William Thomas l440 N Street NW, Apt. 410 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 462-3542 September 21, 1988 Ronald Wilson Reagan 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington, D.C. Dear Mr. President: Experience and information indicate a liklihood that elements of the Park Service, acting with elements of the DOI, are combining bureaucratic regulations with police force for the purpose of stifling individual freedom and personal excellence. I urge you not to dismiss my experience lightly. In June of 1985 I advised you of a similar situation. SEE enclosure 1. On that instance the anticipated arrest did occur, without probable cause. Unfortunately that arrest is presently at issue in a civil lawsuit. Thomas v. USA, USDC 84-3552 consolidated with 87-1820, see 681 F. Supp 60 (1988). In 1982 you told the British Parliament that "although nuclear weapons might mean if not the end of mankind at least the end of civilization as we know it ... they are necessary in order to guard against a combination of mindless bureaucracy and totalitarian police state tactics which combine to stifle individual freedom and personal excellence." I have my doubts. Certainly nuclear weapons have the poten- tial to end life on earth, but for some years, I suspect, a combination of mindless bureaucracy and totalitarian police state tactics have been combining to stifle individual freedom and personal excellence right on your doorstep. Now my suspicions might be groundless -- only an honest test of facts will tell. In any event your oft-repeated love of liberty, your duties under the Constitution, and Executive Order 12291, certainly seem to require steps be taken todetermine whether there are any grounds to suspect that the most fundamental principles of free civilized societies are being trampled right in your own frontyard under the feet of your own hirelings. See enclosed letter to the Office of Management and Budget. If my suspicions are correct we don't need nuclear weapons to correct the problem. First there is your office -- where the buck stops. If there is a "mindless bureaucratic ... totalitarian police state" plot afoot, your job is to thwart it. Should you fail or refuse to act, I will be disappointed. But, theoretically, democracy will still be protected by the Con- stitutional law of the land. Thus, unless the law of the land is bankrupt, individual freedom will be guarded against the abuse of administrative power in a civilized sort of way -- by the courts (see also, e.g., 42 USC 1985(3) and 1986). During your 1981 inaugural address you told the American public "in our present crisis government is not the solution to our problem, government is our problem." I agree, but it appears the only options are whether to be part of the problem or part of the solution. I urge you to initiate an inquiry to determine whether there are efforts by elements of the National Park Service and the DOI to stifle individual freedom and personal excellence, in Lafayette Park, under color of regulation. Feel free to contact me immediately should the need for any further information arise. Your friend, Thomas copies: White House Counsel Office of Management and Budget Mary Huddle and Philip Joseph P.O. Box 27217 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 462-3542 September 20, 1988 Director Office of Management and Budget 1601 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington, D.C. RE: Malicious regulatory promulgation and enforcement. Dear Director: We write to request that your office, pursuant to Executive Order 12291, resolve our complaint that the National Park Service and DOI have promulgated, arbitrarily, capriciously, and selec- tively enforced, or threatened to enforce, certain regulations with the intent of suppressing the exercise of Constitutionally protected activity. This is not the first time this matter has been brought to the attention of this office. See enclosure 1. Unfortunately earlier attempts to seek administrative relief from this office were not fruitful. We have been the target of questionable surveillance by agents of the Park Police. There have also been a number of arrests involving Joseph and his associates which have not resulted in prosecutions, and, we feel, were malicious. Hopefully, this time your office will act. Recently we applied for permission to conduct a demonstration which was to include the distribution of blankets and food to needy people. We are called to this action by God and Jesus' teachings. On September 9, 1988 we had a meeting with officials of the National Park Service. Although the Park Service did issue us a "permit" to conduct that demonstration, agents of the Park Police warned that the act of placing the blankets on the ground would constitute "storage of property," in violation of the "camping" regulation, and if pots containing food were placed on the ground the pots would become "structures" in violation of the "sign size" regulation (SEE enclosure 1). We were informed that these "violations" might subject us to police action. This seemingly unreasonable position was supported by Mr. Randy Myers of the DOI Solicitor's office. Practically speaking, we think, the threatened (unreasonable) enforcement of the "camping" and "sign size" regulations has the effect of transforming our "permit" into a "prohibit." As we see it this is a very serious situation. First, there are at least several wrongful arrests. Then the surveillance. Finally, threats of unreasonable enforcement. Unless the Park Service can provide some plausible "substantial government interests" to justify prohibiting us from placing blankets or pots on the ground, we think it not unreasonable to infer a bureaucratic intent to suppress our harmless activities -- the freedoms of belief, expression, and assembly -- which also happen to be essential to the fabric of democratic societies. We believe that, under the provisions of Executive Order 12291, this office has a responsibility to determine whether the Park Service has any legitimate basis to prevent us from placing blankets and pots on the ground in Lafayette Park. If no substantial interest can be discovered to legitimize keeping blankets and pots off of the ground, then we ask that this office take appropriate steps to insure that we not be arrested or subjected to any other police interference during the exercise of our God given lives. Please contact us immediately in the event that you require further information. Your prompt attention would be appreciated. Your friends, copies: President Reagan White House Counsel