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BeFranklin
12-04-2007, 01:14 PM
http://www.dailyadvance.com/local/content/news/stories/2007/12/03/1204ronpauljh.html

By JOHN HENDERSON

One of the largest blimps in the world will be launched in Weeksville on Monday promoting Republican Ron Paul’s presidential bid.

The blimp tour supporting the Texas congressman’s presidential campaign is slated to formally kick off next week out of Airship Management Services’ office in Weeksville.
http://img.coxnewsweb.com/B/08/95/38/image_6238958.jpg
Ronpaulblimp.com states that the inaugural launch of the ship is slated for 8 a.m.

It will cost Paul supporters $350,000 a month to lease the blimp from AMS, a Connecticut-based company with a satellite location in Weeksville, where blimps are stored and maintained. Company president George Spyrou said this is the first time a presidential campaign has been promoted on a blimp.

Spyrou said the blimp has been used in previous advertising campaigns including Pepsi, Fuji film and Ameriquest mortgage services. A company sister ship was flown over the Olympic games in Athens in 2004.

Spyrou said that Paul supporters have the blimp reserved on a month-to-month basis, and could be leased out up to a year, if necessary.“Ron Paul supporters seem to be from a very enthusiastic part of the world,” Spyrou said. The blimp is 200 feet long with a volume of 240,000 cubic feet. “The cabin part is the largest in America,” he said. “The balloon part is the same size as the Goodyear blimp.”

Paul’s supporters have been soliciting contributions to sponsor the aerial campaign. Their web page, ronpaulblimp.com, states that $51,875 has been collected as of 2:33 p.m. on Monday. [more]

(FYI: Its up to around $100,000 right now)

This is huge! Look at the size of that thing :)

sirachman
12-04-2007, 01:18 PM
With all the press this has been getting without ever even getting off the ground yet I am hopeful that it will actually take off.

Good luck! Bring a new element into the race for president! Bring on the blimp, bring back the blimp!!

ItsTime
12-04-2007, 01:20 PM
It is NOT a donation. Please stop the false advertising. This type of thread could get Trevor sued.


Edit: Thank you for changing the title.

BeFranklin
12-04-2007, 01:25 PM
It is NOT a donation. Please stop the false advertising. This type of thread could get Trevor sued.


Edit: Thank you for changing the title.

No problem. But I don't think Trevor is worried about that that much with FOUR lawyers on his legal team, including the former head of the FEC and a free speech lawyer!!!!

Bradley Smith
Columbus OH
Former Director, Federal Election Commission
Outside Counsel

Jim Fosbinder
Wailuku HI
First Amendment Attorney
Outside Counsel

Jerry Collette
Asheville NC
Paralegal/Entrepreneur
Manager of Company and Legal Team

Joe Amidon
Candler NC
Retired Attorney
Assistant Manager of Company

CelestialRender
12-04-2007, 01:26 PM
Thanks for changing the title BeFranklin. A little discretion goes a long way. : )

fireworks_god
12-04-2007, 01:28 PM
Darn dude, if only they might cut their salaries dramatically, and reasonably, so that people would actually donate to make it happen.

michaelwise
12-04-2007, 01:33 PM
Blimp it to me!

xexkxex
12-04-2007, 01:33 PM
It is NOT a donation. Please stop the false advertising. This type of thread could get Trevor sued.


You are correct, is not a donation. It is a purchase.

But to be factually accurate... he, nor anyone in the company, can not be sued given that all of this is detailed on the RonPaulBlimp.com site.

The company would not be liable for what some random person said on some random site on the net, nor anywhere else. It is up to the person, who makes the purchase, to read the terms of the purchase.

That being said, I would encourage everyone to represent the Ron PaulBlimp.com site as it is represented in the terms that are presented on the site.

We would not want people to feel as if they were lied to once they read the terms and finds that what they were told was not rue.

:)


Darn dude, if only they might cut their salaries dramatically, and reasonably, so that people would actually donate to make it happen.

They did......Read up.

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=46456

RobS
12-04-2007, 01:33 PM
Is that an actual picture of OUR blimp? Or is it just a stock photo?

UtahApocalypse
12-04-2007, 01:36 PM
I wouldn't give $0.10 cents to this project. Its just a opportunistic money grab thats bull crap.

xexkxex
12-04-2007, 01:36 PM
Is that an actual picture of OUR blimp? Or is it just a stock photo?

