Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Party Offices

If you are a candidate for a state party office, or a congressional district office in the Oklahoma Democratic Party please use this space to provide information about your candidacy. Please limit your response to 500 words or less. Comments from candidates only, please.

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

March 8, 2007

To Democrats in the Fourth Congressional District:

After much consideration and encouragement from friends and family, I wish to formally announce my candidacy for Secretary of the Fourth Congressional District. This is not a decision I have made lightly, but I feel strongly that my reasons for running will resonate with you. I encourage you to read the following statements and consider me as your choice for this position.

Outdated Convention Processes:

Albert Einstein is credited with the adage: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” In many respects, this has been the way many in the ODP have handled our party business. We are still trying to do things the way they were done with paper and pencil years ago, while at the same time complaining that we can’t seem to get anything done at our conventions. If we want to see change, we must use every means necessary to streamline the way in which the ODP operates. From our precincts all the way up to the state level, we need to work to automate our convention process and allow delegates the time to actually deal with party business. As CD-4 Secretary, I will work to make our district the leader in communications, automation, and grassroots networking.

Resolution Process:

Like many of you, I have become dissatisfied with the way the grassroots voice has become silenced by those in our party who wish to maintain the status quo of bland conservatism that leaves behind so many in our state. As many have witnessed in previous ODP state conventions, the bulk of the agenda was taken up with unnecessary and mundane roll call votes and pointless, lengthy speeches while the real business of the party was hurried along and even left undone. As CD-4 Secretary, I will honor the voice of Grassroots Democrats by fighting to make sure that the resolution process is carried out with integrity, fairness, and inclusiveness.

My Background:

I have worked for more than thirteen years in the IT field, both in the public and private sectors. I have established organizational databases for various purposes – from initial design through to the implementation stage. While employed as the IT Manager for the City of Duncan , I also served as the president of Oklahoma Government IT Association – an organization linking IT professionals from cities and town all across the state. As CD-4 Secretary, I will put my IT experience to use in making our district and the ODP more efficient so that we can get back to party business.

My Vision:

As a member of the state Central Committee, I will work to establish a standing state-wide Committee on Information Technology and insist that we give them the means and authority to work with state officers in revamping the convention process so that our conventions will be given back to the delegates. I will also do everything in my power to restore the power of the grassroots in the resolution process. In addition, I will strive to keep all democrats in District 4 notified about party business and connected to each other.

If you feel like it’s time to take back the ODP for the grassroots, I would appreciate your vote on April 28th.

Respectfully,

Jason R. Smith
(580) 467-8645
duncandemocrat@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

I posted my announcement on here this morning, but I do not see it yet. Did it come through?

Jason R. Smith
duncandemocrat@yahoo.com
Candidate for CD-4 Sec