THE PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY PRINCIPLE: On October 12, 2012
the campaign plan was to have another tailgate party for staff and volunteers
prior to the Columbia Heights High School football game. We fully intended
consuming the usual hotdogs, brats, munchies, drinks, salads and assorted
condiments while engaging in conversation over a hot grill and meeting football
patrons.
The average campaign cost per tailgate party is $30.00,
incidentally on this particular date our campaign checkbook balance contained
just $14.00. I gave consideration to the campaign cash on hand, the campaign
bus with an empty tank and decided this tailgate party must respect the limited
campaign resources and plan for an appropriate menu.
Looking around our kitchen for an affordable alternate complementary
to the campaign budget I realized peanut butter and jelly is affordable. One
volunteer and I packed up the available chips, silverware, grabbed the jars of
peanut butter and jelly and headed to the gas station where I purchased $10.00
in bus fuel and one 2 liter bottle of Sprite (no ice included tonight) then
headed to our modified tailgate party.
Many claims are made by candidates during a campaign season,
promises of rainbows for eternity when citizens elect a candidate. The question
for a voting citizen is not what flowery tomorrows are promised; but how a
candidate decides spending contributions given by citizens, as an investment of
trust.
The peanut butter and jelly principle applied by this
candidate on October 12, 2012 offers citizens a real life example into my
consideration of public trust, how I govern with others wealth. Spending is easy;
saying no requires a realistic evaluation.
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