Actual.:D


Staff photo by justin fallsA grass-roots organization backing Republican Congressman Ron Paul\u2019s bid for president says this airship, shown here Monday tethered outside Airship Management Services\u2019 hangar in Weeksville, will be used to promote Paul\u2019s campaign. The blimp will be flown over New Hampshire and other early primary states, ronpaulblimp.com says.

JordanL
12-04-2007, 01:37 PM
Darn dude, if only they might cut their salaries dramatically, and reasonably, so that people would actually donate to make it happen.

They already cut them in half, which is quite a lot when you consider that the dollar has been tanking... something our candidate talks about frequently.

BeFranklin
12-04-2007, 01:37 PM
Darn dude, if only they might cut their salaries dramatically, and reasonably, so that people would actually donate to make it happen.

They already did yesterday.

Its actually magnificent how much people are contributing time to this and not just money! Ie the legal team and blimp company is a lot less than they could get, the volunteer positions. With people having to fly out to even work on this, its AMAZING they can run this so small over the cost of the blimp!!!

BeFranklin
12-04-2007, 01:39 PM
I wouldn't give $0.10 cents to this project. Its just a opportunistic money grab thats bull crap.

Than don't give even ten cents to it.

However, when it flies over Times Square, I'm going to be celebrating!!! :):)

xexkxex
12-04-2007, 01:44 PM
I wouldn't give $0.10 cents to this project. Its just a opportunistic money grab thats bull crap.

Sounds like someone needs a hug. :D

I'll donate $25 for you right now....see. Now everything is as it should be. :)

JeffersonThomas
12-04-2007, 01:46 PM
I can see how some are a little annoyed that this isn't entirely volunteer, but I still think it's a great idea. For me it was totally the unorthodox campaigning of supporters that made me want to know about Ron Paul. I think the blimp is going to get a lot of people to go "Wow! Whoever this Ron Paul guy is he's worth a couple minutes on google if supporters will put up signs all over town every weekend and fly a blimp." At the very least it's totally different from what any other campaign could come close to and I think it will generate a good amount of media coverage.
Bump :)

nlke182
12-04-2007, 01:47 PM
This flying over during new years eve in Time square and Boston during the teaparty is going to be huge. You can't ignore a mother flipping blimp.

xexkxex
12-04-2007, 01:49 PM
Sounds like someone needs a hug. :D

I'll donate $25 for you right now....see. Now everything is as it should be. :)

Fnck it...I made it $100 so it would push it to $90,000.

:D

BeFranklin
12-04-2007, 01:51 PM
Fnck it...I made it $100 so it would push it to $90,000.

:D

Thanks, I've been waiting for the total to turn :) lol :D

xexkxex
12-04-2007, 01:56 PM
Thanks, I've been waiting for the total to turn :) lol :D

Looks like it is taking a bit for it to register...:(

No worries, I'm sure it will show....I get paid tomorrow and will drop my pledge then as promised.

I just didn't want UtahApocalypse to give up his $0.10.... :D

I LOVE THE BLIMP!:D

Primbs
12-04-2007, 02:03 PM
I hope we reach 100K by the end of the day.

"The best luck of all is the luck you make for yourself."

Douglas MacArthur

BeFranklin
12-04-2007, 02:04 PM
Looks like it is taking a bit for it to register...:(

No worries, I'm sure it will show....I get paid tomorrow and will drop my pledge then as promised.

I just didn't want UtahApocalypse to give up his $0.10.... :D

I LOVE THE BLIMP!:D

Bing! Popped over. :) I had to wait more than five minutes for one of my donations the other day. :)

Now we need just 10k to make 100k.. anyone? :)

Jagwarr
12-04-2007, 02:04 PM
I hope we reach 100K by the end of the day.



We? Is Trevor there with you?

BeFranklin
12-04-2007, 02:06 PM
We? Is Trevor there with you?

I think he meant we as the people buying the advertising.

BeFranklin
12-04-2007, 02:15 PM
This flying over during new years eve in Time square and Boston during the teaparty is going to be huge. You can't ignore a mother flipping blimp.

Thats what I'm think :) It might have some added benefits too, hence why I think the free speech lawyer and former FEC attorney (who wrote a book on free-ing up the campaign process) are interested.

