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DEL.ICIO.USWhen Election Day produces some walking-around cash
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Today is Election Day. For most people here, anyway.
But to a select few, this is also payday. When you see them cheering on TV tonight, know that their sentiments run truly deep, right down to their wallets.
Most campaign contracts these days — for fund-raisers, media specialists, strategists — guarantee an extra dose of cash if their candidate wins.
The size of the bonus depends on many things, including how poorly funded the campaign was at the outset and the odds of winning. So far as we know, the personality of the candidate — with whom campaign workers are forced to live for months on end — isn’t usually a factor.
Quick example: After his upset win for governor in 2002, Sonny Perdue handed out $142,711 in bonuses and retainer contracts to his loyalists, according to his later filings. That includes $1,211 for “Staff Appreciation Day� at Dante’s Down-the-Hatch.
Among the recipients: Nick Ayers, this year’s campaign manager for Perdue, $8,000; John Watson, now the governor’s chief of staff, $15,000; and Dan McLagan, the governor’s current spokesman, $24,000 — including $16,000 in retainer fees.
The largest bonus went to Fred Davis, the Hollywood creator of Perdue’s “rat video,â€? who received a $35,000 bonus. Davis was again Perdue’s media guy this year.
Comments
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By keep them honest
November 7, 2006 8:59 AM | Link to this
From ACLU website:
NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union announced today that it is poised to respond to voting rights infringements across the country this upcoming Election Day. The organization has launched a toll free hotline so voters can report voting rights violations and irregularities on Tuesday, November 7. Voters with complaints are encouraged to call the organization’s toll-free voter hotline, 1-877-523-2792. The hotline will operate from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. EST.
By Tee
November 7, 2006 9:10 AM | Link to this
Thanks for posting that keep them honest. We must ensure that Democrats play fairly across the board. Today, especially so……
By Tee
November 7, 2006 9:16 AM | Link to this
Thanks for posting that keep them honest. We need to ensure that the Democrats play fairly across the board today, especially today…..
By Burdell
November 7, 2006 10:10 AM | Link to this
I effectively got paid $2.18 for voting. Chik-fil-A was giving free medium soft drinks ($1.09/ea) to folks with “I’m a Georgia voter” stickers.
By Wahhhh Wiggins
November 7, 2006 10:51 AM | Link to this
I’m much more worried about the Republicans playing fairly across the board today, considering their fake robo-calls, funneling of cash through committees to get around campaign finance laws, and general dirty tactics. Thank goodness there are the alternatives of Libertarians on the ballot, and the one lone Bull Moose candidate in the 4th district.
Free drinks at Chick-Fil-A? Cool! Thanks for the tip, I know where I’ll be having lunch.
By MrLiberty
November 7, 2006 10:51 AM | Link to this
Elections are nothing but an advance auction of stolen goods.
This was a huge payday for everyone except the taxpaying voter. Everyone who works for government had their institutionalized theft and the principle behind it reinforced by today’s turnout.
Everyone who values liberty, freedom, and justice finds themselves a little bit poorer today.
By Taylor
November 7, 2006 11:27 AM | Link to this
Are you joking Tee? Republicans are the ones that are known cheaters and frauds. And with Diebold in Georgia I feel it is almost a guarentee the election is fixed.
By GaNative
November 7, 2006 11:35 AM | Link to this
Tee and Taylor, neither party is worth a SHID, they just play us like pawns in a chess game. ALL of them are self serving crooks.
By Tee
November 7, 2006 11:51 AM | Link to this
Taylor, I am serious. The Dems should make a horror movie about the dead rising (aka ZOMBIES)….they (Dems) do it every 2 years so they can vote!! It is well documented, have you not seen Dawn of the Dead? Not the 2004 version, but Romero’s version.
By Gracie De Luxe en Vie
November 7, 2006 12:40 PM | Link to this
A 35K cash award from the taxpayers to video producers?! That’s great news for us producer/writers! It’s about time we got the same treatment as folks who are cronies of the politicians. You know, folks like developers, farmers, bankers, builders, lawyers, assorted fat-cats, etc.
Where do I sign-up?????? http://spaceygreview.blogspot.com/
By Jason
November 7, 2006 1:07 PM | Link to this
Dear dumbass,
Campaign funds in Georgia are not taxpayer dollars.
By sm
November 7, 2006 1:13 PM | Link to this
Maybe that bonus will help Nick pay for his DUI lawyer.
By Dirty Dawg
November 7, 2006 1:28 PM | Link to this
Noted today when I voted in DeKalb County that in every case where there was a partisan, contested, race, the Republican candidate’s name appeared first on the ballot. Didn’t matter if he/she was an incumbent…and it wasn’t alphabetical. I asked the lady on the way out why that was, she didn’t know, wasn’t aware that it was so and probably didn’t care.
As a reminder, the Democratic Secretary of State is running this last election and is responsible for such decisions. The same one that wouldn’t endorse the Democratic candidate for Governor…the same one that will probably run again four years from now…only probably as a Republican herself.
I hate politicians. As Kinky Friedman says - the word comes from the root ‘poly’, which means ‘many’, combined with ‘tic’, which is a ‘blood sucking parasite’.
By sm
November 7, 2006 1:38 PM | Link to this
Dirty Dawg,
They are first on the ballot because that is the law. The party in charge goes first on the ballot. Thanks to the GOP.
By Rawena
November 7, 2006 1:56 PM | Link to this
sm, Actually incumbent party 1st was passed by the General Assembly many many years ago.
By sm
November 7, 2006 3:34 PM | Link to this
Rawena,
No, it used to be the incumbent was listed first, now it is the party who elected the current governor who is listed first.
By Rawena
November 7, 2006 3:56 PM | Link to this
sm, Can you show me the section of the code and when that was changed? Maybe I was just used to every incumbent BEING a democrat. I could be wrong.
By Gracie De Luxe en Vie
November 7, 2006 6:01 PM | Link to this
Oh Jason… why such a stickler for facts!? You take all the fun out of blogging that way.
By BOBO
November 7, 2006 10:35 PM | Link to this
Now the BIG BOY can go home and get a job playing Santa for Christmas.Work one hour a month for daddy’s money.