Citizens Alliance for Better Candidates * 703-338-0200
There is no shortage of reasons why we need you to run for office!
But the two illustrated above say it loudly.
No train traveling on 19th century
rail technology in the US goes faster than 100 mph. Quite embarrassing for a country that prided itself on innovation and
technological prowess. Modern magnetic levitation rail systems around the globe are approaching the 400 mph speed mark.
This impediment is
largely the result of the stalemate in our electoral system which produces nothing but tribal friction disguised as political
differentiation, and as a result, a very dysfunctional governing system.
The only way we will
see innovative governing will be to upend the current political tyranny, and release those inspired to serve to do so in a
free and innovative manner.
Legislating will only improve when we can seriously diminish
the outsized influence of money, and the extremist control of election outcomes most visibly noticed in the primary election
process where only 10% of voters decide over 80 % of the general election outcomes.
Other
reasons to run:
1) You have better policy positions that need to be advocated
than those who are bought and paid for by the lobby community.
2) Even with the
semblance of a two-party system, nearly 50% of the elected positions have no challengers and the current electoral systems
are unfairly skewed against outside participants.
3) The primary system is wrecking our democracy.The 10% extremists
in each party have an outsized influence on the outcome of the general elections.
Act
now to prepare to get on the ballot in 2022 and beyond.
It requires planning and carefully
designing a strategy to run or even stand* for public office.
Our team stands ready
to help you prepare - whether it is honing your personal skills, developing a fundraising operation, gathering supporters
or conducting a field operation.
Contact Former Independent
Green Party of Virginia Co-Founder and Chairman Joseph Oddo, now at (703) 338-0200
*Running
for office is more involved, but standing for office is still a great value to our country.
I
have had the blessing of being able to conduct three distinctive careers over the course of the last 45 years: Writing / Business
Management / Political Campaign Management.
Currently
serving as a Business Intermediary for the mid-market business seller that is looking to maximize their return on the exit
of their enterprise. I am Managing Director of the South Carolina / Coastal GA division of A. Neumann Associates Mergers &
Acquisition Advisors.
Having run for office on
numerous occasions, I got involved in political campaigns by coordinating statewide ballot access drives, or directing campaign
operations for at least ten candidates running for federal, state and local office.Have served as founder,
director, organizer, fund-raiser, policy writer, media relations and press coordinator.
If you even remotely consider running for office, please reach out to me. Let’s have a conversation!
The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix It,
Robert Reich, Alfred A Knopf, NY 2020
Having come across this 2020 Robert
Reich book on the library shelf after the 2020 election, I was compelled to not just read it, but give it a thorough
going over. The title drew me in with a promise that I immediately doubted he could deliver. “The System: Who Rigged
It, How We Fix It” triggered my pessimism, since so many others have declared such grand outcomes with little to no
impact.
In this manuscript, Former Labor Secretary and eminent scholar
Robert Reich has delivered a powerful directive on how we the people can clear the fog of fabrications. Previously unseen
in clear daylight, Reich lifts the fog and exposes the details of the modern-day oligarchy (the third in our nation’s
history, according to the author).
How the relationship between Trump and Bloomberg went into a tailspin
By
Michael Kranish January 31, 2019
NEW YORK —
On an autumn day in 2013, New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg traveled to the Bronx to hail the transformation of a massive
garbage dump into a world-class golf course. Donald Trump stood nearby, beaming as Bloomberg said the course would be operated
by “the great Trump Organization.”
“If there is anybody who has changed this city, it is Donald
Trump,” Bloomberg said. “He really has done an amazing thing, and this is another part of it.”
Trump turned to Bloomberg, gushing: “You have been a great mayor. You really have. I mean, this guy is fantastic.”
For more than a decade, the two New York billionaires appeared together at charity golf events, ribbon cuttings and
even on Trump’s reality television shows, a relationship of political and business convenience if not genuine friendship.
The alliance imploded the moment Trump launched his bid for the White House in 2015, exposing raw differences of policy
and personality that have become only more stark as President Trump has carried out a series of measures that are politically
anathema to Bloomberg, such as withdrawing from a deal to combat global warming.
Note: One of our reporters was at the reveal and will be writing an article about the event and the new products
as well.