Yep, this could do a lot of good.

BeFranklin
12-04-2007, 02:43 PM
Keep contributing!!! We need to break a hundred thousand by this five!!

ColinCohen
12-04-2007, 03:07 PM
Did you guys read the flight plan -- it'll be over Times Square on New Year's Eve. Priceless.

It would be cool if -- when in NH -- it just followed McCain wherever he went.

seapilot
12-04-2007, 03:42 PM
Wall street journal just mentioned the blimp. This will go viral in the media when it starts to fly.

vroomery
12-04-2007, 03:55 PM
just a thought guys...is it really a good idea to drop tea from the blimp on the 16th? I mean i know RP already has the MSM making up crap to discredidit him, but does we need to give them criminal reason to boot?

BIG_J
12-04-2007, 04:02 PM
lmao...whiskey tango foxtrot...

It's not going to be a truckload of tea. I'm not quite sure what you're imagining?

It's symbolic. Chill.

davidt!
12-04-2007, 04:03 PM
Awesome! Heading over to doate.

vroomery
12-04-2007, 04:06 PM
lmao...whiskey tango foxtrot...

It's not going to be a truckload of tea. I'm not quite sure what you're imagining?

It's symbolic. Chill.

haha bro i'm just sayin...i mean in all fairness...this grassroots campaign is really really good at overdoing things so i wouldn't put it past us to drop a whole crap load of tea haha...you have to admit it is a very ron paul grassroots like thing to do

EvoPro
12-04-2007, 04:40 PM
I thought we were dumping a bunch of FRNs in. :)

RonPaulVolunteer
12-04-2007, 05:01 PM
This is getting great media attention...

Johncjackson
12-04-2007, 05:08 PM
I don't have much of an opinion on the whole salary issue.

But for people saying its a "money grab"- if that were the case I would think they would actually take salaries worth taking. I am pretty sure the average college ( maybe even high school) dropout makes more money than the salaries posted. Heck, I made more money in my summer job in high school. And the salary they are offering in "Help Wanted" is probably about half what an entry level person could get at a regular job.

cmosmiller
12-04-2007, 05:10 PM
i hope this idea works! i think it's awesome!

speciallyblend
12-04-2007, 08:42 PM
I love the BLIMP, my pledges will be paid on friday;) ooo i cant wait for this blimp,we need to call HQ and demand they purchase time as well we can have this blimp paid for by this weekend if HQ jumps aboard. they can purchase to,let them cover the rest or most of it and then we the people can donate more on dec 16th;) but the press coverage will pay for itself the first 10 minutes on the ground,actually in coverage its already paid for itself before it left the ground, LETS DO THIS

THANK YOU TREVOR and also thanks Elijah,i told you keep head up and kee[p pushing and IT WOULD HAPPEN trevor and elijah,let me know when your ready to come ski ok;) colorado mtns

BeFranklin
12-04-2007, 08:47 PM
Wall Street article briefly mentions blimp

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119672794515312455.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Nefertiti
12-04-2007, 09:06 PM
From Google cache, for total transparency:

# Brad Smith - Former FEC chairman and one of the leading election lawyers in the country.

* $10,000 retainer
* $500 hour

He didn't want this posted.

It's interesting, the Google cache has all the ones who are now making $500 a week making $1000 a week. Why did they cut their pay? Did they realize that they were trying to make more than they were worth in the world of campaigning?

I love the idea of the blimp itself, but I think we are stepping into new uncharted territory with this for-profit campaign company, and I sincerely hope that the whole thing doesn't blow up in our face and generate bad publicity. I have to wonder whether raising $4.2 million in one day didn't inflate someone's head and ego like a blimp.

BeFranklin
12-04-2007, 09:11 PM
ABC and Radar Magazine (AOL) have already scheduled to be at launch.

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=47268

CurtisLow
12-04-2007, 09:18 PM
That is going to be the flight path of the blimp? Over city's?

ggibson1
12-04-2007, 09:27 PM
I wouldn't give $0.10 cents to this project. Its just a opportunistic money grab thats bull crap.

$500 a week is NOTHING...

They are looking for a web developer for $500/week full time... good luck with that.. a good American developer will run through $500 in about 13 hours. I guess they could out source it to India...

