David Esrati, who is seeking nomination in the July 13 special primary to be the Democratic candidate for Ohio’’s 3rd Congressional District posted a You-tube video on his web-site, his first “stump speech,” showing David addressing Warren County Democrats.

In his remarks, David disparages the other two Democratic candidates — Joe Roberts and Guy Fogle — and says, that he, Esrati, is “the only one who can go and even give it a shot at this late time.”

David’s message is that he intends on hammering the theme that the incumbent Republican congressman for the 3rd District, Mike Turner, should be defeated for an additional term because he is “as corrupt as they come.”

David’s message is that, unlike Turner, he will not take special interest money and, as a congressman, he would work to stop the “greatest shift of money from the poor to the rich of all times.” He says, “We have to put Americans back to work.”

Here is an excerpt of Esrati’s remarks:

I know Mike Turner inside and out and there is nobody who makes Mike Turner more nervous to have in the room than David Esrati. Because it was David Esrati who uncovered the slush fund that was paying off his wife on the no bid contract on the Dayton Development coalition, the one who uncovered the company called “Q-Base” was getting donations — $1000 from 17 people in one week — of people who all worked for the same company, who, again, was a client of Turner’s wife.

This has got to stop. It’s going to take perseverance, it’s going to take grassroots support. And it’s going to take someone who understands the web and who can get the message out cost effectively.

Now there are three candidates running in this special expensive primary. The reason it is so expensive is because of the gerrymandering. Three candidates: One is a 25 year old who nobody knows. There is a TV personality. And that’s great if you are Jesse Ventura or Arnold Schwartzennegger. But this is a local TV guy and the newspaper pretty much dug a hole for him yesterday. And there is me. I have the signs. I have the web-sites. I have five years worth of positions on my web-site. I have 1000 readers a day reading Esrati.com to see what is going on in Dayton Ohio. I am the only one who can go and even give it a shot at this at late time. …

I am ready to go. I am fired up. … We have to put Americans back to work…
We are seeing the greatest shift of money from the poor to the rich of all times. If this is allowed to continue there will be only three kinds of people in this country — the very rich he very poor and the government employee. And that is it. that has to stop. … Mike Turner is as corrupt as they come. And if you don’t believe that, go look at who is giving him money, because it is not the people of this district.

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I’m proud of my beets.  First good crop I’ve had in recent memory.  They make beautiful plants.   My first title for this post was, “Those Are Some Mighty Fine Beets You’ve Got There, Mister.” Yes. They. Are.

But, I’m wondering how to use growing beets to help advance a discussion of education.  I’m determined to write my book, “Kettering Public Education In The Year 2022,” so, the title of this post relates to a key part of the book — defining the aim and purpose of our system of public education.

I waited this year until past mid May to plant my beets.

In the billions of dollars we spend in public education, only when we have a clear understanding of what we are attempting to accomplish can we begin to evaluate what we are doing.  Only if we have a clear understanding of what we are attempting to accomplish can we make improvement.

The thing about beets, I’ve noticed, is that they really want to grow, they want to be healthy and vital and if given the chance, they will reach their potential.  What is needed is a good environment and an effective gardener.

If public education sought to fully develop the potential of citizens, then such an education would look radically different than the education we have today.

Every progressive community should create a plan to transform its system of public education. The premise of my book, I’m struggling to write, is that in Kettering a community comes together and outlines a long term plan of transformation for their system of public education — based upon a grassroots’ consensus vision of the aim, the purpose of public education.

Robert Reich has joined the chorus of those expressing disappointment in President Obama’s oval office speech, calling it “vapid.”  Says Reich, “His (Obama’s) words hung in the air with all the force of a fundraiser for your local public access TV station.”

Reich believes that “we are approaching a turning point as a nation,” and he is frustrated that Obama is not showing leadership

Says Reich, “The top executives of powerful corporations are pursuing profits in ways that menace the nation. We have not seen the likes since the late nineteenth century when the robber barons of finance, oil, railroads and steel ran roughshod over America. Now, as then, they are using their wealth and influence to buy off legislators and intimidate the regions that depend on them for jobs. Now, as then, they are threatening the safety and security of our people.”

Reich urges, “Our president must tell is like it is — not with rancor but with the passion and conviction of a leader who recognizes what is happening and rallies the nation behind him.”

Reich entitled his blog post: Obama’s Address to the Nation: A Missed Opportunity to Tell It Like It Is