On October 28, Elon Musk played ringmaster while Tesla and SolarCity showed off their new
line of glass solar tiles that generate electricity but look like conventional roof shingles and tiles. Musk told an audience
of several hundred invited guests that between 4 and 5 million new roofs are installed in America every year and many times
more than that are installed worldwide. If the cost of a solar roof was less than what a homeowner would spend for a
conventional roof plus utility bills that wouldn’t have to be paid over the roof’s 30 year useful life,
“Why wouldn’t you?” Musk asked.
Good question. To be honest, conventional rooftop solar systems
are not aesthetically pleasing to look at (in my opinion). The main advantage to Musk’s solar roof is that it adds
to the look of a home instead of detracting from it. The solar roof tiles will come in four styles. The first looks like
a conventional black roof shingle. The second resembles a conventional slate roof. Its individual tiles vary slightly
in shade, making for a roof that is the most attractive of all. Third is called Tuscan and looks like the curved terracotta
roofing tiles common throughout southern Europe and California. The fourth option is called textured glass and is visually
appealing as well.
The secret sauce in all this is a series of micro-louvers built into each tile, technology developed in cooperation
with 3M Corporation. The louvers allow sunlight to shine directly on the solar cells below but hide them from view from the
street. The result is the best of both worlds — solar panels that generate electricity and a roof that generates compliments
and adds value to any home.
To show off the new roof products, Tesla took over four houses on the back lot of Universal
Studios that once served as the set for the reality TV series Desperate Housewives. Each house had its old
roof stripped off and replaced with one of the four styles of glass roof tiles that Tesla and SolarCity will offer. Naturally,
each home had Tesla automobiles parked in the garage to emphasize that having a solar roof means sufficient power for the
inhabitants with enough electricity leftover to charge electric vehicles.
The missing link
in that scenario is battery storage. Tesla has recently introduced its second generation Powerwall with double the energy
storage capacity as the original — 14 kWh versus 7 kWh. It is less sculpted than the original but comes with the inverter
built in, which should simplify installation. The original cost is about $7,000 including an inverter and installation.
Musk says the new unit should be capable of meeting the needs of a family of four for lighting, normal household use, and
a refrigerator for about a day if there is a power outage. Notably absent from his example is any mention of heating or
air conditioning.
The Powerwall 2.0 with double the power should cost about the same as the original after installation, which illustrates
how quickly the prices of energy storage products are dropping, The original has only been on the market for about a year
and already we have a new version with twice the power for about the same money. Elon let slip that he expects Tesla to
sell more Powerwalls than automobiles.
Musk emphasized during his solar roof presentation that his overarching goal is for the world to transition to
100% clean, renewable energy from the sun as quickly as possible. If the world fails to complete that transition in time
to prevent massive disruption from climate change, it won’t be for lack of trying on Tesla’s part. Many people
mistake Tesla for an electric car company that also makes batteries. It is just the opposite — a battery company that
also makes electric cars.
As Independents we are not convinced that we can rely on the two large legacy
parties for correcting the mess they have gotten us in to. Fixing democracy is vital and must be implemented to increase
citizen involvement in solving the issues of war, immigration, health care, environment, education, trade, etc.
Here are ten key points of our National Election Reform Platform
(NERP). We are asking all presidential and congressional candidates to pledge their support...
1. Uniform Ballot Access for federal candidates. Rather than candidates
for president having 51 different rules for making the ballot, we make the criteria the same throughout the land. That means
those running for Senate and House also have the same criteria in each state.
2. Loosen Third Party Ballot Restrictions. Force states to untie ballot access to past election
results. Without fair ballot access in place now, the thresholds to become a recognized third party are too difficult to
achieve (by design of the two larger parties). Currently only 36 states have at least one recognized third party and that
changes based on election results.
3. Universal Voter
Registration. Legislation has already been passed that will require government standardized identification cards
which should be acceptable to election officials to allow anyone who shows up at the right precinct on Election Day to vote
on-the-spot whether registered or not.
4. Extended
Election Day. Either hold elections on weekends or move it to a holiday like Columbus Day in October.
5. Equal Media Access for third party contenders to
include broadcast time and inclusion in the debates.
6. Institute Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) which
allows voters to rank their choices. If no candidate gets a majority of the vote – over 50% - then the lowest number
of first place votes is eliminated and the votes are recounted for how many second place votes came in. This continues until
a candidate is declared a winner of a majority.
7. Secure
the Vote - Ensure the security of our voting instruments whether it is via a papertrail or some better method.
Thirteen years after the Florida debacle and we still do not have secure voting machines – considering the fact that
electronic machines are subject to manipulation.