I cant believe people would say such things... I guess if you live off $50 a week it would appear to be a money grab...

ggibson1
12-04-2007, 09:34 PM
From Google cache, for total transparency:

# Brad Smith - Former FEC chairman and one of the leading election lawyers in the country.

* $10,000 retainer
* $500 hour

He didn't want this posted.

It's interesting, the Google cache has all the ones who are now making $500 a week making $1000 a week. Why did they cut their pay? Did they realize that they were trying to make more than they were worth in the world of campaigning?

I love the idea of the blimp itself, but I think we are stepping into new uncharted territory with this for-profit campaign company, and I sincerely hope that the whole thing doesn't blow up in our face and generate bad publicity. I have to wonder whether raising $4.2 million in one day didn't inflate someone's head and ego like a blimp.

People such as yourself were actually actively harming this attempt to help get Ron Paul elected... so they cut it under duress... it is a real shame... $500/week is hardly anything for full time.

BeFranklin
12-04-2007, 09:39 PM
ABC and Radar Magazine (AOL) have already scheduled to be at launch.

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=47268

I think we can get a lot more press then that at just the launch, Let alone all the stuff afterwards.

We need to get the donations in quicker so the press has time to learn about it.

conner_condor
12-04-2007, 09:52 PM
You think we could fly over a few MSM outlets and when some anchors leave ,piss out of the windows of the blimp??:D

CurtisLow
12-04-2007, 10:03 PM
$500 a week is NOTHING...

They are looking for a web developer for $500/week full time... good luck with that.. a good American developer will run through $500 in about 13 hours. I guess they could out source it to India...

I cant believe people would say such things... I guess if you live off $50 a week it would appear to be a money grab...

$350,000 a month to lease the blimp

Whats $500 for? I also think it's a waste of money. Should be sending that money to Iowa and NH where the ground pounders could use it.

Anyway good luck with it!

Nefertiti
12-04-2007, 10:11 PM
People such as yourself were actually actively harming this attempt to help get Ron Paul elected... so they cut it under duress... it is a real shame... $500/week is hardly anything for full time.

Oh please, I have no problem with a blimp itself. I love the idea of the blimp, for maybe one week or a day over a high profile event like the Superbowl. But I question its value in the long run.

Don't compare campaign salaries with salaries in other fields. Go look at the FEC filings and you will see that $500 a week is very much in keeping if not a bit inflated for the jobs that they have compared to paid campaign staffers. And whether this single blimp requires a paid staff of this size is questionable too. And please posting one's picture and name all over the site is simply a way for them to drum up future, more lucrative employment.

Fame and sudden success can go to some peoples' heads and they immediately start to think very highly of themselves. There are lots of Ron Paul supporters out there every week campaigning for him for free on top of actually working other jobs for a living. They aren't expecting $500 a week salaries nor are they quitting their jobs and asking for $5 chipins to get them to NH. I find this recent trend, which has started in the last week or two to be a bit disturbing.

If they want to start a for-profit campaign, I have the right to say that I think their services aren't something I feel deserves the money and I don't want to pay them. That's the beauty of the free market that Ron Paul so much believes in.

ValidusCustodiae
12-04-2007, 10:46 PM
This is the coolest thing ever. I live 45 mins drive away from launch site.

My whole meetup and lots of other meetups are going to be there.

This is PHENOMENAL.

All the naysayers, I hope you're enjoying your crow.

This article was indeed in the Daily Advance! =)

Politeia
12-04-2007, 10:50 PM
From Google cache, for total transparency:

# Brad Smith - Former FEC chairman and one of the leading election lawyers in the country.
* $10,000 retainer
* $500 hour

He didn't want this posted.

Hmm, interesting; the last time I looked at the Blimp site that was the information posted. Now it says:


Brad Smith - Former FEC chairman and one of the leading election lawyers in the country.
Brad Smith has asked us to remove his fee amounts from the Internet. We will, of course, make those number available to the audit committee. Our manager, Jerry Collette, http://www.inspirationparalegal.com/legal_services_management.html manages attorneys for a living. He assures us that Brad Smith is worth every dime he costs us and is looking forward to giving him much more work on our behalf.

Exactly what does this [expletive deleted] do that's worth a "retainer" (which I gather is money up front for no work at all, just to have his magical name on the site?) that's about what I live on for a year?

