Newbie running for political office (City Council)

[joyteq]

Hello Fellow Newbies:

Just another introduction of myself...

I am running for City Council in Marysville Washington.  Please check out my website:
http://www.vote4bj.com

I am also accepting Bitcoin contributions for my campaign.  Due to complex campaign laws, I can only accept donations from people that live in the United States.  I also have to report all donations to the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission, so if you want to remain anonymous (one of the benefits of Bitcoin), I unfortunately cannot accept donations from you.

If you live in the US, and have any coins or fractions of coins to spare, I'd really appreciate it.  Campaigns are very costly (advertising, flyers, T-shirts, mail-outs, etc.) and any extra help can you provide would be greatly appreciated.  To send BTC my way, please see the instructions, limitations and such at:
http://www.vote4bj.com/contribute.html

I'm a bit of a geek, probably like many of you here.  My campaign website is actually running on an original Microsoft Xbox running Linux.  See:
http://www.bgfax.com/xbox/home.html
(I'll eventually move it over to a "real" box.)

I'm currently doing some Bitcoin mining with GPU's.  About 800 MH/s on Bitminter.  (One day my ASIC's will come.)  I think I'm also the first candidate, anywhere, that uses Google Glass.  See some of the pictures of me on my campaign website wearing Glass around Marysville.

If you want to show support for my campaign, you can also like my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/vote4bj

Regards,
B.J. Guillot

[sirano]

I admire at your effort but not at your lack of focus, who in this world gonna give you money if they are not in  your geographical area?

[btceic]

I admire at your effort but not at your lack of focus, who in this world gonna give you money if they are not in  your geographical area?

I'll do it for at least 2 reasons:

1) We need people on board with BTC in office with ties to political leaders to move this to the forefront.

2) Be the first ever to donate to a political campaign via BTC!

3) If we do not support the people that can help us, we are lost.

Edit: donated 0.10 BTC

Best of luck B.J.!

[cof]

nice

[PeterB]

Great post, best of luck sir!

[Inedible]

So you've come here to ask for money?

Any indication of why we might want to donate?

For all we know, you'll use this money to shut down our roundabouts or use it to support your downtown and waterfront projects.

[Burdy]

So you've come here to ask for money?

Any indication of why we might want to donate?

For all we know, you'll use this money to shut down our roundabouts or use it to support your downtown and waterfront projects.

This.

Plus if you make it hard for people to donate (reveal identity) you are unlikely to receive anything. But best of luck, at least you can say you tried.

Would be good to get a bitcoin enthusiast in office, even if it's a small council. Have to start some where. 

[Inedible]

So you've come here to ask for money?

Any indication of why we might want to donate?

For all we know, you'll use this money to shut down our roundabouts or use it to support your downtown and waterfront projects.

This.

Plus if you make it hard for people to donate (reveal identity) you are unlikely to receive anything. But best of luck, at least you can say you tried.

Would be good to get a bitcoin enthusiast in office, even if it's a small council. Have to start some where. 

It's law of the land that requires donators to reveal their identity.

Also, there's nothing to say that he's a Bitcoin enthusiast, just that he's happy to accept funding from you in that format.

[Burdy]

So you've come here to ask for money?

Any indication of why we might want to donate?

For all we know, you'll use this money to shut down our roundabouts or use it to support your downtown and waterfront projects.

This.

Plus if you make it hard for people to donate (reveal identity) you are unlikely to receive anything. But best of luck, at least you can say you tried.

Would be good to get a bitcoin enthusiast in office, even if it's a small council. Have to start some where. 

It's law of the land that requires donators to reveal their identity.

Also, there's nothing to say that he's a Bitcoin enthusiast, just that he's happy to accept funding from you in that format.

I just don't get it... It's LAW to GIVE someone else your money? Why do we call it home of the free?

[DeathProxy]

Good Luck. I want to donate but I have no bitcoin now. I hope my bump can help.

[Inedible]

It's law of the land that requires donators to reveal their identity.

Also, there's nothing to say that he's a Bitcoin enthusiast, just that he's happy to accept funding from you in that format.

I just don't get it... It's LAW to GIVE someone else your money? Why do we call it home of the free?

I think I've missed your meaning.

The law only states that a donator must declare themselves, not that they have to donate.

[Inedible]

Good Luck. I want to donate but I have no bitcoin now. I hope my bump can help.

Assuming you're not a sock puppet, can you explain why you want to donate?

[Burdy]

It's law of the land that requires donators to reveal their identity.

Also, there's nothing to say that he's a Bitcoin enthusiast, just that he's happy to accept funding from you in that format.

I just don't get it... It's LAW to GIVE someone else your money? Why do we call it home of the free?

I think I've missed your meaning.

The law only states that a donator must declare themselves, not that they have to donate.

Yep I totally wrote that wrong. I meant to say its LAW to IDENTIFY yourself to GIVE someone YOUR money.

[joyteq]

Hey guys... Thanks for the feedback.  To address some of your comments:

who in this world gonna give you money if they are not in your geographical area?

Well, as someone who is running for office, I have to try to get funding from whatever legal sources I can.  Part of running for office is fundraising.  I'm trying to reach out to as many people as I can who may share common interests.  In many cases, people get donations from friends, families, businesses, PAC's, political parties, organizations, etc. outside of the actual geographic from which they are running.  Like it or not, you can't win an election without money.  I'm trying something new by reaching out to the Bitcoin community.

donated 0.10 BTC

Thanks!  Every bit helps!

Plus if you make it hard for people to donate (reveal identity) you are unlikely to receive anything.

Others have already explained it, so I probably don't need to repeat it, but I'm unable to accept anonymous donations by law.  There are some technicalities, though.  For example, in Washington State, I can accept up to $300 or 1% of all donations anonymously (in total for entire campaign), whichever is greater; however, the intention of that is for people that stick cash in collection bowls at fundraising events, etc.  To accept more than $300 anonymously would require I collect over $30,000 non-anonymously.  Most City Council campaigns in smaller cities cost no where near that kind of money (most around $5,000).  $300 doesn't really pay for much.  300 yard signs is costing me about $1000.  Running banner ads on marysvilleglobe.com for six months is costing me about $900, and ditto the price for running banner ads on northcountyoutlook.com.  Print ads in newspapers cost about $300-$500 each for a small 1/4-size page per issue.  TV commercials cost so much that it's not even something I think about.

However, I fully appreciate that one of the major benefits of Bitcoin is that it allows anonymous transactions, and I know a lot of people like that aspect, so if you are unable to contribute because you don't want to reveal your information, I totally respect that, and understand that you can't send me anything to protect your privacy.

Any indication of why we might want to donate?

Well, eventually you have to spend your BTC on something (or cash out).  I'm just giving you another option.

Also, there's nothing to say that he's a Bitcoin enthusiast, just that he's happy to accept funding from you in that format.

I've only been dealing with Bitcoin for a few months, but it's fascinating to me.  I'd like to see more places take it and understand it.  The Libertarian party for instance also accepts Bitcoin donations if you'd rather give to a larger organization instead of my non-partisan local city council campaign.

For all we know, you'll use this money to shut down our roundabouts or use it to support your downtown and waterfront projects.

That's why I posted the website address, so you can look at it and do your own due diligence.  If you don't like what I stand for, then it doesn't make any sense to give to me.  You can always donate to my opponent, but pretty sure he doesn't take Bitcoin.

Regards,
B.J. Guillot