Sample Letters:

To your Elected Representatives and The Media

 

THE 3rd WAY book allows the use & editing of these sample letters for your convenience.

 

SAMPLE Query (short form) letter to your US Representative:

 

Dear Senator/Congressman__________________________,

I trust you are keenly aware that virtually everyone in the middle class and poor is having a harder and harder time maintaining a secure and prosperous quality of life America.  I want to bring to your attention a very important new bestselling book, “THE 3rd WAY: the solution to income inequality.”  Please visit www.the3rdwaybook.com with a link to Amazon.

Please share your views on specific legislative steps to help significantly broaden capital and property ownership for average Americans as advocated in this book.

We believe, THE 3rd WAY, presents a major idea that will renew The American Dream and make more wealth available to more citizens by encouraging broad-based employee stock-ownership in small businesses and large corporations.

Like massive tectonic plates, the two most fundamental forces of labor and capital are moving away from each other with catastrophic consequences. But it’s not too late to act.

Some nearly 15 million fortunate employees already participate in employee-owned companies, impacting over 10,000 companies with combined assets that exceed one trillion dollars.

The book is authored by a long-standing activist Republican, Musum, who is a New Jersey businessman.  He is joined by a respected Democratic leader, Chivukula, the well-liked, brainy, policy-oriented former Deputy Speaker of the New Jersey Assembly.

The authors propose critical tax incentives for closely held companies and large stock market corporations to set up and fund employee stock ownership plans.  They want the tax incentives expanded in both urban and rural Enterprise Zones to reset American policies on poverty to be oriented toward capital ownership rather than just transfer payments.  They want to give strong incentives for banks and insurance companies and other financial institutions to loan funds to ESOPs that want to purchase corporate stock.

The ever-widening gap between technology and labor is a cold reality.  The central question for our age is how we resolve the two as it relates to public policy.  The decisions we make have massive social, economic, and political implications.  We must get this right.  The time to act is now.

SAMPLE Query (long form) letter to your US Representative:

Dear Senator/Congressman__________________________,

I trust you are keenly aware that virtually everyone in the middle class and poor is having a harder and harder time maintaining a secure and prosperous quality of life America. I want to bring to your attention a very important new bestselling book, “THE 3rd WAY: the solution to income inequality.” I feel it is extremely important you obtain a copy of this outstanding, common sense book. Please visit www.the3rdwaybook.com with a link to Amazon.

After doing so, I would like back in writing your view “Pro” or “Con” on whether you would support the essential proposals in this book? Will you either draft, or co-sponsor specific legislative steps to help significantly broaden capital and property ownership for average Americans as advocated in this book?

This new book, THE 3rd WAY, presents a major idea that will renew The American Dream and make more wealth available to more citizens by encouraging broad-based employee stock-ownership in small businesses and large corporations.

“The central purpose of this book is to make the case that by further enhancing the tax incentives for corporations to share equity with their employees, the nation will see an overall better performance by corporations, a more secure and motivated workforce, countless benefits to society, a stronger economy, and potentially more tax revenue,” says Republican co-author Veny W. Musum.

Democrat co-author Upendra Chivukula says: “Like massive tectonic plates, the two most fundamental forces of labor and capital are moving away from each other with catastrophic consequences. But it’s not too late to act.”

Some nearly 15 million fortunate employees already participate in employee-owned companies, impacting over 10,000 companies with combined assets that exceed one trillion dollars. But this only represents a little over 10% of the workforce. THE 3rd WAY lobbies for a revolution and calls for the greatest economic reform this country has ever undergone. It wants the nation to adopt the ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) model as the standard way of doing business.

THE 3rd WAY addresses the following:

  • How to solve income inequality in America.
  • Why Congress needs to pass significant tax relief for businesses but to also incentivize companies to create ESOPs.
  • How a system of shared capitalism – THE 3rd WAY – can be enacted and what it could look like.
  • How Democrats and Republicans can agree on key economic policies that no one seems to know are the critical ones that our greatest Founding Fathers and President Abraham Lincoln embraced.
  • Why America is in significant trouble and how THE 3rd WAY is the only viable solution.
  • A ranking of America’s Top 100 Largest Majority Employee-Owned Companies – and the best-rated employee-owned workplaces.
  • Why there are now more employee-owners than private union members.
  • How we must stop the bleeding. Roughly 90% of wealth-producing capital is owned by just 10% of the population and the gap is widening!

The book is authored by a long-standing activist Republican, Musum, who is a New Jersey businessman. He is joined by a respected Democratic leader, Chivukula, the well-liked, brainy, policy-oriented former Deputy Speaker of the New Jersey Assembly.