Sure, a guy who "manages attorneys for a living" is going to tell us his client is "worth every dime". They're members of the same club, after all. Apparently the Blimp is so legally vulnerable that it has to allocate a sizable portion of its total budget simply to protection money? Of course, I'm sure they'd love to have "much more work on our behalf" -- at $500/hour, who wouldn't?

When I first saw this blimp idea being discussed, I really liked it. Everyone loves a blimp, right? And, having graduated from left-liberal to libertarian over a quarter-century ago, I have no problem with the for-profit, free-market model, which actually seems a rather clever way to get around all the bureaucracy.

And I had no great problem with the $1000/week salaries for the principals, once I thought a little about how the currency has been inflated. I'm assuming they'll be working much more than 40 hours per week, and they have to live on something.

But to see the people who're actually doing the work take a 50% pay cut while this parasite is still getting a lump sum equal to 20 X what they'll earn (as in receive as compensation for real energy expended, a.k.a. work) per week -- just for being a [connected, I assume?] lawyer...

Not being financially flush, I don't up and donate to every chip-in I see here. I take my time to get a strong feeling about a project before contributing. I've been contributing an occasional mite to Ron Paul since 1981 (as my only representative in the District of Criminals), I've contributed to the Campaign this summer, I contributed to the Ames Mosaic ad and November 5th, and I was working myself up to contributing to the Blimp.

But the thought that my $100 (which will buy me at least a couple weeks of food) will cover only one percent of this apparently indispensible (?) staff member's "retainer" -- before we even get to the $500 he charges per hour (i.e. 168 times the "salary" paid to the people actually doing the work) ... well, shall I say, my enthusiasm has been considerably dampened.

And now this smiling (I can certainly guess why) parasite in his multi-thousand-dollar suit doesn't want us chumps to know what he's being paid? Hasn't even the balls necessary to fess up to how he's gouging us?

When I met Ron Paul in 1988, I realized that he was the first "politician" I'd ever heard of who I'd be pleased to invite into my home. Any other I'd stop at the property line, as I would any liar or thief. Well, there's a reason why (last I heard) 98 out of a hundred U.S. Senators are lawyers. And I wouldn't have any of them in my home.

I don't know how much Vijay Boyapatti was making at Google (probably less than $500/hour), but I note he quit his job to work for Ron Paul. So far as I know, Michael Maresco isn't getting paid anything for pushing a bicycle + a 75-pound trailer 3000 miles. It's this kind of dedication by Ron Paul supporters that really inspires others to add their efforts.

And again, I have no problem with people who do good work in this cause making a decent living while doing it. But why do we have to support the very parasite class that's been living off the sweat of honest working people for so long?

Perhaps someone can explain this to me?

JacobLyles
12-04-2007, 11:00 PM
Don't want to get sued, son. And not everybody has Google options to live off of.

ionlyknowy
12-04-2007, 11:03 PM
This is exactly what happened with the Obama LA guy that switched to Ron Paul.

He claimed that before he left the group he had put together, was being really nasty... and everyone started using the political campaign to improve their social popularity..

We need to stop these accusations before they undermine this campaign.

Who cares if someone else is getting media attention for these grassroots efforts...
Do you not want Paul to win? Is your jealousy and ego more important.

So what if someone is getting paid to pursue this project. Mitt Romney is paying people to vote in straw polls... Plus the amount of money we are paying the staff is very reasonable. Yes it could be less, but it is by no means unreasonable.

Stop being jealous and make this happen for RP.. do you even realize what this could do for the campaign. Just that alone should make you want to donate.

I will. Because I am a selfless humble person that wants RP to win. I think RP would advocate the same behavior.

Politeia
12-04-2007, 11:13 PM
Don't want to get sued, son.

So it is just protection money? One way you can tell is it has to be "off the books", out of the public eye. Everyone pretends. I forget what they call it in China -- money paid to the right people in the power structure to avoid being hassled. That's what it looks like to me. And, frankly, the idea that my money is going for an extorted bribe -- rather than a blimp -- does not have a lot of charm.

BTW, before you address someone as "son", you might first determine that you're enough older to justify it. I might accept that from Ron Paul, since he's a little older than I am, but I don't particularly care for it from strangers.


And not everybody has Google options to live off of.

I sure don't. Do you? Who are you referring to?

bolidew
12-04-2007, 11:29 PM
Let the blimp fly! :)