition marijuana wars. Right after the election at the end of November, I posted all the information I knew about how to use government tax credits to the Marijuana Party of Canada leadership. Enjoy the thought of what official party status can bring to the Marijuana Movement in general:



Marijuana Party of Canada LETS Tax Credits System. (I'd explained this to the Greens and Libertatians too)



I am John C. "The Engineer" Turmel and I founded the Abolitionist Party in 1993. It was deregistered cleanly a few years later so we did all our paperwork right. Since I am Canada's longest serving pro-marijuana politician and my brother Ray Turmel ran as a Marijuana Party candidate in the last federal election, this is a draft I'm going to be presenting over the next few weeks to explain how the Marijuana Party can use a LETS to take full advantage of the tax credit fund-raising mechanism provided in the Election Act. And do it right.



The Government of Canada subsidizes political parties with tax credits to contributors. The maximum tax credit of $500 is reached with a contribution of $1075. It's $475 for a $1000 contribution. For the sake of simplicity, we'll speak of $500 for a $1000 contribution from now on. Half for the
ease of explanation.



If someone donates $1000 cash to the Liberal party, they get $500 cash back tax credit. But if someone wants to donate a print job, or a banquet, or computer from their stores, the government insists that they do a check swap through the party's cash account. The printer donates a $1000 check to get his $500 tax credit, the Liberal Party gets the job with a $1000 check. That is how it must be done. Easy. Parties could also get contributions of 100 pizzas, 200 movie tickets, 300 film developments, 400 buckets of golf balls at the driving range, all sorts of things but they don't because they have no way of distributing those contributed goods and services to their members or any other worthy recipients so they must focus on raising cash rather than
goods and get nowhere near all the goods they could easily obtain if they only had a way to efficiently spread them around.



That's where a party LETS comes in. LETS (Local Employment- Trading Software) is a simple private party Greendollar system (like Canadian Tire money) that permits the Marijuana party to spread those hard-to-distribute contributions around to party members as payment for their support. All
members get an account starting at zero and can sign out their first $500 in Marijuana Party Dollars ready to start earning and spending.



Here's how the Abolitionist Party of Canada first used our LETS with tax credits:



The easiest way is to account for merchandise contributed was to get "gift certificates" rather than the merchandise. So if an entertainment complex owner wants to donate $1000 worth of seats, he cuts a $1000 check to get his $500 tax credit, the party cuts a $1000 check to get a gift certificate worth $1000 in seats. Add that entertainment complex to the party LETS Directory and there's no more need to actually hand out individual gift certificates to members, only those who want to attend the events at that 
complex can go and pay with their Marijuana Party dollars, others don't. When the complex owner has $1000 Marijuana Party Dollars, he can redeem his Gift certificate and the transaction is completed.



If a restaurant wants to offer the party $1000 worth of pizzas, swap his check for the tax credit and our check for the gift certificate and list that restaurant in the directory. Members who are near that restaurant can spend
their party dollars there until he has enough to redeem his gift certificate.



Of course, once the pizza owner realizes he can use some of the party dollars he's holding to go to the movies and the movie theater owner realizes he can use his party dollars to get pizzas, they'll accept more party Greendollars than the $1000 they need to redeem their Gift Certificate. Without their even realizing it, they will experience the benefit of belonging to a local currency. They only need to carry $90 in cash in their wallets (on average) when they used to need $100 and benefit by leaving the other $10 cash in the bank.



CUTTING LOSS WITH VOLUME:



Let's say that a shoe store can't afford to let the party buy $1000 worth of shoes if it's going to cost him $500. But how about if the party buys $2000 worth of shoes for $1500 cash so he only loses 25% which he might be willing to afford. So how can a LETS help us do that? In the directory, add that the shoe store takes 50% in cash and 50% party Greendollars. Members get $2000 in shoes, pay 50% in cash and the government pays 25% in tax credit and the guy only loses 25%, no more than a regular discount.



Let's say that a gas station can't afford to give the party $1000 worth of gas for only $500. If he accepts 20% party dollars and 80% cash, members get $5000 in gas, pay $4000, 80% in cash, and the government pays 10%, $500 in tax credit and the guy only loses 10%, $500.



If that's still too much, he could go 90% cash, 10% Green. Members get $10000 in gas, pay 90% in cash, and the government pays 5% in tax credit and the guy only loses 5%. By the time members have cashed in our $1000 certificate, he's had total sales of $10,000 and it only cost him the standard $500 everyone loses.



So by varying the rate that a business takes back the party dollars, the loss on the contribution is spread over a larger volume of sales. And the party always get the free $1000 in gas every year. And the pizza owner and video store owner will have another reason to take as much Green as they
can.



LONG TERM CONTRACTS:



Contributions can pay for long-term contracts. Robert White, an Abolitionist Party member, got the party a brand new computer worth $1625 and the computer company ended up being paid $2000 in tax credits over four years.



1) At the end of the first year, the $1625 owed became $2600 due to 60% interest. The store wrote a $1150 contribution for the $500 tax credit and party wrote an $1150 payment on the computer reducing the amount owing to $1450.



2) At the end of the second year, the $1450 owed became $2320 and after the $1150 check swap, the remainder owing was $1170.



3) At the end of the third year, the $1170 owed became $1870 and after a check swap of $1150, the amount owing was $720.



4) At the end of the fourth year, the $720 owed became $1150 and after a check swap of $1150, the amount owing was zero.

The party received a $1600 dollar computer and the company got four $500 tax credits. With two owners, we could have gotten a $3250 computer! Or a car. Or office equipment, even rent.



