By The Numbers: 2018

[calirepub]

By the numbers: a 2018 money-in-politics index

What can I say? I love numbers. It’s 30 days after 2018’s election. I think this entire article is interesting, so I thought I’d share.

2: Number of donors to Texas Forever, a secretive Democratic super PAC that spent $2.3 million bashing Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas before disclosing the source of the money. More than 99 percent came from Senate Majority PAC, a massive super PAC promoting Democrats. Another $10,000 came from director and producer James Brooks.

That’s a lot of money to spend to barely lose to Ted Cruz. I already wasn’t sold on Beto so this really doesn’t help my confidence that he can win.

$511,000: The lowest-possible median net worth of U.S. senators and U.S. House members, according to a February analysis by Roll Call.
Less than $30,000: Income in 2017 reported by two 29-year-old Democrats who won congressional seats — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Abby Finkenauer of Iowa.

I feel this is good for Democracy. Congress being more representative of Real America is a good thing. Honestly, that median net worth could come down even further IMO.

$155,000: Sum of what 22 candidates running for Congress collectively paid themselves for salaries out of their campaign funds — yes, the practice is legal — during the 2018 election
$3,632: The amount congressional candidate Liuba Grechen Shirley, a Democrat from New York, reported spending on child care services from campaign funds. In May, the Federal Election Commission approved Grechen Shirley’s request to use money from donors to pay for child care, the first time the agency explicitly approved this question for a female candidate. She was ultimately one of nine candidates to use campaign funds for child care-related expenses during the 2018 election.

I put these together, but they make me feel differently. I’m not sure how I feel about the $155,000 figure. If I split the number evenly that’s $7045 each. On the other hand, I don’t have as much of a problem with the money spent on childcare. I’m glad that expenses like that can be deducted because it allows a more diverse group of people, women with small children, to represent us in Congress. If i’m being fair, both things are related because being able to afford to run for office shouldn’t be a disqualifier in an ideal world. We don’t ONLY want rich people to decide how government functions.

Equivalent of $570,000: What nine federal candidates, parties and super PACs collectively received in cryptocurrency donations during the 2018 election.
20: Number of candidates of various political stripes, seeking all levels of office, who have been requesting or have received cryptocurrency — such as bitcoin — to fund their efforts during the 2018 election.

This is in the catagory of things that make my eyebrow go up inadvertently. I’m really bad at poker.

2011: The most recent year a U.S. House committee conducted an oversight hearing on the Federal Election Commission, which enforces and regulates campaign finance laws.
4: Number of Federal Election Commissioners whose terms have expired but continue to serve in “holdover status,”
2: Number of vacancies on the six-member FEC. President Donald Trump alone may nominate commissioners.
0: Number of people Trump has successfully appointed to the FEC. Trump’s lone nominee, Texas attorney Trey Trainor, who aided Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, was first nominated in September 2017 and has yet to even receive a U.S. Senate confirmation hearing.

I guess the FEC isn’t Donald Trump’s biggest priority. Maybe he doesn’t know it exists. Why hasn’t Mitch given this Trainor guy a hearing? I thought Republicans controlled the Senate.

$5.2 billion: The estimated amount spent during the 2018 federal midterm election, making it the most expensive midterm ever, according to an analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics.

I’m glad we have people on the job who… oh wait.

There’s more numbers in the link. We can discuss any of those too, but I only wanted to insert the numbers I immediately had something to say about. Does anything in the article stand out to anyone else?

Numbers are so cool.

[Excast]

Candidates paying themselves salaries out of campaign funds is one of those things that sounds shady, but it’s also the only way you are going to get more normal people in Congress. Most folks aren’t the idle rich who can afford to make running for office a full time job while they just live off of their wealth.

[calirepub]

That’s how I feel. On the surface I don’t like it, but if I think about it it kind of makes sense, assuming it’s not outrageous. Luckily there are people who investigate that sort of thing.

$3,600 for childcare. That’s expensive.

[FloridaYankee]

@calirepub

$3,600 for childcare. That’s expensive

While traveling? You can’t just hire a nice little old lady in a strange town you’ve never been to. Doesn’t sound high at all to me.

[MrSmith20001]

I would love to see Congress do the following:

Pay for their own health insurance
Not be provided a government-issued vehicle.
Pay for their own travel expenses.
Get paid based on what they accomplish.

[carpe_diem]

I wonder how much money Nancy Pelosi spent on her vacation, while Trump was
at the White house for Christmas?

I wonder how much money per day it would cost to feed the refugees that Nancy
and the Democratic Party supposedly care sooo much about?

I bet you that with the money from her vacation in total, that you could pay for clean food,
water, and everything that they refugees would need for over a week. The type of
vacations Nancy probably takes are 20 thousand dollars a night.

The Democratic Party said it was all about the children? I guess it’s really
just all about them?