Campaign Finance in SE Texas

Author’s note: Sorry for the hiatus. I’ve had my quarterly battle to log in to my blogs. Between that and Christmas… well I have a life.

While driving home from work today I noticed something. I think it was there before Christmas, but I didn’t pay any attention to it then. Mainly because I only see it on the way home from work and I’m usually pretty beat and just making it home is a small miracle. However, it caught my eye today. It’s a billboard. A big one and in a pretty good spot on hwy 73 westbound. It’s an ad for one my potential opponents (I say potential because the primaries haven’t happened yet). I think his name was Johnson (forgive me if I’m wrong, it’s a Friday).

Anyway, out of curiosity, I did a few seconds of research no billboard advertising and found that it can run from $700to $2500 a month for a billboard. Holy crap, I thought, that’s a lot of money. Assuming it runs until November, say 10 months (for the ease of math) that’s $7000 to $25,000 for that single advertisement.

Now, I have to ask myself (I’ve taken Economics), Why would someone pay that kind of money for one billboard? The reason is simple, they are expecting a return on that investment. After all Jeffco Commissioners make upwards of $85,000 a year, plus a car and, I believe, a phone allowance. That’s not a bad investment. But he is expecting a return on that money, not in votes, but in monetary terms (or power which some believe to be a higher currency than money).

I’m the breadwinner in a single income family (my wife is in graduate school) with a 12 month old son. I’m running my campaign… well… for nothing. If I had a spare dime, then my net worth would be about $0.10.  That single ad would be about 25% of my yearly income.

But you say, what about campaign contributions? Well, let’s apply that Economics again. Say for example that someone gives a political candidate $10,000 for his campaign. Guess what, that contributer is expecting a return on his investment too. It might be just ideological beliefs in common, or it could be “Hey, remember when I gave you $10,000? Well, I need a favor…”

In my opinion, a politician with contributers is bought, at best rented for one important issue. Personally, I refuse to exchange my principles for a batch of signs planted in people’s yards. I may not win, but I can say that I tried on my own merit and not have something bought for me. I can also look at any topic that comes up and say “What is best for the county?” instead of “Would that help me fulfill an obligations that I might have to others?”

Some people (probably most) will call my position on this naive. Fine, I’m naive, I’m an idealist. I’m crazy too. I’m me and I can live with that. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I knew that I had been bought.

P.S. I’ve gotten a few comments. Thank you everyone. I hope you keep reading. If you like what you hear, please tell someone else who lives in Precinct 3 about me.