(50th in a series of posts on candidates for election)
Election Day is Tuesday May 21
That’s three days from today!
Be sure to review the Gadfly series of Q&A’s with candidates, the like of which you can get nowhere else, on these pairs of posts in the candidate series: 45/44, 36/35, 31/30, 26/25, 24/23, 20/19, 17/16.
Wow! This is the 50th post on the election.
Gadfly — who is a prophet without honor in his own land — is often referred to as Gab-fly among his own family.
Sigh.
But the election means a lot to him.
Fostering an involved and informed electorate is at the heart of the Gadfly project.
In his Norman Rockwell fantasy of a small town, citizens take elections very seriously and elected officials are . . . the very best the town has to offer.
Funny, I stutter there because the Gadfly evil twin almost filled in “the very best that money can buy.”
Gadfly has always wondered how much money it takes to run for local office. And where that money comes from. He bets that has crossed your mind.
How are those glossy fliers arriving in the mail this week paid for?
And recently the Campaign Finance Reports came out.
Take a look.
Gadfly is not sure why they come out before the election. And he assumes there must be another report after the election as a wrap-up.
Take a look.
Gadfly bets most of you — like him — never saw a campaign finance report before.
Gadfly thinks you will find several things of interest.
Voting is the essential act of a democratic society.
It’s what makes our country special.
Unfortunately, running for office costs money.
Gadfly’s goal is a lively, spirited, competitive race. He worked hard here to provide a forum for the views of all candidates. He placed several ads in the Bethlehem Press promoting this forum. He will have ads in the Morning Call Sunday and Monday promoting this forum. He has wanted the candidates to have every opportunity to express their views and for those views to be known to as many people as possible.
In a sense, Gadfly has endorsed all the candidates.
Gadfly has contributed to five of the seven candidates — one was not taking contributions as a matter of principal, and he did not find a “Friends of” source for the other. Given the opportunity, he would have contributed to all.
Maybe that was the wrong thing to do. But he felt it was either contribute to all or contribute to none. Because Gadfly is impartial. It’s the process that is important to him.
Gadfly decided to contribute to all because he valued and appreciated the courage and commitment it takes to put yourself “out there” (sometimes pinata-fashion) and give voters a variety of views and a menu of options.
And he assumed that it was individual average people like himself whose contributions made it possible for other average citizens like himself to afford to run for office.
Maybe that’s the wrong way to think. You will tell him if so. He listens.
But Gadfly tells you all this to encourage you to look at this version of the Campaign Finance Reports.
And see what you see.
Be sure to review the Gadfly series of Q&A’s with candidates, the like of which you can get nowhere else, on these pairs of posts in the candidates series: 45/44, 36/35, 31/30, 26/25, 24/23, 20/19, 17/16.
