http://aspirecq.com/?p=47
Have you ever thought about how much money is wasted in political campaigns. Theories of what is enough advertising to reach people go out the window as the major players spend more than their opponent believing more is better. And the funny thing they’ll probably be advertising their credentials in cutting waste and reducing debt.
The keys were exchanged as the final cheque was presented to the builder. No cracking open the champagne or house warming party. Just a firm shake of the hand and a quiet thank you expressed to all the people who made it happen, particularly the candidates of the recent state and local elections. Their combined contribution paid for nearly half of the cost of the five bedroom home. The future of four Gladstone kids from challenged backgrounds looked somewhat brighter.
Last week I mentioned that Anglicare CQ was in urgent need to find suitable housing for four children and their carers in Gladstone. One proposal to raise the $800k needed for a purpose built home was for businesses to donate a percentage of their weekly turnover to the appeal, with the public encouraged to support these businesses.
To supplement this action candidates in the forthcoming state and local elections could donate half their advertising fund to this appeal. By my rough estimate I believe this could raise around $350k from just the candidates running in the state and local elections within the Rockhampton and Gladstone regions alone. (Yes I’m estimating around $700,000 is going to be spent on election ads in the Rockhampton/Gladstone area over the next eleven weeks – get ready for the onslaught). With election issues bound to include the debt levels and money being wasted, here’s a way for candidates to demonstrate their effectiveness by using only half the money they would have otherwise used. They would still keep their relative advantage over each other, eg the candidate spending $100,000 compared to the one spending $50,000 would still have a 2 to 1 advantage if their budgets were halved to $50,000 and $25,000 respectively. The self funded candidate spending $8k or less would arguably find it more difficult with half that amount, but really against party and business supported candidates they are at a huge disadvantage anyway in getting their message out. I’m sure that we all wouldn’t mind seeing, hearing, reading less election advertising. This way half the money is being spent on a positive community project other than all on normally negative and or boring election advertisements. What a way for the candidates to demonstrate they have the best interests of the community at heart, not self. Be a nice change to read about candidates bragging about how much they would be donating to the fund instead of how much dollars they have to spend on their campaign.
To indicate your support of AnglicareCQ 4 Kids appeal please visit the web site www.aspirecq.com. This is a real opportunity for you to help create a better future for 4 CQ kids. Ask the businesses (and political candidate) you deal with, do you support AnglicareCQ 4 Kids.