Jake Towne For US Congress PA-15 - Our Open Office (Aug 2009)

TowneForCongress.
com
August 2009
Jake Towne for US Congress

Pennsylvania's 15 District
th
“If universal peace, civilization, and commerce are ever to be the happy lot of man, it cannot
be accomplished but by a revolution in the system of governments.” - Thomas Paine
“An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come.” - Victor Hugo
TowneForCongress.com
“Our Open Office” Agenda
 Introduction
 Mission Statement
 Principles
 Our Open Office
Mission Statement
(1) Spread my message of prosperity by
defending freedom and peace.
(2) Educate as well as learn from the public.
(3) Win the 15th District U.S. Congressional
seat in 2010.
(4) Truly represent the citizens of the district
by voting on their behalf.
(5) Create and drive new legislation in
agreement with the platform, my principles
and citizen input.
Principles
Government, or the rule of law, solely exists to
protect the liberty of the individual.
Photo courtesy BigMacSC99
“What is law? It is the collective organization of the individual right to lawful defense.”
- Frederic Bastiat, 1848, The Law
Government exists to protect liberty, not
to redistribute wealth, nor to grant
special privileges, nor to interfere with
the lives of individuals and their actions.
The government of a free country,
properly speaking, rests not in its elected
officials but in its laws.
The Constitution is the supreme law of

the land. Therefore, transfer of
American sovereignty to supranational
organizations, even if “benign,” is not
permissible without a constitutional
amendment.
The United States Constitution was written under the principle of
"positive grant." This means the federal government is authorized
to exercise only the powers which are specifically given to it by the
Constitution, and nothing more.
Each individual is fundamentally
equal under the law with all other
individuals. The rule of law's
framework of liberty ensures the
greatest opportunity for
individuals to explore their
strengths and surmount
obstacles.
A limited and decentralized

government with inherent checks
and balances results in more self-
rule by local communities, and
hence providing local diversity
and overall greater satisfaction
for individuals. Individuals can
always vote with their feet, and
move to areas not affected by
laws they strongly disagree with.
Individuals have the right to live their own lives how
they choose, so long as they do not forcibly interfere
with the equal rights of others.
Ultimate disregard for

human life – Remains
of Nazi Germany's
victims taken by the
US Army in 1945
The only legitimate use of force is in defense of
individual rights — life, liberty, and justly acquired
property — against aggression.
The Japanese attack at

Pearl Harbor resulted in a
declaration of war against
Nazi Germany and
Imperial Japan.
Shown here is the

beachhead assault on D-
Day in 1944.
Geronimo's Apache tribe fought to
maintain their independence from
both the United States and Mexico.
The philosophy of liberty holds that

everyone has certain natural rights.
Rights belong to individuals, not groups.
Rights are not privileges, they are derived from the natural
state of being human.
The Constitution merely acts to forbid the infringement of the

federal government upon these rights.
The monetary unit must be incorruptible, not based on fraud.
"Of all the contrivances for cheating the laboring classes of mankind, none has been
more effective than that which deludes them with paper money."
- Daniel Webster, 19th century American statesman
The government's monetary role is to mint money and maintain the
integrity of the monetary unit, not to commit fraud by debasement
or to substitute counterfeits of paper for the constitutionally-
specified forms of lawful money, coins of gold and silver.
However, individuals should be free to trade and exchange as

money any mutually agreeable commodity or item as they wish.
A German burns banknotes for warmth since

their value has been reduced to just paper due American Silver Eagle bullion
to the Weimar hyperinflation that followed WWI. coin made by the U.S. Mint
Property should be owned by people, not government.
Photo courtesy Neozuki
“No person shall be... deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.”
- The Constitution of the United States of America
“Life, liberty, and property do not exist because men have made laws. On the contrary, it
was the fact that life, liberty, and property existed beforehand that caused men to make
laws in the first place.”
- Frederic Bastiat, 1848, The Law
The free market is feared by many who do not understand it.
Those who do realize the free market is the most just, most
humane economic system, and remains the greatest engine
of prosperity and liberty the world has ever known.
A stacked microchip package used in mobile

