David Esrati
Encyclopedia
David Esrati is an activist, small business owner and political campaigner in Dayton, Ohio
. He has been characterized in the press for his confrontational style.
. In particular, this case has gained notice from legal scholars making recommendation on setting public comment policy. and by the First Amendment Center Dayton also played host to another precedent setting case identified by the Ohio Public Defender's Office which illustrated the importance of narrowly construed and un-content focused nature of rules for limited public forums that are necessary to respect the free speech rights of citizens while at the same time ensuring efficient execution of a public office holder's duties.
A second balaclava-wearing by Esrati at a commission meeting in protest of proposed changes to citizen participation rules did not result in any legal action.
Through the course of the legal proceeding leading to Esrati's eventual victory he won against the City of Dayton
and then Mayor Mike Turner
in five courts.
This expensive and futile effort by the City
was high-lighted in Wired magazine for setting precedent in free-speech at limited public forums, and for the foolishness of efforts to litigate against speakers unless they are being unruly.
technology which results in competitive turnouts
for significantly less spending than traditional campaigners. Esrati has run unsuccessfully for City Commission six times (beginning in the early 1990s), from which he said he's "learned a lot".
Esrati first sought a nomination in the Dayton Mayoral race of 1993, which Mike Turner
, his prospective congressional opponent in 2010, won over Clay Dixon
. This election was notable because of the physical confrontation between Esrati and Dixon
which some say marked the end of Dixon's political career.
He received 21% of the vote in the 2009 race for mayor.
Esrati's campaigns at the local level have focused on good governance, transparency and protection of civil rights. For instance, on the Dayton's employee residency rule, he stated "The real issue is that people should want to live in Dayton because of the things we do right, not because we want to limit the rights of our employees."
He recommended pay-cuts for elected officials rather than city employee wage freezes in the face of Dayton's looming structural budget deficit.
and ran in the special primary for the 2010 election.
His platform at the local and congressional level has focused on campaign financing,He has said that "I think it's time we end the casino on Wall Street, we put Americans back to work and we stop letting our political system be sold off to the highest bidder."
His vocal criticism of establishment business-as-usual, unique position on the issues and continuous advocacy for improvement garnered him notice as a "tough-minded" problem solver
.
He finished third, with less the 19% of the vote.
efforts as well. In contrast to activism, community organizing requires specific, implementable plans to bring about durable social change. He served two terms as the president of Historic Southpark, Inc, a non-profit dedicated to improving the nationally recognized historic district.
Esrati started the city's first for-profit community development company,
He has organized small groups towards improving the health and happiness of the community.
He is now associated as a commentator with the political blogsite DavtonOS, an affiliate of Grassroots Dayton.
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
. He has been characterized in the press for his confrontational style.
Free speech precedent
The successful appeal of his prosecution for distupting a public meeting by wearing a ninja mask has been characterized by the Ohio Public Defender's Office has recognized Dayton v. Esrati as a precedent setting case with respect to public comment in limited public forumsForum (legal)
A public forum is a United States constitutional law term that describes a government-owned property that is open to public expression and assembly.-Types:Forums are classified as public or nonpublic....
. In particular, this case has gained notice from legal scholars making recommendation on setting public comment policy. and by the First Amendment Center Dayton also played host to another precedent setting case identified by the Ohio Public Defender's Office which illustrated the importance of narrowly construed and un-content focused nature of rules for limited public forums that are necessary to respect the free speech rights of citizens while at the same time ensuring efficient execution of a public office holder's duties.
A second balaclava-wearing by Esrati at a commission meeting in protest of proposed changes to citizen participation rules did not result in any legal action.
Through the course of the legal proceeding leading to Esrati's eventual victory he won against the City of Dayton
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
and then Mayor Mike Turner
Mike Turner
Michael R. Turner is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district covers most of the city of Dayton and includes most of Montgomery County, much of Warren County, and is home to all of Highland and Clinton Counties.-Early life, education...
in five courts.
This expensive and futile effort by the City
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
was high-lighted in Wired magazine for setting precedent in free-speech at limited public forums, and for the foolishness of efforts to litigate against speakers unless they are being unruly.
Dayton City Commission campaigns
Esrati's campaign style is based on Web 2.0Web 2.0
The term Web 2.0 is associated with web applications that facilitate participatory information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design, and collaboration on the World Wide Web...
technology which results in competitive turnouts
for significantly less spending than traditional campaigners. Esrati has run unsuccessfully for City Commission six times (beginning in the early 1990s), from which he said he's "learned a lot".
Esrati first sought a nomination in the Dayton Mayoral race of 1993, which Mike Turner
Mike Turner
Michael R. Turner is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district covers most of the city of Dayton and includes most of Montgomery County, much of Warren County, and is home to all of Highland and Clinton Counties.-Early life, education...
, his prospective congressional opponent in 2010, won over Clay Dixon
Clay Dixon
Richard Clay Dixon is an American politician of the Ohio Democratic party. He served as a city commissioner of Dayton, Ohio, and as the city's mayor. He was the second African-American person to serve as mayor of Dayton.-References:...
. This election was notable because of the physical confrontation between Esrati and Dixon
which some say marked the end of Dixon's political career.
He received 21% of the vote in the 2009 race for mayor.
Esrati's campaigns at the local level have focused on good governance, transparency and protection of civil rights. For instance, on the Dayton's employee residency rule, he stated "The real issue is that people should want to live in Dayton because of the things we do right, not because we want to limit the rights of our employees."
He recommended pay-cuts for elected officials rather than city employee wage freezes in the face of Dayton's looming structural budget deficit.
Congressional campaigns
David Esrati previously lost the 2008 Democratic primary for Ohio's 3rd congressional districtOhio's 3rd congressional district
Ohio's 3rd congressional district includes most of the city of Dayton and its surrounding suburbs and exurbs. It is currently represented by Representative Mike Turner.-List of representatives:-Selected election results:...
and ran in the special primary for the 2010 election.
His platform at the local and congressional level has focused on campaign financing,He has said that "I think it's time we end the casino on Wall Street, we put Americans back to work and we stop letting our political system be sold off to the highest bidder."
His vocal criticism of establishment business-as-usual, unique position on the issues and continuous advocacy for improvement garnered him notice as a "tough-minded" problem solver
.
He finished third, with less the 19% of the vote.
Community organizing
In addition to activism, Esrati leads community organizingCommunity organizing
Community organizing is a process where people who live in proximity to each other come together into an organization that acts in their shared self-interest. A core goal of community organizing is to generate durable power for an organization representing the community, allowing it to influence...
efforts as well. In contrast to activism, community organizing requires specific, implementable plans to bring about durable social change. He served two terms as the president of Historic Southpark, Inc, a non-profit dedicated to improving the nationally recognized historic district.
Esrati started the city's first for-profit community development company,
He has organized small groups towards improving the health and happiness of the community.
Urban revitalization
He has opposed the misuse of funds for urban revitalization to instead destroy viable buildings.He is now associated as a commentator with the political blogsite DavtonOS, an affiliate of Grassroots Dayton.