Sen. Higgins notes:
> RT, you really don't know how much money an elected
>official spends in those noncampaign years, communicating
>with constituents, buying ads in all those neighborhood
>newspapers, going to the rubber-chicken dinners that you must
>attend and pay for, and so on. And those things are NOT paid
>for by government funds, only your campaign funds. It's easy to
>spend $5000 to $10,000 to keep good communications going
>even if you do only one newsletter a year.
I agree with RT on this one.
If it's so important to let constituents know what is going on in
government - and improving such communication is a big issue for me - then
taxpayers should pay for such communication. It is a legitimate function of
government. I have had council members tell me they can't send a letter out
about an important neighborhood issue because they don't have enough in
their office budget, yet sometimes -- in the same month even - I get
beautiful two- or three-color publications from some of them touting their
(highly selective) accomplishments. Let's face it, this is more about
personal p.r. than "good communication," at least in the true public sense.
(Though I admit I have not seen Sen. Higgins' publications.)
I say raise the taxpayer-funded communication budget, with rules for
legitimately communicating meeting- and issue-awareness. If a
non-election-year fundraising ban means an elected official can't flack for
themselves, well, raise the money in an election year when it's time for
that. I for one would appreciate one to three "dark" years where elected
officials can't even think about contributors. Cleaner government is well
worth the drop in p.r.
As for newspaper ads, I am biting the hand that sometimes gives me snacks,
but...neighborhood papers can wait for election year until getting largesse
from those they cover. That's also cleaner.
Finally, I sympathize somewhat with Sen. Higgins on the rubber-chicken
thing, especially at a legislators' salary. But there, too, there could be
some small government per-diem or other account so that the public, not
contributors, pay for inexpensive elected-official meet-and-greets.
We Minneapolis residents deserve the cleanest election system in the state!
David Brauer
King Field - Ward 10
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