phones and computers – products of the
free market
Freedom is an indivisible whole and includes
both economic and personal liberty.
Ben Franklin's 1754 political cartoon signified The complementary elements of

the need for the colonies to unite to preserve the economic and personal liberty are
liberty of all. Likewise, economic and personal inseparable from their greater
liberty together is a powerful force and freedom whole, freedom.
is lost when either is compromised.
Government Accountability &
Transparency
“As your Representative, I will work inside of an Open Office that is clear as glass.”
- Jake Towne, 2010 Candidate for Pennsylvania's 15th District
Our Open Office
Besides our existing website and system, I will offer:
1) Online Public Feedback & Debate

Forum
2) Monthly Reports
3) Online Bill Submission Service
4) On-Demand Town Hall Discussions
“If citizens demand it, I would even install a Webcam in my office. But they should
know I will never support the government watching them. I want to get the
government off our backs, and full Accountability and Transparency is the path.”
Our Open Office: Online Public
Feedback & Debate Forum (1/4)
Faneuil Hall, Boston, MA Photo courtesyDaderot

Login moniker account for
all residents
Registered voters to have
a priority flag symbol next to
their comments and votes
“This revolutionary idea is based on the Town Halls and Roman Forums of old.
Together, let's remodel and restore our Republic for the 21st Century using NEW
ideas and tools.”
Submit votes and comments on the house bills
coming up on the House calendar
Users can create forum topics & foster citizen
debates
Phone calls and separate emails/letters will be tallied
onto the forum pages by my office
The Forum will email news and personalized
notifications to receive based on your personal
preferences and interests
“I'm trying to free our minds. Here is one of the doors, but I can only show it to
you. You have to decide whether to walk through it.”
Those who do not have computer access may:
Use the terminals at our district office
Dictate comments in manually by phone
Request their mailed letters to be publicized, and
our office will scan and post into the Forum
“Freedom of speech must be protected at all costs. Dissent must not only be
tolerated but welcomed in a free and open society.”
“If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like
sheep to the slaughter.”
- George Washington, President of the United States, 1789-1797
Forum Romanum Photo courtesy Stefan Bauer

“With your help and votes, we will together redefine the 'res publica', our Republic,
or our 'public affairs.' We will revolutionize politics, and move it from its current
darker age into a new era of real hope, real change, and openness.”
Our Open Office: Monthly Reports
This written monthly report will offer:
Summary of how and why I voted for each and

every House floor vote
My co-sponsoring activity and why
New bills introduced and why
Refer to Forum consensus and feedback in my
reports
Office budget updates will be transparent
“My monthly reports are aimed at delivering maximum transparency and maximum
accountability. What if my votes, actions and views do not agree with the public's?
I expect they won't at all times, but if I fail to provide adequate explanations and do
not obey the wishes of the people, then I will not be in office very long, now will I?”
Our Open Office: Online Bill
Submission Service (1/2)
Any resident can submit draft proposals for new legislation
Each publicly-published proposal must either:

➢ Cite the power granted to Congress for its validity
➢ Or, if revoking a current act or law, provide detailed
justification or cite the Constitution if it is unconstitutional

A public reply must be given to each draft by myself, and I
hope to contact and discuss with Drafters themselves
“Look, there are around 650,000 citizens in our district. I am no more intelligent
than anyone else, but I do know that many of us are experts in certain fields or
have special interests of one kind or the other. This idea will bring the best ideas
out of our community, and give citizens a real voice in which to be heard.”
Our Open Office: Online Bill
Submission Service (2/2)
If the draft idea is accepted, I will work with the
Drafter to refine it, and submit it to the Forum for
review by the community before submitting it on the
House floor
Especially if this idea is popular, Drafters should
be aware that they will be partly responsible for
helping promote their bill.
“No matter how hard I work with my staff and Congress, I am only one person. I
estimate this idea could allow us to multiply my output as your Representative in
Congress by at least five-fold. We may even need to organize ourselves to sell
our ideas to citizens in other districts and organizations to get these bills passed,
instead of relying on often corrupt back-door DC deals.”
Our Open Office: On-Demand
Town Hall Discussions
Offer ability to sign up for Town Halls at the Forum
Town Halls are teleconferences at a preset day and
time that you receive at your phone number
Bi-Weekly Town Halls in 2 Formats
➢ Pure Q&A
➢ Topic Discussion followed by Q&A
Residents at the Forum can summon me to an “On-

