User:TooSimplicious/previously deleted Esrati

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David Esrati is an activist, small business owner and political candidate in south-west Ohio.

Early Years and Education
David's father clearly had a strong influence on him. He wrote a book for David challenging him to think hard about what US citizenship means and what ideals the country was founded on. Quoted in DDN,
 * "I think it’s important to make people think. My father always stood up for what was right, and he always said if you live in a democracy, you have a responsibility to be informed and to be a participant."

Which sentiment is consistent with the SCOTUS finding in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan,
 * "Those who won our independence believed...that public discussion is a political duty; and that this should be a fundamental principle of the American government."

Military Service
Esrati served in the US Army, 7th Special Forces Group, Ft. Bragg, and with 11th Special Forces Group (Reserve) Jamestown, OH.

This experience as a veteran led Esrati to become a founding member of VOB108, which has the Vision statement, "to be the leading organization, both locally and nationally, where military veteran, small business owners can find and receive assistance in meeting the business challenges that they face today, tomorrow and in the future."

Dayton Activist and Political Contender
Esrati's activities have mainly revolved around advocating for open, accountable government and community organizing and revitalization. He served two terms as the president of Historic Southpark, Inc, which is a non-profit dedicated to improving the nationally recognized historic district.

David Esrati has been a consistent and steadily growing force in the Politics of Dayton, Ohio. Starting in 1993 he garnered just one thousand votes in the City commission election, in his latest run in 2009 he received roughly ten times that number. Dayton has emerged as a testing ground for un-orthodox outsider political campaigns, with Esrati's growing success in garnering votes without the support of the traditional political machine, and the election of Independent Mayor Gary Leitzell.

Esrati's expertise in communicating with the public translates into unique, cost efficient campaigns.

Congressional Campaigns
Esrati is running in the 2010 special Democratic primary for OH-3.

Dayton Mayoral / Commission Campaigns
Esrati previously sought a nomination in the Dayton Mayoral race of 1993, which Mike Turner, his prospective congressional opponent in 2010, won over Clay Dixon.

The Mask
'''Dayton v. Esrati (1997), 125 Ohio App. 3d 60''' -- Disrupting a lawful meeting and other charges were properly dismissed where city could not show its actions were not directed at the communicative nature of the defendant's conduct. Defendant quietly donned a ninja mask during city council meeting to protest proposal to reduce public participation. The reasons these charges were properly dismissed is due to the nature of Esrati's protest, he quietly donned a mask, and did not otherwise impede the performance of any official's public duties (contrast with the conviction of Loretta Cephus which was upheld because of her boisterous speech at a Dayton City Commission meeting ).

Esrati explained his motivations on his website,
 * "Dayton City Commission was breaking the law when it was meeting in private to discuss ways to eliminate citizen participation at its meetings. I wasn't the reason the commissioners wanted to eliminate speakers - it was what I said at the previous meeting and how I said it."

The balaclava has made other appearances at Dayton City Commission meetings, though without a repeat of the previous waste of tax-payer resources or faux shock on the part of the commission. He was quoted by Dayton Daily News as saying, "Any restriction on citizen participation is a mistake."

Esrati's civil protest at the Dayton City Commission meeting has gained attention from legal scholars studying the impact of technology on public commentary and First Amendment rights in general.

Citizen Journalist and Small Business Owner
Esrati's muckracker sentimentality, establishment-outsider standing and Web2.0 marketing savy make for a rapid, responsive and technology-fueled reporting style. His site has emerged as a combination of networked public engagement, free-wheeling discussion forum and public-interest watchdog group.

As a blogger Esrati has scooped the more mainstream investigatory media outlets in revealing the dirty feedback loop of corporate welfare and public office campaign financing which was only latter picked up by mainstream news sources.