[Boots] Part four: Le Deluge!
The fourth installment of Boot's BOE campaign diary:
The fact that I had filed on that Friday the bare minimum of necessary papers for running for Board of Education did not in any way mean I was through with the paperwork. Far from it! I still had numerous papers to file with the Elections Department at an unspecified later date; paperwork to file at the Ethics Commission and paperwork to file with the Secretary of State. But first, I wanted to speak with ExCandidate. I really needed to talk with someone who had actually done this, and I was very grateful that ExCandidate would take time out of his busy life to advise me. I respected him personally and professionally. His voice sounded weary when he began to speak. Although it had been some time since he had run, having to revisit the experience was not something he was very keen on doing.
Did I need a campaign manager? On this ExCandidate was clear: he found his experienced campaign manager a waste of money. "All he did was tell me to get signs made up, which is something I had already decided to do."
I wasn't planning on hiring a campaign manager, but it was good to hear him reaffirm my decision. My father-in-law had already offered to serve in that capacity! Although this would be a case of the "blind leading the blind", since he had even less political savvy than I had, he was a successful and brilliant businessman and I thought it would be fun to have him as my manager.
I specifically asked ExCandidate about the notorious nightmare of a software program candidates faced at the Ethics Commission. ExCandidate agreed that it was the worst! He suggested that, if possible, I try a system other than the one provided to candidates by the Ethics Commission, although he said that there were some complications in doing this and certainly a lot of expense.
Lastly ExCandidate suggested that I speak with Machiavelli. My ears perked up at that. I knew Machiavelli by reputation...mostly what I read in the papers. Machiavelli was out of my price range. End of subject.
I was glad I got to speak with ExCandidate as soon as I did, because almost immediately my email, my mailbox and my telephone began to overflow with messages, invitations and questionnaires. I began frenetically responding and writing back. My webmaster was hounding me for various items for my website. I had no money for the campaign because I couldn't open up a campaign bank account without a candidate ID number. That number would only come from the Secretary of State and the Secretary of State's office informed me that it was swamped with other candidates requesting IDs and that it might be a "month or so" before the number could be issued. This meant that the campaign would be over before I even got my number! I pointed this out and the lady at the Secretary of State's office told me that if I wanted a number right away, I had to drive to Sacramento and present myself and they would issue me a number on the spot. So I jumped into my car on that hot August day and made a quick round trip to Sacramento to retrieve the precious ID number.
My Wells Fargo branch had never opened a candidate account before. Considering that it was a new experience for them, they were pretty good about opening it for me. I transferred some money from our personal account into my candidate account. Finally I was in business.
When I wasn't dealing with all this, I was dealing with my daughter's imminent departure for college and our trip to Italy. My husband and I were leaving with her on Labor Day weekend to plant her at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. after which we were flying to Italy for a couple of weeks.
The phone rang and it was Deep Ballot, eager to know how I was doing. I told him a shorthand version of where I'd been and where I was going. "What in the h*ll were you doing in Sacramento?" I could never understand why someone like DB was asking me these questions. Didn't he know these things? Later I realized how few people make the last minute decision to run for office. Most candidates plan their campaigns months, if not years in advance. I was certainly doing it the hard way. DB was horrified to learn of our trip to Italy. He went on a tirade about a candidate he once knew who, in DB's opinion, blew his campaign by having the gall to travel to the Soviet Union as part of the U.S. ambassador's entourage during the heart of the campaign season. I explained that we would only be gone two weeks. DB said, "That's just when all the endorsements are being made." Talking with him made me realize that it could not all be done. Even planting our daughter was carving out important campaign time, but I sure as heck wasn't going to miss that. Reluctantly, I cancelled our precious trip to Italy, losing all our airfare and other miscellaneous expenses. [I won't ever fly British Air again. I didn't expect a refund, but I did expect a reasonable credit. I got neither.]
I also told DB about all the questionnaires I was filling out. "Don't spend much time on those" he scoffed. Really? I thought they were pretty important and I vowed to fill out any which I received. DB was also lukewarm on my website, which I felt was critical.
Then DB said, "Get out a pen and paper. I'm going to give you my contacts." He was dictating fast and I was scribbling away. It became clear that if I spoke to even half of those on DB's list I would do nothing else until election day! Toward the end he said, "OK, try Machiavelli." I told him Machiavelli was out of my price range. DB considered that reality. "Well, you have nothing to lose by calling him. Tell him I recommended you call him."
The phone continued to ring with invitations to forums from numerous groups. And then an odd thing happened. I was suddenly UNinvited to events I had agreed to attend. And all for a reason I considered outrageous.
Next: The invitations thicket; the questionnaire bramble; and Machiavelli.