Demand” topic discussion after voting reaches a
target for hot topics that I am not addressing fast
enough
“When citizens speak, their Representative must listen completely. Across our
land, the so-called “Representatives” have not troubled to listen to We the People,
and this is a key reason our country is in such dire straits today.”
Thank You!!
My sincere thanks to the team of campaign volunteers who took the time
to peer review this presentation and offer many improvements. This team
includes Erik Gumbrecht, Gene DeNardo, Aaron Emery, Dann McCreary,
and Brian Theiss, who agreed to be recognized. Many thanks to Derek
Wyatt for creating the “Towne 2010 - As Good As Gold” graphic!! Of
course, thanks to my family and friends for supporting me in this
endeavor to dedicating the next 18 months of my life to this mission.
Graphics Acknowledgements
Unless listed below, all photos are either mine or public domain.
 The “Towne 2010 – As Good As Gold” logo was created by Derek
Wyatt
 Statue of Liberty photo is courtesy “BigMacSC99” LINK LICENSE
 USSR flag photo courtesy “Neozuki” LINK LICENSE
 Faneuil Hall photo courtesy “Daderot” LINK LICENSE
 The Roman forum photo is courtesy Stefan Bauer LINK LICENSE
“Veritas numquam perit. Veritas odit moras. Veritas vincit."

Truth never perishes. Truth hates delay. Truth conquers.
(My personal motto)
Document Copyright
Copyright © Jake Towne, 2009. Any portion of this presentation that could be
copyrighted is owned by myself and I hereby released it to the public domain. I
grant full permission to use any of the ideas or material within. You may republish
this work. Attribution to myself is appreciated but not required.
Closing Remarks
* I am running as a citizen, not with either major party - What I offer to the citizens
of the 15th district, and many do belong to the two main parties, is a truly
independent voice and ear.
* I am not a career politician. If elected, I would plan to run again in 2012, but
following this I would most likely not run again. My aim is to serve as a temporary
statesman and representative and then leave government. I am more mindful than
most of the sad truth behind "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts
absolutely." As collateral for this assurance, if elected, I will not enlist in the
Congressional pension plan, which guarantees members up to 80% of their salary in
annual pension. I believe this is fiscally irresponsible and too lucrative. The current
salary for a seat in the U.S. Congress is $174,000. I view this as too lucrative given
the current purchasing power of the dollar, so obviously I would act to reduce
Congress's salary and mine - how can the people believe Congress will tighten the
purse-strings on government if Congress fails to start with itself? I support tying the
salaries of our Congress in some manner to household median incomes.

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TowneForCongress.

Jake Towne for US Congress

 Our Open Office

The Constitution is the supreme law of

A limited and decentralized

Ultimate disregard for

The Japanese attack at

Shown here is the

The philosophy of liberty holds that

Rights belong to individuals, not groups.

The Constitution merely acts to forbid the infringement of the

However, individuals should be free to trade and exchange as

A German burns banknotes for warmth since

A stacked microchip package used in mobile

Ben Franklin's 1754 political cartoon signified The complementary elements of

1) Online Public Feedback & Debate

Faneuil Hall, Boston, MA Photo courtesyDaderot

Forum Romanum Photo courtesy Stefan Bauer

Summary of how and why I voted for each and

Each publicly-published proposal must either:

➢ Or, if revoking a current act or law, provide detailed

justification or cite the Constitution if it is unconstitutional

➢ Topic Discussion followed by Q&A

Residents at the Forum can summon me to an “On-

 USSR flag photo courtesy “Neozuki” LINK LICENSE

 Faneuil Hall photo courtesy “Daderot” LINK LICENSE

 The Roman forum photo is courtesy Stefan Bauer LINK LICENSE

“Veritas numquam perit. Veritas odit moras. Veritas vincit."

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