OVIEDO, Fla. January 15 2004–Michael Ertel, Republican candidate for Seminole County Supervisor of Elections, has kicked off his campaign in dramatic fashion by announcing that if elected, voters will be able to add their name to a county-wide “Do Not Call” list, targeted at curbing the invasive phone tactics of politicians and their campaigns.
The country’s “Do Not Call” registry, which is a vital part of the Federal Trade Commission’s Telemarketing Sales Rule, allows consumers to fend off the barrage of annoying phone calls from pushy salespeople. However, the Federal Trade Commission does not consider political endorsement “sales” calls to be telemarketing, and thus, is not subject to the law.
If elected, Ertel says his office will create a “Do Not Call” list that will be administered by the Supervisor of Elections office, and made available as a field in the county’s voter database. Candidates would not be legally obligated to comply with the voter’s wish to not be called, but the intention of the voter will certainly be known by candidates and politicians.
Ertel says, “the implementation and maintenance of the list will be simple for office to coordinate. Candidates who seek information about voters will know for certain if that voter would rather not be called. This list will shield voters from unwanted telephone calls and give candidates a clear direction as to how to communicate their message to the voters. It is a win-win for everyone involved. The end of intrusive, unwanted political solicitation is near.”
The conservative Republican says he expects,”there will be resistance to the plan by those who are either too lazy to implement new ideas, too involved with making money off campaigns, or too afraid to change the system on behalf of the voters.”
“While I’m not going to hang my hat on just this issue, the voters deserve a Supervisor of Elections who will serve as not only a fair arbiter of elections, but as an ombudsman for the voters. As the election comes nearer, my campaign will break new ground by defining the role of the Supervisor of Elections as an administrator and an activist.”
BIO– Michael Ertel, 34, is the President of Inform Inspire Involve, Inc., an outcome-based communications company. Ertel, has been in public information for 11 years, serving as a military spokesperson during the Los Angeles Riots and Bosnia operations. He came home to Central Florida working in media relations for Orange County, Florida and later formed the public information function at Seminole County government. Before starting Inform Inspire Involve, he was the director of communications for a 185-location bank. Ertel has spoken at various venues, including as a featured speaker at the International Conference on Communications Measurement held in London. In 2003, PR News magazine selected Ertel as one of America’s rising PR stars by awarding him the coveted 15 to Watch Award. He is president-elect of the Orlando chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.
Ertel has been active in the Republican Party his whole life and volunteered on every Republican presidential campaign since 1980 (minus ‘92 and ‘96 when he was in the military). He is the former Secretary of the Republican Party of Seminole County. In 2002 he was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush to the Seminole County Housing Authority, where he is now vice-chairman. Ertel is the media chair for the Florida Federation of Young Republicans. He also serves on the board of directors of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America’s Seminole County branches.
He is a native of Casselberry, FL, attended the University of Maryland and has completed program work on community consensus building (How to Deal with an Angry Public) at Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation. He and his wife Suzanne enjoy jazz music, classic films and travel.
Pd. Pol. Ad.by the Michael Ertel for Seminole County Supervisor of Elections campaign — Approved by Michael Ertel (R)
Author: Anonymous
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