Do away with Campaign Contributions All Together!

[residentofcre]

I was at a meeting the other night and someone said that it would probably cost $40,000.00 to win a seat as Commissioner in Calvert County this year.

This makes no sense to me. The job only pays $36,000 a year. Why on earth would anyone want to spend $40,000?

It sounds curiouser and curiouser to me. People are spending $3.00 a gallon for gas, SMECO and BG&E are hiking the price of electric, the cost of everything, including milk and bread will have to go up. Where is the honest citizen of Calvert County, or anywhere in Southern Maryland for that matter, going to get money to fork over for someone's campaign war chest?

I want to be a Commissioner but I just can't and won't sell my sole for it.

I would feel guilty asking any family to do without!

Why do we need $40,000?

Why can't we say we will need 40,000 votes? I would prefer to send out postcards to the people in Calvert County. If they like what I stand for, they could hang the postcard in their car or in their picture window to show support and then vote for me. If they have questions, the postcard would have my email or mail address and phone number so they could ask me how I feel on matters close to their heart.

Wouldn't that be better?

 

[vraiblonde]

Where is the honest citizen of Calvert County, or anywhere in Southern Maryland for that matter, going to get money to fork over for someone's campaign war chest?

You must be new at this.

You're supposed to hold fundraisers and appeal to businesses so they'll cough up to get you elected. The money you raise will be used for advertising and other promotionals in order to get your name out and make people aware you exist.

I would prefer to send out postcards to the people in Calvert County. If they like what I stand for, they could hang the postcard in their car or in their picture window to show support and then vote for me. If they have questions, the postcard would have my email or mail address and phone number so they could ask me how I feel on matters close to their heart.

This still costs money.

 

[kwillia]

I would prefer to send out postcards to the people in Calvert County. If they like what I stand for, they could hang the postcard in their car or in their picture window to show support and then vote for me. If they have questions, the postcard would have my email or mail address and phone number so they could ask me how I feel on matters close to their heart.

Wouldn't that be better?

Part of the "$40,000" they speak of would be the costs associated with printing up, mailing, handling these cards to everyone in Calvert. So would the expenses associated with receiving and handling the responses. It all adds up and adds up quickly.

 

[residentofcre]

I put up my own money and I have had some contributions. I could afford a mailer.

Business owners are facing higher costs too. This is not a great time for anyone's budget.

It seems to me that responsible candidates should be looking for a better way to make this work.

I have been tracking my own fuel costs [going to meetings etc]. I just hate to ask small businesses or families to do without....

Maybe I am being too compassionate.

 

[kwillia]

I put up my own money and I have had some contributions. I could afford a mailer.

Business owners are facing higher costs too. This is not a great time for anyone's budget.

It seems to me that responsible candidates should be looking for a better way to make this work.

I have been tracking my own fuel costs [going to meetings etc]. I just hate to ask small businesses or families to do without....

Maybe I am being too compassionate.

I'm confused as to the purpose of your thread... I don't think anyone can stop you from running if you spend less than 40k on your campaign... if you think you can successfully campaign on less then go for it and prove them wrong...:shrug:

 

[JPC, Sr.]

Faith Without Works is Dead.

I think the $40,000. is just a way to scare the competition away.

Calvert County is much like St. Mary's County in that everyone that votes read the local newspaper and a $1,000. budget will go a very long way in newspaper ads in Calvert. If a candidate has something to say then the voters will get the message.

I even found that the big money people spend the $40,000. plus, on things like a full time campaign headquarters and a secretary and office equipment and T.V. ads. It is all pompous money with no substance.

 

[vraiblonde]

I even found that the big money people spend the $40,000. plus, on things like a full time campaign headquarters and a secretary and office equipment and T.V. ads. It is all pompous money with no substance.

We shall see if you're correct here in a few months.

And if you ARE correct, you better tell all the candidates for national office because they're putting together war chests like you wouldn't even believe.

 

[JPC, Sr.]

Faith Without Works is Dead.

We shall see if you're correct here in a few months.

And if you ARE correct, you better tell all the candidates for national office because they're putting together war chests like you wouldn't even believe.

Well I was only refering to St. Mary's and Calvert County's politics. The National offices do need more money.

 

[JPC, Sr.]

Faith Without Works is Dead.

I put up my own money and I have had some contributions. I could afford a mailer.

Business owners are facing higher costs too. This is not a great time for anyone's budget.

It seems to me that responsible candidates should be looking for a better way to make this work.

I have been tracking my own fuel costs [going to meetings etc]. I just hate to ask small businesses or families to do without....

Maybe I am being too compassionate.

Another aspect that I find relevant is that most voters do not decide how they will vote until the final weeks or last days before the election. This is really important for any campaign whether it be for President of the U.S. or local elections.

