Campaign fundraising totals have traditionally been a good indicator of which candidates have the edge over their opponents; the more local donations, the more public/voter support which should result in a winning day at the polls. The flip side of such thinking is that if a candidate is accepting many outside-the-area donations or having to put in large personal contributions on their own behalf, voters are not buying into their message and supporting their campaign, which usually results in heartbreak come election night.
Thus, politicians, political action committees, and special interest groups around the state are asking, even begging for your hard earned dollars this election season. Many of you have already donated to the candidate(s) and causes of your choice, but do you know where your donations are going? Are these candidates being good stewards of your money now even before they receive your vote?
Campaign funds are meant to be used to help a candidate or group spread their message; usually this is done through hiring staff or consultants and purchasing direct mail, pushcards, signs, websites, commercials, shirts, and the like, anything that may raise the candidate’s or the cause’s ID and promote their platform.
You would think that Mississippi candidates and PACs would utilize Mississippi companies to provide these necessary campaign materials and services, especially during these tough economic times. You would think they would be well aware of the importance of keeping every possible dollar flowing into their district or at least the state, whether it’s $100 or $50,000. After all, you, the donors and taxpayers, own or work in these businesses; you need the income and the jobs. For a candidate and/or a PAC to send your money outside our state when such services can be found right here at home is an affront to all Mississippians. Whether a candidate is running for constable, legislature, governor, or any seat in between, they should be focused on putting your money to work for them here in Mississippi.
Such thinking should come as second nature to any candidate running to oversee any level of government, but it seems many candidates and causes on both sides of the political spectrum are sending your campaign donations outside their districts and even outside Mississippi.
It is often these same candidates who are talking about creating jobs, reducing the tax burden, supporting education, and growing our overall economy. If their actions during the campaign are any indication of how they will handle such issues when elected, Mississippi businesses and workers could be in for a rude awakening.
Politicians and PACs should be ‘Thinking Mississippi First,’ investing in the people and businesses of Mississippi. Candidates should be using the resources we have here at home to run their campaigns. Heck, if you’re a county or legislative candidate, you should be reinvesting your campaign dollars into your local community first, if at all possible, or at least you should be keeping your money in our state.
If a service is not available in Mississippi, then by all means, look elsewhere. However, having run and advised campaigns, I know that everything needed to run an effective, winning campaign can be found right here in the great state of Mississippi. There is truly no need to look outside our borders and divert funds to neighboring states.
So how is your candidate(s) or cause of choice spending your donation dollars? Are they investing in Mississippi or putting your money to work outside of our state? See for yourself. Visit http://www.sos.ms.gov to look up the campaign finance reports of your candidate(s) or cause.
I understand that a good number of candidates will not respond well to my pointing out this issue. It will make many uncomfortable, and it should. But Mississippi should expect our political leaders to support our businesses and workers. We need elected leaders who will ‘Think Mississippi First’ and spend your/their money at home. We must hold them accountable and push Mississippi forward together.
Magnolia Tribune
