Michael Jay Lissnerhttps://michaeljaylissner.com/2008-10-29T14:16:35-07:00Excess Elections Spending2008-10-29T14:16:35-07:00Mike Lissnertag:michaeljaylissner.com,2008-10-29:posts/2008/10/29/excess-elections-spending/<p>We’re just about to the line here with the election, and I, for one, am really looking forward to a phone that stops ringing, to my mail carrier’s back feeling better, and to my inbox devoid of political emails. </p>
<p>Really, things have gotten out of control. In an <a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iXAkBilVhjbpsgAAHfgp6kGEShvwD944BQP84">article by the <span class="caps">AP</span> today</a>, the Republicans said that they were going to: <blockquote>“…send out over 200 million pieces of mail and have over a quarter of a billion contacts, counting the mail, the phones and the door knocks,”</blockquote>According to the 2000 census, there are about 227 million people in the <span class="caps">US</span> over the age 18. What that means is that if <span class="caps">ONLY</span> the republican party <span class="caps">ONLY</span> contacted me regarding the presidential race, they would still do so more than one time.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, both parties contact me at all levels of government from city to county to state to federal. And they both do it for each candidate, and every measure. Often they do it more than once. </p>
<p>Are there any numbers totalling the cost of elections nationwide? I’d be interested in seeing such a thing. What else could we buy with that amount of money? </p>Bots be Damned!2008-02-01T18:18:42-08:00Mike Lissnertag:michaeljaylissner.com,2008-02-01:posts/2008/02/01/bots-be-damned/<p>Well, I know my site must be really popular now.<sup><small>1</small></sup> I have begun getting my first comment spam from a lovely person hawking porn via links posted as comments. </p>
<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captcha">Math captchas</a> have been implemented. Bots be damned!</p>
<p><sup><small>1</small></sup>This is a stab at being facetious.</p>