The authors propose critical tax incentives for closely held companies and large stock market corporations to set up and fund employee stock ownership plans. They want the tax incentives expanded in both urban and rural Enterprise Zones to reset American policies on poverty to be oriented toward capital ownership rather than just transfer payments. They want to give strong incentives for banks and insurance companies and other financial institutions to loan funds to ESOPs that want to purchase corporate stock.

The ever-widening gap between technology and labor is a cold reality. The central question for our age is how we resolve the two as it relates to public policy. The decisions we make have massive social, economic, and political implications. We must get this right. The time to act is now.

Please know that once I receive your written reply I intend to pen my own either “Pro or Con” open statement. I will do everything in my power by telling everyone I know – friends, relatives, co-workers, acquaintances – and everyone I can reach by any means through every form of broadcast, print and social media about your position. I will inform my fellow citizens that our Senator/Congressman DOES, or DOES NOT support a practical way for the middle class and poor to acquire the desperately needed capital to resolve this most troubling and worsening income inequality situation.

Now that we have been educated via this great book, I and everyone I can communicate with will support all candidates, regardless of the party, that espouse and take demonstrable action to strongly promote the issue of inclusive capitalism and economic democracy - especially in the primary election.

SAMPLE Follow-Up letters to the Media:

PRO:

Dear Fellow American,

We are all keenly aware that virtually everyone in the middle class and poor is having a harder and harder time maintaining the quality of life because of the growing income inequality in America. A short time ago I [called, mailed, emailed] went to visit our United States Senator/Congressman_________________. I shared with him/her how important it was for him/her to read the new bestselling book, “THE 3rd WAY: the solution to income inequality” and get back to me in writing if they would also strongly support the specific initiatives outlined in the book. I was very pleased to receive a letter of strong support for the concepts and initiatives outlined in this fine book. The Representative went so far as to say he/she would either sponsor, or co-sponsor any legislative idea that embodies the essential ideas of this book.

I, and most of those I associate with, realize we are living in the most challenging times and need strong, decisive action that will produce positive, fundamental economic changes for the better. Therefore, I felt I must alert every other American of this excellent stance by our Representative in Congress.

In addition to this open letter, I will continue to do everything in my power by telling everyone I know – friends, relatives, co-workers, acquaintances – and everyone I can reach by any means through every form of broadcast, print and social media that our Senator/Congressman DOES support a practical way for the middle class and poor to acquire the desperately needed capital to resolve this most troubling and worsening income inequality situation.

Now that we have been educated via this great book, I and everyone I can communicate with will support all candidates, regardless of the party, that espouse and take demonstrable action to strongly promote the issue of inclusive capitalism and economic democracy.

 

CON:

Dear Fellow American,

We are all keenly aware that virtually everyone in the middle class and poor is having a harder and harder time keeping up because of the growing income inequality gap in our country. A short time ago I [called, mailed, emailed] went to visit our United States Senator/Congressman_____________________. I shared with him/her how important it was for them to read the new bestselling book, “THE 3rd WAY: the solution to income inequality” and get back to me in writing if they would also strongly support such an important initiative. Most unfortunately, I received back a tepid response. These times do not call for tepid measures! Therefore, I feel I must alert every other voter of this most appalling situation with our Representative in Congress. Someone like this, essentially indifferent to the economic struggles of their constituents does not deserve to represent us.

Therefore, I will do everything in my power by telling everyone I know – friends, relatives, co-workers, acquaintances – and everyone I can reach by all means through every form of broadcast, print and social media that he/she does NOT support a practical way for the middle class and poor to acquire the desperately needed capital to resolve the most troubling and worsening income inequality situation. I, and everyone I can communicate with, will support any candidate, regardless of party, that espouses the issue of inclusive capitalism and economic democracy - especially in the primary election.

Action Steps

For real change to occur, it will take more than just reading this book. Here are some suggestions for actions you can take that will make a real difference:

  • Insist your library carry several copies of this book.
  • Encourage your state and federal legislators to buy and read the book.
  • Encourage your friends and associates to buy and read the book.
  • Ask your business, association and club to inquire about buying the books in quantities.
  • Contact local and national media and ask that they devote more attention to this movement:
    • Associated Press (AP); ap.org ; PHONE 212-621-1500
    • United Press International (UPI); upi.com ; executive editor PHONE 202-898-8000
    • Reuters; reuters.com ; PHONE 646-223-4000
  • For a current list of companies offering ESOP opportunities, contact:

The ESOP Association

1726 M Street NW, Suite 501
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-293-2971; toll-free: 866-366-3832; fax: 202-293-7568
E-mail: esop@esopassociation.org
Web: www.esopassociation.org

The National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO)

1736 Franklin St., 8th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: 510-208-1300: Fax: 510-272-9510
Email: customerservice@nceo.org
Web: www.nceo.org/