The History of the US Taxpayers Party

First organized in 1982, the US Taxpayers Party of Michigan has a rich history of leadership with character, zeal and a love for their country like no other political party in the last century.

Bob Tisch (1920-1997), a family man, married to his wife, Beth, for 49 years, stood tall as a husband and father of five children. It is reported that Mr. Tisch kept a box full of Annual Reports of the Auditor General of the State of Michigan – and read them. He remembered the admonition of Wendell Phillips, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty”, and devoted much of his life to working for better government.

Mr. Tisch served his country with distinction on two tours of active duty in the US Army. He served as a Chemical-Biological Bacteriological Warfare officer in Europe for 4 years during World War II with the 85th Infantry (Custer Division), receiving a Presidential Unit Citation. He also served 2 years in Korea during the Korean War with the XIII Airborne Division as the Commanding Officer of a Heavy Mortar Unit. Between those wars he was active in the Army Reserve.

In 1990 Bob Tisch received 8% of the statewide vote for Board of Education. On two occasions Bob received over 5% of the statewide vote for Board of Education causing the Tisch Independent Party to be listed along with Democrats and Republicans in the statewide primary elections.

Some of Bob Tisch’s contributions to the people of Michigan are:


The Harvard Club, overlooking the Boston Harbor where on December 16, 1773 a band of patriots had set the stage for the American Revolution by conducting the Boston Tea Party, hosted the beginnings of yet another revolution. In April of 1991 Bob Tisch was one of 12 men who met with Howard Phillips to plan the formation of the national US Taxpayers Party.

Howard Phillips, during the Nixon administration, headed up two Federal agencies, the President's Council on Youth Opportunity and the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity. During his service in the Executive office of the President, Mr. Phillips earned national recognition for his efforts to terminate Federal programs which furnished ideological patronage for the radical left by promoting abortion, homosexuality, "welfare rights," and the destruction of America's constitutional heritage.

Phillips and Tisch ran together for President and Vice President respectively of the United States in 1992. Though legally enabled, Howard Phillips' character required him to refuse taxpayer funding for his campaign, believing taxpayers should not be required to publicly fund a candidate with whom they may not agree.

The US Taxpayers Party organized under the leadership of Howard Phillips and the Tisch Independent Citizens Party (organized by Bob Tisch in 1982) became Michigan's recognized affiliate of the US Taxpayers Party. The Tisch Independent Citizens Party reorganized under the name of the US Taxpayers Party of Michigan in 1994 and joined the national party not only in purpose, but then in name.

The national US Taxpayers Party later decided to change its name one more time. It was felt that the name, Constitution Party, more closely described the determined goal of the party. The national US Taxpayers Party and several of its state affiliates became the Constitution Party in 1999. The State of Michigan will not allow the US Taxpayers Party of Michigan to change its name without undergoing the pains of reorganization. This is the reason for the different names between the state and national parties.

The US Taxpayers Party of Michigan is a ballot qualified party. According to Ballot Access News, it, together with its national affiliate, is the third largest political party in America in terms of voter registration and it is without question the fastest growing. It stands strong with our founding fathers and understands that the only path to national and state restoration is to limit government to its constitutional boundaries so it can hear the people once again.

There have been many great men and women involved in the development of the party(ies). The US Taxpayers Party is unquestionably the party of choice for patriots today.

History of Party Chairmen


The US Taxpayer Party of Michigan is positioned to become a major contender for influence in the political arena. People have become increasingly frustrated with the two big parties and are seeking virtue in politics again. There is a choice. All that is required is for people to be determined to rebuild the fragments that have been left behind by the parties they entrusted to manage government and society; those who have selfishly taken from the public to accomplish their own purposes.

Please join with us to rebuild and strengthen these United States and the great State of Michigan.