The Many Faces of the Institute for Policy Innovation

Are you considering year-end tax deductible contributions? If so, I urge you to give consideration to The Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI). First responders, President Tom Giovanetti and Senior Fellow Dr. Merrill Matthews, render critical aid to our Constitution, which clings to life while enduring life threatening assaults from the progressive counter revolution. For over 28 years IPI has been committed to their core values of freedom, limited government, low taxes, economic growth, entrepreneurship and opportunity for all. These principles must be defended and they must triumph.

Making the Complicated Simple

In a recent post, Tom Giovanetti mentioned a supporter’s comment that stated, “I love how you at IPI are able to explain complex policy and political issues in simple, easy to understand terms.” His response showed the heart of a true servant leader. “I am not sure there could be a higher compliment for a policy organization.” This modesty understates the true nature of their brilliance in pulling back the curtain of the deceit and deception of the left. The political elite and the entrenched bureaucrats purposely complicate issues touting government as the only solution to government created problems. Inherent in this deception is crushing the spirit of the individual so he can be manipulated to abandon his own ambitions for those of the state. Tom’s clear focus, buoyant optimism, steadfast faith and ability to articulate conservative values, bring critical issues to view in a new light.

Providing Solutions for Well-Defined Problems

The best example of the left’s duplicity to “Never let a crisis go to waste” is Obamacare. It was designed to fail in order to pave the way for total government controlled socialized medicine. Saul Alinsky (Obama’s mentor and author of Rules For Radicals) stated that the first and most important level to create a socialist state is healthcare. “Control healthcare and you control the people.” Resident scholar Merrill Matthews, Ph.D., is a renowned and respected health care expert. In true IPI fashion, he has revealed the original intent of Obamacare and then has given insightful, accurate prognoses of its many pitfalls since its inception. He counters this bureaucratic exercise of creating a problem so complex that the population will believe only government can fix it by succinctly defining the problem. He then gives us the answer as to why it happened and delivers pragmatic common sense solutions. Reforming the tax treatment of health care, removal of state and federal mandates, shrinking HHS, and medical liability reform to restore the doctor patient relationship, are but a few of his solutions to rebuild a market-oriented health care system. His irreverent wit, usually following the phrase, “but alas”, brings levity and focus as he reveals the foolishness of government. Anyone who saw Dr. Matthews’ and Congressman Michael Burgess’ presentation on solving the problems created by Obamacare at the North Texas Freedom Caucus in 2014 would readily agree that the problems we face in health care are self-inflicted and solvable if only we have the political will. Give Dr. Matthews and Dr. Michael Burgess the authority and resources for 30 days to implement their solutions and our health care system will be on the road to recovery.

Doing the Right Thing

IPI‘s ability to articulate conservative values was resoundingly revealed when the City of Denton Fracking Ban Initiative was put on the ballot in 2014. Earthworks set up shop in Denton intending to craft a victory as a blueprint and springboard for crippling the fossil fuel industry nationwide. Without financial support, Tom and IPI were at the forefront of the battle. They produced educational videos, writing extensively and advancing the moral case for fossil fuels and fracking. Tom and Ed Ireland, Ph.D., (Executive Director of Barnett Shale Energy Education Council) dominated the first debate against the anti-fracking proponents, Frack Free Denton (FFD). As scientific facts trumped FFD’s scare tactics and erroneous information, Tom and Ed were so effective in debunking FFD’s myths that FFD refused to debate them a second time.

When The Fracking Ban was overturned by SB40, Tom and IPI effectively countered the rhetoric of FFD in the aftermath. When asked why IPI would tackle such a challenge without financial support, Tom replied, “It was the right thing to do.”

Excellence on a Limited Budget

IPI is purposely a safe 1000 miles from Washington so as not to be co-opted by DC beltway mentality. They could very easily trade their Dallas address for an address on K Street and the trappings of big government. Instead of frugally budgeting for a new copy machine, they could be budgeting for their corporate jet. Dr. Merrill Matthews and President Tom Giovanetti have not been co-opted by the DC culture because they have chosen the high road. They are committed to the fundamental precepts of the Constitution that our liberties emanate from our Creator and that all men are endowed by their Creator with unalienable rights. Benjamin Franklin stated, “Those people who will not be governed by God will be ruled by tyrants.” The preservation and sanctity of the Constitution is their mission field. It is no coincidence that both have earned divinity degrees from local seminaries. Matthew 10:29 states, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

IPI – A Blue Chip Investment

A year-end tax deductible donation to IPI (IPI.Org) is a blue chip investment in protecting and preserving our Constitution.