Post by Tim Collins on Jan 15, 2010 8:19:32 GMT -7
I was just listening to a report regarding the campaign funds raised by Sen. Hutchison and Gov. Perry for their race for the Governorship.
The report stated (in round numbers) that Sen. Hutchinson had raised around $6 million and Gov. Perry had raised around $7 million in the last 6 months. The Dallas Morning Star reports that the campaigns will spend $25 million EACH in their race for the Governorship.
( www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/DN-perry_13tex.ART.State.Edition1.4bf4fad.html )
Think about that for a moment. Each is expected to spend $25 million dollars to win a position that pays $150,000 a year. I thought about that for a moment, then my mind wandered in a different direction. What better uses could this money be put toward?
The politicians are going to use these funds to buy television, radio and newspaper advertisements, to print posters, to fund their campaign administrative and travel costs. Now admittedly that will flow to some degree through the local economies as they purchase these services.
How much more could these funds do?
If you had $6 million dollars available and put it into a 1 year CD earning a 1.91% APY (the best rate I could find on the internet after only about 10 second of searching) that money would earn roundly 114,600 in interest in a year. That works out to a monthly cash flow of $9,550.
Seems to me you could rent, equip and maintain a fully functioning office for that amount and make it available as a central administrative office for local charities to share. Think about that for a minute. How many charities could expand their reach if they did not have to worry about finding committed volunteers to fill that administrative role.
Alternatively,
How many shelter beds could it fund?
How many local medical clinics could it fund?
How many meals could it purchase?
How many...
... you get the idea.
It seems to me the greatest skill our career politicians have mastered is getting money from others, so they can keep their office. I don't know about you, but I would not be so against career politicians if instead of using this fund raising prowess for their own personal gain they actually used it to endow on going efforts directed at their constituent community's needs.
The report stated (in round numbers) that Sen. Hutchinson had raised around $6 million and Gov. Perry had raised around $7 million in the last 6 months. The Dallas Morning Star reports that the campaigns will spend $25 million EACH in their race for the Governorship.
( www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/DN-perry_13tex.ART.State.Edition1.4bf4fad.html )
Think about that for a moment. Each is expected to spend $25 million dollars to win a position that pays $150,000 a year. I thought about that for a moment, then my mind wandered in a different direction. What better uses could this money be put toward?
The politicians are going to use these funds to buy television, radio and newspaper advertisements, to print posters, to fund their campaign administrative and travel costs. Now admittedly that will flow to some degree through the local economies as they purchase these services.
How much more could these funds do?
If you had $6 million dollars available and put it into a 1 year CD earning a 1.91% APY (the best rate I could find on the internet after only about 10 second of searching) that money would earn roundly 114,600 in interest in a year. That works out to a monthly cash flow of $9,550.
Seems to me you could rent, equip and maintain a fully functioning office for that amount and make it available as a central administrative office for local charities to share. Think about that for a minute. How many charities could expand their reach if they did not have to worry about finding committed volunteers to fill that administrative role.
Alternatively,
How many shelter beds could it fund?
How many local medical clinics could it fund?
How many meals could it purchase?
How many...
... you get the idea.
It seems to me the greatest skill our career politicians have mastered is getting money from others, so they can keep their office. I don't know about you, but I would not be so against career politicians if instead of using this fund raising prowess for their own personal gain they actually used it to endow on going efforts directed at their constituent community's needs.