money-is-the-root-of-all-art Ron English, Money is the Root of All Art, 1994
Presidential Campaign Finance: Contributions to ALL Candidates
As of May 5th, 2012, over $419,000,000 (that is 419 MILLION US dollars) has been contributed to all candidates to run for the position of the President of the USA. Combined, not just one party, so I am not playing favorites here.
$419,000,000
Instead of bombarding us with ads and campaigning, wouldn’t it be lovely if that amount of money went somewhere else…oh, like say create or keep 8,038 teaching jobs (at $50,000 for the school year) for one year, or over 11,000 jobs paying as low as $35,000 a year?
Yeah, drop in the bucket, one may say…but to those 8,000 to 11,000? No, it would be a big deal.
Hard to judge who should get it, where it should go, etc etc etc…yes, it is, especially with so many out of work: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics:
- Household Survey Data
- Both the number of unemployed persons (12.5 million) and the unemployment rate (8.1 percent) changed little in April
Splitting all that money amongst all unemployed would only garner a check for $35.52. Not much of a help for anyone (well, for someone starving…).
I would rather see that money at least go to something good, something that would be helping others.
I would rather the President’s $191,000.000 fund education, or the Arts (yes, my personal bias: those in the arts need to live too), medical/health care, anti-violence/hate crime programs, the elderly, or something that would help other people. Better that then take up advertising time, spin negative ads against Romney, and such.
THAT would be the person I want running this country. Raise money from those who are fighting being taxed fairly and use that money for the common good.
No religious, political or personal agenda: just helping others.
May 13, 2012 @ 09:32:02
Election finance reform is the key issue in restoring trust in US politics I believe. Currently it takes so much money to run in the US that only very rich people or people that owe a lot of favours to very rich people and corporations are viable as candidates. It’s a very important but unsexy political issue that does not get talked about enough. In other parts of the world it IS still possible for an ordinary person to run a successful political campaign with contributions only from regular folks in their jurisdiction who back what they believe in.
I support funding for the Arts but I wouldn’t dissuade any artist from making a contribution to a political party or candidate. Afterall, it is the political world that decides on public funding for the arts directly and indirectly, as well as the tone of the society that the arts functions within. I remember many years ago when I was recruited to work on my first campaign that my answer was, “oh politics are so negative and dirty, I don’t think I want to get involved. It is just not my thing.” The woman candidate asking for my help said, “Linda, if everyone like you keeps thinking that and never gets involved, how is it ever going to change for the better?” (We won that campaign and I served as her community organizer for 5 years.)
May 13, 2012 @ 09:39:22
Thanks for the thoughtful comment, Linda.
May 17, 2012 @ 15:45:30
Things on my dream list: Lobbyists out of politics for good and their loopholes cemented shut, electoral college finally closed for business, AND rich boy mentality of only ‘we’, (the very rich), can run this country right getting bickybucked out the door idea-wise. Give me a hard-workin’ middle-income person that’s been making ends meet for twenty years no matter their employment status and I’ll vote for them diggetydarnquick.
Great post as always.