8. Public
Campaign Financing - Instituting a fair and equitable method of public campaign financing reduces the taxpayer
burden. Here's how: It costs the country more now under the current system that forces candidates to raise exorbitant sums
of money from corporate and private donors (read: elitists and their SuperPACs). The winner is then beholden to the group
of financiers that paid for that victory which creates a corrupt system of paybacks and legislation that raids our Treasury
– at an enormous cost to the real owners of our country – the people.
9. Direct Election of the president. Get rid of the Electoral College.
10. Voting Rights in congress for the citizens of the federal
District of Columbia.
Our members have at various times had an association
with the following organizations:
Independent
Greens of Virginia Green TV
Americans for Fair Taxation
Diane
Blais for Congress 2014
Gerard Blais for Congress 2014
Elaine Hildbrandt for Congress 2014
Col. Jim Leslie for Delegate 2009 & 2013 (VA)
Terry Modglin for Delegate 2013 (VA)
Jeannemarie
Davis for Lt. Governor 2013 (VA)
Ken Hildebrandt for Congress (VA 2012 & 14)
Floyd Bayne for Congress
(VA 10 & 12)
Karen Kwiatkowski for Congress 2012 (VA)
Imperato for President 2008 / for Florida
Governor 2010
Hagler for Council (DC)
Joseph Oddo for Congress (VA 04, 06 & 08)
Gail
"for Rail" Parker for US Senate (VA 06 & 08)
Gail for Rail for Congress (VA 2010, 12 & 14)
Parker for Delegate 2013
Committee to Draft Michael Bloomberg 2006 - 2020
Nader for President (04 & 08)
Kent Mesplay for President 2004
Virginia Bill of Rights
Coalition
Joseph Oddo Mergers & Acquisition Advisor, Writer, Political Campaign Director
Three time ballot certified candidate for congress. Co-Founder and Director
Joseph Oddo formed a writing and political/sales consulting practice in 2002. He is a three-time ballot certified candidate
for congress and founder of a number of political advocacy organizations including Independent America, the Independent Greens
of Virginia and the Citizens Alliance for Better Candidates. He has served in many capacities with local charitable and service
organizations. A Public Policy major from Penn State, he spent over twenty years in sales management. Oddo volunteers as DJ
at public radio WTJU, was volunteer host on GreenTV public television, and a Friend of the Library. In SC, I am teamed up with Better Ballot SC.
Joseph Oddo delivering speech during the
2006 campaign.
- Available for surrogate or spokesman
role.
Transcript of five minute News8TV taping.
Joe Oddo, Independent Candidate, US House of Representatives
Oct 6, 2006
A patriot must always be ready
to defend his country from his government.
I’m Joe Oddo, Independent Green candidate running for Congress and I encourage you to get involved. To run
for office. To insist we be allowed in the debates. To fix our democracy. And stop the mudslingin
I believe in expanding civic participation by
fixing election rules and instituting universal registration. Anyone that shows up at the right polling place with their official
ID should be able to register and vote on the spot.
Plus we should expand the hours of Election Day, or make it a holiday so everyone can take
off work to cast their vote.
Our team of Independents have spent weeks out in all weather extremes to qualify to make the ballot. We talked to
over 150,000 Virginians who understand the need for Independent voices. And by listening to your concerns, we have formulated
a sound platform that addresses diverse issues like lobby reform and term limits.
Together with our statewide candidate for the US Senate Gail “for
Rail” Parker, we propose Rail Now solutions. More Trains Less Traffic. We need hi-speed Rail from Danville to Charlottesville,
from Charlottesville to Richmond, and on to Washington. Modern high-speed rail utilizes existing right-of-ways. We can run
elevated rail right along I-64 and Rt. 29 with minimal disturbance. It is the time to develop alternative energy solutions,
and end our dependence on oil.
We must pay closer attention to how government spends OUR money, and to ensure that it is on realistic, long-term
solutions. So one of our initiatives is to solve the fiscal crises in our federal budget. We need a balanced budget now. We
can to pay off the federal debt in five years. And we can fix the tax code for real tax cuts, not credit card advances.
We are more conservative than
our opponents. There is nothing compassionate or conservative in military adventurism. This administration promotes addiction
to a new drug called fear. We no longer face facts. We prefer to fabricate them. We lost over 3,000 young American soldiers
since Nine Eleven.
Why?
For war industry profits. Everyone knows it. One of every four tax dollars are being spent at the Defense Department. From
their own report, billions are being mismanaged through "improper payments". And this Congress has been complicit
and needs replaced.
