Bridge Collapse

[DanaC]

Appreciate in America that many politicians don't even spend as much time as lawmakers. Well over 50% of a major (full time) politician's time is spent on fund raising. Numbers once were something like $30,000 every day for 365 days just to get reelected. Where do you find enough generous people every day to give you $30,000? I believe that number may be 10 years old. Of course the number is less for local officials. But still, even some judges must have their hand out daily so as to run for reelection.

In local politics, whilst there is fund raising (we do need funds to pay for elections) it's much smaller scale. There is a limit on what a person/party can spend during the election period. You can spend what you like in the interrim, though most local politicians don't spend much until quite near election time.

By a limit, I mean that once the election is 'called' so roughly four weeks before polling day, no local government candidate can spend more than: £600 plus .05p per registered voter. For my ward that worked out at approximately £1010. During my election my expenses came in at £940. In order to calculate election expenditure, one has to take account of everything. If someone lends you space in their office to use a base of ops, you must work out what an acceptable market rate wuold be for that amount of space and utilities and mark that within your expenditure as a Notional expense. Every printed leaflet, every stamp, every phone call which incurs a charge, election insurance etc etc. Services paid for, services given free, all have to be accounted for as expense and mustn't amount to more than stated limit. The only 'expense' that doesn't count, is the market value of volunteer labour. So, you really appreciate your volunteers. When you are counting every stamp, you want to hand deliver as much as possible ;P