Visitors here come in all shapes and sizes. They include my critics, who usually stay mum for fear I’ll attack them. (I only do so when they hit below the belt. All rational criticism is greeted with deferential and rational rebuttals) My fans, the mildly curious and people who wander in by mistake.
As mentioned previously today’s donations were anemic.Three came in. Based on the three previous days I expected about 12 contributions today (the day after the first weekend of the fundraising letter) followed by four additional days with about 8 donations per day. Discounting the largest donation – a maximum $500.00 which will not likely be duplicated – that would come close to meeting the $3,000.00 I need to raise. This is the amount required by the state before it will release state money for my campaign. It amounts to about $5,000 and it is money donated by taxpayers to party backed candidates. Candidates must prove to the state that they have financial support from a significant base of local Minnesota voters.
My fundraising letter went out a week late leaving only 13 days for donations to come in by the deadline, July 19th. I hate to ask for favors so won’t be asking many people personally to donate. I figure that if my words and deeds are too insignificant to support a campaign I don’t deserve to win. The example of US Senators using their time in Washington DC to call long lists of possible contributors helps explains why were in a fiscal nightmare. If raising money is what politics is all about and not governing I’m not interested.
Not that I’ll turn my nose up at a little “Mother’s milk.” The state sent me a notice saying that there is about $5,000 available for the winner of the DFL primary providing that the winner has raised $3,000 from Minnesota residents. The catch is that the state requires that this $3,000 come from donations of no more than $50.00. I can accept donations up to $500 but only the first $50 of it can be counted toward the $3,000.00 goal.
Not counting $250 that my familiy members will contribute I’ve raised $993.00 of the $3,000.00 necessary in four days time. (Husbands and wives can contribute $50 each for a total of $100) The first 40 contributions have gotten me one/third of the way to the $3,000 goal. In my fundraising letter I suggested $10 donations and one/fourth of them so far have been of this magnitude. Again, not counting the biggie, my donations have averaged slightly more than $20. Forty additional average sized donations would bring in the second thousand. That will leave me to raise the last third by next Monday. I’ll do it but this post is an appeal to fans to give me a hand in case you didn’t receive the letter I mailed.
Mail a check (preferably) to Welty for Senate at my home address: 2101 E 4th St. Duluth MN 55812
Here is a little more background on the state financing.
This is going to be a tough year for some incumbents to raise money. The state will no longer reimburse donors for the first $50 contributed to legislative candidates. In the past this has been a godsend for candidates but now it has been taken away. Imagine a low motivated Minnesota who has a friend running for office. Normally he/she might not contribute much more than $10 or $25. However, because the state would reimburse them for $50 worth of donations to candidates who agree to abide by the State’s spending limitations they would get all their donation back. A candidate with 100 such donors would raise a quick $5,000.00 and every donor would get their donation back when the state reimbursed them. Not bad except that this year its is a thing of the past.