We
can fix Pentagon waste with an auditable accounting system so we know where our money is going. We can save $2 Billion a week
by withdrawing from Iraq. We can save Billions more by closing bases in Germany and Japan. And Billions more by scrapping
useless weapons programs.
Now I ask you, what real liberal or conservative would ever sanction the Patriot Act, or NSA domestic spying? Why
should we give away rights guaranteed by the Constitution now? They served us well for the multitude of threats we defeated
during the last 230 years.
Now it’s: be afraid. Be very afraid. Don’t worry about your tax dollars going to campaign contributors
through no-bid contracts. Don’t pay attention while they strip away our rights, or rob our Treasury blind.
We won’t hear them say:
War as a foreign policy of the United States is wrong. Peace is the answer. Nonviolence is the answer.
We can protest all we want. We can editorialize,
we can lobby, we can strike, we can boycott, we can hold endless numbers of meetings. This only gets us so far. If we are
going to accomplish real change in government, then we have to resort to action. The only real action against apathy is to
get on the ballot and run for office.
Now is our chance to restore the optimism and promise of a world for all to live in peace. Join us as an independent
- not bought and paid for by corporate rulers.
We run on positive issues. We listen. We do not sling mud.
Because I am an optimist, I offer solutions
that the two parties will not address. Please Join us. Our Web site is www.VoteJoinRun.us. Please Vote Oddo on November 7th.
Objective: Electing Independents
in 2021 & beyond.
Join
our team of Citizen Advisers...
Tammy Parada
Certified Political Action Committee Director
Tammy Parada- Senior Consultant
Mid Atlantic Region, Open Market Research
Entering the political communications
and fundraising arena in 2005, Tammy Parada became Political Action Committee (PAC) Associate Director for the Virginia Medical
Political Action Committee (VAMPAC). Under her direction, VAMPAC garnered record contributions, exceeding $365,000 annually.
As government affairs coordinator for the state medical society, Parada also offered contributing coordination in board
and committee management, grassroots and advocacy efforts, legislative event planning, constituent communications, and health
care policy campaigns.
Parada excels in strategic development and political
efficacy when it comes to her design and implementation of political campaigns. She recently managed Floyd Bayne's independent
congressional campaign (VA CD-7) garnering more votes than any other independent candidate in the state and forcing the incumbent
to spend more money per vote than during previous elections, ending the race with the lowest vote count yet. Parada
works closely with local, state and congressional candidates in Mid Atlantic states providing a vast array of campaign services.
Parada currently serves as Chief Bill Tracker for Virginia’s 10th Amendment Coalition.
Simultaneously, Parada serves on the Legislative Committee for a statewide constituent advocacy organization. Parada
is the Capitol Region Director forVirginia Conservative Party’s Board of Directors.
---
Jabari Zakiya
DC Coordinator
Jabari Zakiya is a Certified FairTax
Advocate with intelligently radical political positions. He has served on the community board for WPFW Pacific radio in Washington,
DC. He is a professional tutor, writer and adviser to community organizations in the District of Columbia. Read his piece
entitled "Why We Need the FairTax" here.
"The genius of the state is that it gets us to voluntarily, without pay, to stand up
for it, and to deter, damn, and defriend not just the people who challenge its presumed authority, but to heartily reject
both ideas and factual information that challenge the state’s façade of moral certitude, and its mask of justness.”
- Karen Kwiatkowski, 2011
Stood for Congress in 2012.
Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski, Retired
The Citizen’s Alliance is a political action committee (PAC) established to provide citizens with a unified
voice to their elected officials. Incumbents running for reelection and prospective candidates for federal office will be
presented with a questionnaire. Voters can evaluate their responses and make a selection based on interactive participation.
It is our objective to have responses in all 435 congressional districts in 2022. We urge nominees of the all political parties
to open up the dialogue, be accountable, and fully engage in debates with all opponents including independents to inform voters
and give fair voice to all willing to run for office.
The Citizen’s Alliance is committed to a better functioning American Republic based
on freedom and security. Our grassroots efforts will empower citizens to take a personal interest in the operation of their
government. Our mission is to recruit candidates, engage citizens, and organize a massive nationwide grassroots team to spur
higher turnout and elected official accountability. It is time to force our elected officials to provide real answers. Too
often they dodge, spin and exclude challengers. And if that is not enough, they impose new restrictions on participating -
especially directed at any challenges outside of the titanic party duopoly.
