Mark Rauterkus, a citizen activist and former candidate for
Mayor, City of Pittsburgh, 2001, is opening a new service in
conjunction with FreeTeam.Org and some of his other web sites.
Candidates for city council, county council, school board and
other elected offices throughout the region can apply for a
no-charge, personal computer on loan from FreeTeam.Org.
Candidates can apply and pick-up the computers on a loaner basis
without realizing any costs. Furthermore, the candidates who seek a
computer, as well as any other candidates who don’t care to receive
the in-kind donation, can get access to a slew of other consulting
and online services, all without cost.
Candidates for judge and other positions outside of the
legislative and executive branches are not eligible. Election law
stipulates limitations on judge races.
The application is simple and requires a personal interview.
Associates establish a desire and intent to run a campaign and get
onto the ballot. Candidates from any party are eligible. Allegheny
County candidates get a preference, but others from the region are
eligible pending availability. A meeting is also necessary in the
South Side office so as to take delivery of the equipment.
Assessing technology skills of those involved in the campaign and
customization of needs and services unfolds in the application and
interviews. Ongoing support is guaranteed via email.
Candidates who have their own computers are still eligible for
the consulting assistance. Pointers and tips are delivered to any
who seek this info by appointment.
Twenty nine computers are presently in transit to the South Side
and are being made ready for pickup. The computers were donated
from a private corporation in the D.C. area and were made available
via a board member of Project Gutenberg, http://www.Gutenberg.net. Project Gutenberg is the
internet’s oldest producer of FREE electronic books (eBooks or
eTexts).
Project Gutenberg and its cadre of volunteers makes important
texts freely available to everyone in the world. A total of 6,267
volumes have been released, mostly into the public domain.
Mark Rauterkus, a retired publisher, has worked in the
open-source movement and released various titles into the public
domain throughout the past decades. Rauterkus authored
Compelling Sense, a work-in-progress, political book with
a loose framework that stems from Thomas Paine’s Common
Sense, 1776.
Political books and candidate web sites make splendid
opportunities for additional content for Project Gutenberg’s
efforts.
Dozens of the computers headed to the candidates are loaded with
licensed versions of Windows 98 and Microsoft Office. However, as
soon as possible, most of the inventory will be converted to free
and open source software to give greater performance boosts,
reliability and cost/benefits.
A frustration exists as too many candidates don’t have web sites
and broad access with email. In return, too many elected officials
are out of touch with modern communication efforts. Hence, our
region’s performance suffers as we are less effective and
efficient. Citizen and voter frustration is high.
People want to see candidates’ schedules, platforms, news
releases, bios, photos, timely reactions to current issues, and
even hear audio snips.
FreeTeam.Org is not a corporation. Rather, as a fully-owned
hobby endeavor of an individual, donations can be made directly to
candidates.
Corporations, non-profits and other individuals could make
equipment, in-kind or cash donations to FreeTeam.Org and Mark
Rauterkus. In turn, supplies can be replenished and additional
support extended. Donations would NOT be tax deductible.
Candidates and political action committees that enjoy gifts,
services and gratis rentals of computers will reveal the market
rate values of the items on candidate financial disclosure forms
that are filed with the County’s Election Board at specific
instances throughout the year.
Simple $25 or $50 donations are needed now so as to better
outfit the loaner computers with CD-readers and CD-Writers.
Interested donors can contact Rauterkus.
Supply is limited. As more computers are made available via
donations, more computers will be put into the field with willing
candidates.
In the past, Rauterkus served as “webmaster” for the campaign of
James Carmine, Ph.D., in the general election in 2001 for the race
for Mayor of Pittsburgh.
Many additional services exist on the Internet for candidates
and issue campaigns. Part of the consulting efforts is to get
candidates aware of some of the better opportunities that exist.
Public calendars, groupware, eVote polling, and a wide mix of
discussion groups are presented to the candidates and working
relationships can be forged.
Poise, sensitivity, polished speaking skills, astute business
sense, capable administrator, a commitment to self-improvement, and
a sense of humor are the traditional qualities of a person who
would make a good candidate for public office. Ask yourself if you
are energized by campaigning. At the end of a long day of speech
making, strategizing and meeting new people, are you still as
ready-to-go as you were the first thing in the morning? Can you
build upon the efforts of previous folks and take efforts to the
next level?
Good writing skills or else available and trusted proof readers
are necessary in today’s on-line world. Professional web site
hosting makes others take note and more willingly volunteer. Strong
reach in getting ideas out to various populations, quickly and in
an affordable ways is key to building platform planks and a host of
followers willing to make key contributions. All of the online work
needs access to a computer, and hours or days can’t go past without
actions being monitored.