This year's 2006 primaries are not until late summer on September 12th, and before these primaries the League of Women Voters have a platform for all candidates and it is THE BIG event, and there will be other activities near that time too so now is far too early to be spending the budget up but now is the time to wait and plan and prepare while saving the hard campaigning till August - September and that is when one gets the best chance at winning, and without spending the small fortune like 40 grand.

 

[Bruzilla]

I should think that you would only need $40k if you're going to run a lazy man's election, i.e., sitting around doing mailings and trying to buy ad space and time. In a small countywide election why not get off your ass and run the way your more creative predecessors ran? How did people win elections before TV? They went door to door, they met with civic groups, they had townhall meetings at schools, churches, and anywhere else they could find a group of people. You could accomplish all of that with little more than gas money, and I think it would be a lot more effective then spending money on stupid mailers that no one reads.

 

[residentofcre]

I should think that you would only need $40k if you're going to run a lazy man's election, i.e., sitting around doing mailings and trying to buy ad space and time. In a small countywide election why not get off your ass and run the way your more creative predecessors ran? How did people win elections before TV? They went door to door, they met with civic groups, they had townhall meetings at schools, churches, and anywhere else they could find a group of people. You could accomplish all of that with little more than gas money, and I think it would be a lot more effective then spending money on stupid mailers that no one reads.

Yeah... now that's what I'm talking about!

Why should a candidate ask families to support them for an office when the candidate is not willing to work first.

I have been going out in public, handing out my card with my web address on it. I have been talking to people, asking them for permission to hand them my card. Once I tell them that I am running for office, I am willing to discuss issues if they want to.

It's early in the campaign at this point, so I think we [the candidates] should be learning what people want us to work on. The time I spend with people [regardless of their voter status at this point] is a valuable training tool for later. Isn't that what the candidates use to do before TV?

I don't understand why some of the local candidates are putting a price on the election!

 

[vraiblonde]

The fact is, whoever gets their name out there the most will win the election. Billboards, roadsigns, traditional advertising - you have to pound it home so that when voters are confronted with a ballot full of names, they'll pick you out of the lineup of Ds and Rs.

We call it the "McDonalds method".

The other method is to be first on the ballot. If you want to be on the Democratic Central Committee, change your name to Anthony Aardvark and you're a shoo-in. That's the truth.

 

[dems4me]

If you want to be on the Democratic Central Committee, change your name to Anthony Aardvark and you're a shoo-in. That's the truth.

Sad but true

 

[residentofcre]

Wouldn't it be better to write in forums like this or into the newspapers to get your name on people's lips?

That on top of door to door work should work right?

 

[bresamil]

Wouldn't it be better to write in forums like this or into the newspapers to get your name on people's lips?

That on top of door to door work should work right?

That's not working so well for JPC.

 

[vraiblonde]

That on top of door to door work should work right?

We'll find out here in a few months. However, history is not on your side. Typically it's the person who runs the high-profile campaign who wins, not the one who does it on the cheap. Name recognition is everything.

 

[residentofcre]

Oh... I don't mean to be cheap....

I mean to be understanding about the realities of the crisis we are all facing right now.

If I believe in myself, which I do, then I should support my own campaign.

If I say I will work for Calvert County, then I should be out there going to meetings and door to door asking for the vote. I'm doing that and will continue to do so.

Make no mistake, please, that if someone [reputable] were to offer to make a contribution, I would take it. To me that is their way of saying they support my stand and would like to see me make it through the primary and win the general.

I will spend every penny I can... I just can't see begging families or small business when they are dealing with sky-high fuel and energy prices.

I don't think anyone should be able to buy an election. It's just not right.... I know they do... but they shouldn't be able to....

 

[vraiblonde]

I just can't see begging families or small business when they are dealing with sky-high fuel and energy prices.

I view this differently than you do.

I think that if businesses and individuals believe in you, they should want to help you get elected because it will benefit them. Someone (I think it was FromTexas) noted in a different thread that people will sit and complain about the high cost of fuel, then turn around and spend $5 for a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

If you could get 1000 people to give you their Starbucks money for the day, that would be $5000 that you could spend getting the word out about your campaign platform. It's up to you to convince 1000 people that you will benefit them more as a Commissioner than that one day's worth of coffee will.

 

[residentofcre]

Now that makes sense....

Starbucks is definitely a luxury... unlike fuel, milk, bread, or a happy meal!

You many have single handedly won my campaign for me...

 

[vraiblonde]

You many have single handedly won my campaign for me...

You still need to get your name out there.

It's like that Wig Man guy that's running for Governor. He doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning, but he'll get more votes than he really should just because you remember his name once you hear it, plus he got a story in the Post because of his gimmick.