The fact that I had filed on that Friday the bare minimum of necessary papers for running for Board of Education did not in any way mean I was through with the paperwork. Far from it! I still had numerous papers to file with the Elections Department at an unspecified later date; paperwork to file at the Ethics Commission and paperwork to file with the Secretary of State. But first, I wanted to speak with ExCandidate. I really needed to talk with someone who had actually done this, and I was very grateful that ExCandidate would take time out of his busy life to advise me. I respected him personally and professionally. His voice sounded weary when he began to speak. Although it had been some time since he had run, having to revisit the experience was not something he was very keen on doing.
Did I need a campaign manager? On this ExCandidate was clear: he found his experienced campaign manager a waste of money. "All he did was tell me to get signs made up, which is something I had already decided to do."
I wasn't planning on hiring a campaign manager, but it was good to hear him reaffirm my decision. My father-in-law had already offered to serve in that capacity! Although this would be a case of the "blind leading the blind", since he had even less political savvy than I had, he was a successful and brilliant businessman and I thought it would be fun to have him as my manager.
I specifically asked ExCandidate about the notorious nightmare of a software program candidates faced at the Ethics Commission. ExCandidate agreed that it was the worst! He suggested that, if possible, I try a system other than the one provided to candidates by the Ethics Commission, although he said that there were some complications in doing this and certainly a lot of expense.
Lastly ExCandidate suggested that I speak with Machiavelli. My ears perked up at that. I knew Machiavelli by reputation...mostly what I read in the papers. Machiavelli was out of my price range. End of subject.
I was glad I got to speak with ExCandidate as soon as I did, because almost immediately my email, my mailbox and my telephone began to overflow with messages, invitations and questionnaires. I began frenetically responding and writing back. My webmaster was hounding me for various items for my website. I had no money for the campaign because I couldn't open up a campaign bank account without a candidate ID number. That number would only come from the Secretary of State and the Secretary of State's office informed me that it was swamped with other candidates requesting IDs and that it might be a "month or so" before the number could be issued. This meant that the campaign would be over before I even got my number! I pointed this out and the lady at the Secretary of State's office told me that if I wanted a number right away, I had to drive to Sacramento and present myself and they would issue me a number on the spot. So I jumped into my car on that hot August day and made a quick round trip to Sacramento to retrieve the precious ID number.
My Wells Fargo branch had never opened a candidate account before. Considering that it was a new experience for them, they were pretty good about opening it for me. I transferred some money from our personal account into my candidate account. Finally I was in business.
When I wasn't dealing with all this, I was dealing with my daughter's imminent departure for college and our trip to Italy. My husband and I were leaving with her on Labor Day weekend to plant her at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. after which we were flying to Italy for a couple of weeks.
The phone rang and it was Deep Ballot, eager to know how I was doing. I told him a shorthand version of where I'd been and where I was going. "What in the h*ll were you doing in Sacramento?" I could never understand why someone like DB was asking me these questions. Didn't he know these things? Later I realized how few people make the last minute decision to run for office. Most candidates plan their campaigns months, if not years in advance. I was certainly doing it the hard way. DB was horrified to learn of our trip to Italy. He went on a tirade about a candidate he once knew who, in DB's opinion, blew his campaign by having the gall to travel to the Soviet Union as part of the U.S. ambassador's entourage during the heart of the campaign season. I explained that we would only be gone two weeks. DB said, "That's just when all the endorsements are being made." Talking with him made me realize that it could not all be done. Even planting our daughter was carving out important campaign time, but I sure as heck wasn't going to miss that. Reluctantly, I cancelled our precious trip to Italy, losing all our airfare and other miscellaneous expenses. [I won't ever fly British Air again. I didn't expect a refund, but I did expect a reasonable credit. I got neither.]
I also told DB about all the questionnaires I was filling out. "Don't spend much time on those" he scoffed. Really? I thought they were pretty important and I vowed to fill out any which I received. DB was also lukewarm on my website, which I felt was critical.
Then DB said, "Get out a pen and paper. I'm going to give you my contacts." He was dictating fast and I was scribbling away. It became clear that if I spoke to even half of those on DB's list I would do nothing else until election day! Toward the end he said, "OK, try Machiavelli." I told him Machiavelli was out of my price range. DB considered that reality. "Well, you have nothing to lose by calling him. Tell him I recommended you call him."
The phone continued to ring with invitations to forums from numerous groups. And then an odd thing happened. I was suddenly UNinvited to events I had agreed to attend. And all for a reason I considered outrageous.
Next: The invitations thicket; the questionnaire bramble; and Machiavelli.
Labels: SFUSD Politics
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