And even longer contracts will be possible once the party has established 50 riding associations to ensure the required 50 candidates at the next election.



And party members who bring in the contributions got 20% credited to their accounts. Robert White brought in $36,000 in contributions in one month. The party already had a computer so Robert White used his 20% commission in party dollars to buy it. All party members who swing a collateral deal should be the first able to then buy that product from the party with the Greendollars they earn. So he might only have earned party dollars but getting paid a computer or two a month isn't all that bad. You could see your local movie theater and make your party money useful to you in your own neighborhood.



So that's what a political party can do with their tax credit contributions if they have a LETS. Such contributions of all kinds of things just can't be spread out among 100,000 Liberals without one. And finally, what do Marijuana Party members have to do to make use of their party LETS and government tax credits. In a nutshell, get the contribution checks into a party bank account before New Year. Tax time is in early 2001 and to qualify for the $500 tax credit payday early next year, they have to get their
contributions in by the end of this year! Party members have only two weeks to really build their banks of gift certificates paid for with government tax credits. The larger the party Directory grows, the more reasons everyone
has to keep using our party currency and keep contributing.



All businesses in a use-it-or-lose-it situation will love the chance to sell a $1000 Gift Certificate for a $500 tax credit paid in the next few months. Any kind of rentals, entertainment, etc. are great candidates because it's "take
$500 for $1000 in seats or get nothing out of the empty seats.

"

What does a Marijuana Party member have to do to take advantage of tax credits:



1) Form a Region or Riding Association with a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer.


2) Register with and get a letter of authorization from the party Financial Agent.

3) Open a bank account in the Region or Riding Association name.
4) Get as many gift certificates for check swaps as you can in the next two weeks. Contributors are always most interested at the end of a year when the tax credit is only a few months away. It's a much harder sell after New Year when the tax credit is more than a year away.



And of course, to have funds in the account to allow them to deposit our party check before we deposit theirs is a great advantage. Their check going in to cover the party check going out is still doable but it's 10 times harder to sell than if you have the funds to initiate the swap.



NECESSARY PAPERWORK:


How quickly can all this be organized? The moment an Ottawa party association is formed, the first thing I'll work on is getting some gift certificates from the printers I know so we can pay for the necessary paperwork:
-

- Membership forms.

- Membership cards.

- Preliminary tax credits.

- Official tax credits.

- Riding Association Forms.

- Region Association Forms

- Gift certificates.

- Party currency.

- Store % Decals.



It sounds like a lot but other than the currency, most forms can be available online and done with home printers. Gift certificate Directories should be online. It's just a necessary structure for a party. Even riding currency could be printed. It doesn't have to be fancy if everyone's doing
too well to need to try to rip it off.



We hope to invite all Marijuana party members and supporters in the Ottawa region to several meetings starting Friday to explain how they can work for the party and be rewarded with party currency that can buy them not only goods and services but computers and automobiles. I hope to have Robert White there. He's a grandfather with no objection to marijuana and could be prevailed upon to join the party and show other
members how he did it. I hope to have him at the Friday presentation.



A videotape of the presentation will be made so that anyone who doesn't catch it can learn how to start their own Region or Riding Association and LETS tax credit system to pay people who volunteer for the party. To really make the party grow among the unemployed and poor, let them pay their party membership with their first Greendollars and put them to
work.



So, please pass this draft on to your Marijuana Party contacts and if anyone's interested in attending, have them tune in to http://www.medpot.net or join the send a message to subscribe to metpot-subscribe@egroups.com for details of the meetings.



And please see about getting Ray the phone numbers of all Ottawa area members so everyone can be invited.



I'd especially hope that people from nearby ridings like Pembroke and Montreal and Toronto might find it worthwhile shooting up to Ottawa for the weekend. Boris is going to be in town Friday. A lot could still come out I haven't added. I hope the first presentations will fill out after questions.



All I can say is that if people wait to use the party tax credits until next year, they'll kick themselves for not having started using them this year. It's the best possible time. We have to ignore Christmas and score while the scoring is good. I'd hope the Marijuana Party continues the 20% commission on contributions. Get your pizza parlor and the bill for your next 20 pizzas is covered!



One last great example.

We got a restauranteur to throw us a banquet for 20 people with a total bill of $1150. We did a check swap. He got the $500 tax credit for feeding 20 people, we got a banquet.



Get out there and throw yourselves some parties for your workers. It doesn't have to be all hair-cuts and shoes.



Finally, please note that I can be in the Toronto are on Monday if any Toronto members are interested in a presentation on how a Marijuana Party of Canada Region Association of Toronto could set up its party LETS tax credit system.



To demonstrate, I even sent in a $200 contribution check made out to the Marijuana Party of Canada for the purchase of $200 in contributed donairs from the Palais Donair Restaurant in Hull Quebec. It was an easy sell because it was at the end of December and the restauranteur was going to get back his $150 in only a few months at tax time. It's always an easier sell in December than January for tax credits collected next year. The party refused the contribution and sent it back! No Donairs for their
members.



JCT: So if you want to right to issue tax credits for things people are going to contribute to you and your riding members, you have 4 days to find the 3 hours to get your signatures and get yourselves registered.



And if you can't explain, We want no cops in gambling, sex, or drugs or rock&roll, We want no usury on loans, pay cash or time, no dole, don't bother. But try to find me someone who can.



And if you're ashamed to admit you're a Pauper up to your neck in debts, don't bother though I'd bet we paupers are in the majority so we had better get over our shame.