About the folks (including me) who are sick of the $$$ emails.

[IdaBriggs]

My Opinion:

ACCEPTED FACT: Politicians are generally bought and paid for; the groups who support them are also bought and paid for.

The only question is *WHO* is doing the buying/paying.

With corporate interests/Republican folk, the money is poured in regularly; people who work for them (who SHOULDN'T) are getting regular paychecks to go out there and *support* their team.

Since the Democrats do not have the same type of "corporate support" (because in theory we support PEOPLE not CORPORATIONS), we have a problem making sure that our organizations stay funded between "panic mode" (aka elections).

In a perfect world, the people who work long hours "getting out the vote" and such would

a) stop eating/needing to pay rent between election cycles,
b) get "real jobs" to cover their expenses if their families refuse to do 'a', and
c) then drop their lives to devote full time effort FOR FREE to get people elected for a two years, while
d) magic money falls out of the sky to cover the costs of election advertisement and candidate/staff expenses.

I am guilty of this "magical" thinking myself - I donated to Obama after the first debate debacle because Romney winning scared me into panic mode! - but the reality is this:

Do we *want* professional, experienced people running campaigns / fighting for what we believe in, or do we want to count on the friendly volunteer willing to donate a little time here and there, if it doesn't interfere with their life?

Personally, I want *BOTH* but more importantly, I want my *bought and paid for politicians* doing their damn jobs without having to be reminded that I *elected them* because I wanted them to act like DEMOCRATS not Republicans.

If the professional folk have done their job correctly and gotten DEMOCRATS into office, I need to see it.

If they haven't, then NO MONEY because I need *competent* people to get paid with the little money I can donate.

Thoughts?

[hfojvt]

1. I don't mind the emails

as much as the snail mails.

In the snail mail case, it is like they took the money I donated to them, used it to print out letters, buy envelopes and stamps and then write to me asking for more money.

And don't even get me started on telemarketing calls.

Somebody needs to take note of this little fact:

I will NEVER, EVER, EVER donate a single dime to an organization which gives me a telemarketing call.

[IdaBriggs]

4. I agree about the snail mail - Waste of Time.

Traditionally, a good mass mailing is counted as a success with a 3% rate of return. If it is done badly, that number drops.

But 50,000 pieces of mail means 1,500 donors (in theory), plus "awareness" for the folks who chucked the mailing.

(Per an old Marketing class, you have to hear about something NINE TIMES before it even makes an impression.)

I *love* the "Do Not Call" registry (and we are cell phone folk, so I don't get as many telemarketer things as I used to because of it).

[southernyankeebelle]

2. The problem is people who ask for a donation and you give you keep getting phone calls over and

over. I live on a fixed income $10.00 sometimes is allot and you do that may 3 or 4 times a yr. I know it isn't much but..... I gave to one charity that called and now every charity calls and I mean every charity. I finally tell them sorry I live on a fixed income and just can't do it any longer. I give to anon charities here in my local rural area.

[IdaBriggs]

5. Once "they" find an open wallet, it can feel like a leech trying to suck the $$$ out.

I wonder what the stats are on people who "never" give that makes those who do so valuable a commodity?

[southernyankeebelle]

6. Yes your rigtht I do feel like an commodity. Sometimes when you go on to fill out a poll

on line they sorta have you then. Before you know it they are calling non stop. I'm sick and tired of it. I don't mind giving once but 3 or 4 times a year is to much to ask while they know your on a fixed income. Am so upset about it now that I don't answer the phone if I don't recognize the number. Now I am getting cellphone calls. I just got one wanting to give me free home protection. I told him I don't need it because I live in the country and I have pets which are great alarm system plus a AK-47 for those uninvited guests (I don't have that). Then I hung up. I can't tell you have many times I told them I don't want any. Then I got another call a few minutes later for a contest. I hung up.

[Orsino]

3. It's Citizens United's world. We just live in it.

There are many candidates and organizations to whom my widow's mite means a lot. The DCC, however? Whatever I give will be shouted down by the freer speech of corporations.