The flow of funds into ElectEsrati is picking up, but isn’t close to where it needs to be.
Unlike Jane Mitakides, who has the ability to write her campaign a check, I’m not allowed to. Why? Because, my business, The Next Wave [1], is a Government contractor. After ten years of trying to land some government work as a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business [2] and a HUBzone [3] business, we got 2 projects in, both before I decided to run. One is some website architecture for a division of the Small Business Administration, and the other is a really nice little graphic design job, developing the materials for a Pharmacy Conference in St. Louis.
There was a law passed in 2004, that ALL government contracts and purchases try to commit 3% to go to SDVOB’s, most agencies aren’t even coming close. I’m not a huge fan of set asides, but, with the number of Service Disabled Veterans growing daily in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the importance of supporting small business, this one is a very small step to try to reward those who volunteered to serve.
This brings another dilemma. Since I obviously use my own firms talented employees to help me create the TV spot and maintain this site- I have to bill Elect Esrati at the same rate I would bill the Government. Obviously, I don’t bill for my time, but I do for my staffs time. That means, some of your donations will come back to me.
If any donor has a problem with this, I’ll gladly refund their donation. And, if you need to know if there is precedent for this- you only have to look as far as my opponents campaign, where Mike Turner’s campaign paid Turner Marketing, [4] now, Turner Effect [4] to do work for his campaign. Because he always spends big money on media, the percentage of the dollars that went to her firm was small- I can guarantee that he spent more money with her than what Elect Esrati will spend on my whole campaign.
For this campaign to continue- I need money for mailings, yard signs, more low budget media production, phone banks, and literature printing. Eventually, I will have to buy some major media, but for right now, I’m going to stick to YouTube [5].
If you can spare $25, $50 or $200, [6] it can make the difference between one more YouTube video, podcast, or being able to have yard signs, mailings or literature.
If you’ve been reading this site for years, you almost owe me for the entertainment value I’ve provided :)
Thanks
So you are a service disabled vet? I know you mentioned in previous posts that you served, can I ask where and when you served? Do you receive disability from the Military?
Pedro- I served with 7th Special Forces Group, Airborne, at Ft. Bragg when I was on active duty (81-83). I was injured and had a really bad experience with Army medicine and spent 18 months on Temporary Disabled Retirement List (TDRL). I came to Dayton because of WSU and WPAFB- only State school near a base. I went through WSU on Chapter 31 benefits from the VA. I was reevaluated in 85- and served with the 11th Special Forces Group, Airborne, Reserve in Jamestown 1985-1988.
I receive a 10% disability. It probably could be higher.
Wow, thanks for the frank, concise and polite answer. If you responded to all inquiries like this your message would resonate more and folks wouldn’t bitch about your tone.
Honesty and integrity. That’s what I respect about you David, and are the qualities that matter more than political affiliation. Unfortunately the opposites of honesty and integrity – deception and manipulation – have now become the norm in our society, and no where else is it more apparent than in politics. You’re fighting the good fight, as would be expected of a prior-special forces soldier. Semper Fidelis – from an old, part-time Dayton jarhead.