FOR NATIONWIDE DISTRIBUTION
JANUARY 16, 2026
The Big Woods Declaration is a new,
unifying vision for America.
On the 250th anniversary
of the Declaration of Independence,
the Big Woods Declaration
renews the call for life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness,
free from the corruption
of extreme money.
The Big Woods Declaration (BWD) is a call for all Americans—richer and poorer—to defend the American Dream from an elite Counting Class armed with extreme money. The BWD is about dealing with the deep gulf in America between Counts and Contributing Americans.
As more and more people in our country raise the alarm about the threat of extreme money, the Big Woods Declaration invites Americans to put the problem in clear and constructive terms.
Americans face the loss of affordability in our land of plenty, as well as the erosion of the rule of law in our land of the free. Both are symptoms of the corruption of extreme money.
In a time of radical imbalance and political violence, the BWD is a peaceful, balanced, and hopeful vision for the future of America.
The BWD champions American values and the American Dream. It’s a defense of the best of capitalism, democracy, and our republic.
The BWD is flexible and open for debate. It names clear goals, like trimming back the extreme Money Counts of the Counting Class. At the same time, it leaves room for competing ideas about how to reach those goals.
The BWD is a call to reset our thinking: Richer and poorer Americans have far more in common than any of us have with elite, entitled Counts. We can celebrate the real creators and contributors in America—not Counts who can simply wait on Free Income.
The BWD is about facing hard realities:
“People from all walks of life can see that extreme money is corrupting the America we love. My hope is that the Big Woods Declaration can help focus attention on the problem and open up new possibilities for a better future.”
– BWD framer Erik Christopher Sahlin
The BWD draws on many core American ideas as well as the thinking of Thorstein Veblen, America’s visionary from the Big Woods.
The BWD is a First Amendment petition to the American people and our government. It is not limited to any political party or group.
Contributing Americans of all backgrounds can decide to empower leaders who will achieve healthy balance and defend our American way of life from the corruption of extreme money.