By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ
McALLEN, Texas | ...There was the star-crossed Blogger Juan A. Montoya, a lifelong Democrat, ragging on Republican Mayra Flores for having the audacity to pay herself a $5,000-per-month salary off her hefty campaign contributions.
It's all cool. It is not illegal, but Democrats always go nuts pointing things out. The salary over a year's period would be $60,000.
In 2002, the Federal Election Commission voted to allow candidates running for Congress or president to use their campaign contributions to pay themselves salaries.
The move was intended to make it easier for people who are not wealthy to quit their jobs and run for office. Without a campaign salary, they are at a disadvantage against incumbents, who collect taxpayer-paid salaries as they seek re-election.
We're okay with this. It is, after all, campaign contributions and NOT taxpayer funds. You contribute to a candidate and, well, that candidate is free to use that cash as it best fits his or her campaign. Some candidates use contributions to pay for legal expenses, as we have seen with grubby Republican Donald J. Trump.
But then we ran into a lively give & take on the Facebook page availed by well-known Republican (and former Democrat) Carlos Cascos. We were and weren't surprised by his argument.
He had this to say: "It is self-serving for elected officials or candidates to utilize campaign funds to pay themselves 5 or 6 figure salaries in addition to paying for meals, groceries & incidentals to subsidize their lifestyle or livelihood for themselves and/or family members. For those that do it should be asked to explain the rationale.....it just doesn't look right to me, regardless of position or political affiliation. Period."
Well, okay.
Sure, it doesn't look good. But as we noted, it is NOT illegal. And working with the premise that if something is not illegal...it is legal, then what Mayra Flores is doing is just fine.
It is.
Looks and appearances is what Mr. Cascos, a former Cameron County Judge and ex-Texas Secretary of State, is saying. We would wish all politicians to take his position, but they don't. We all know they don't, so...
As always, the people who ultimately count on all political arguments are the voters.
Voters will decide Mayra's fate in the party primary next Spring. Will this "Pay Myself" move mean much by then? No. Mayra remains the overwhelming favorite to win her primary contest and then tackle Democrat Vicente Gonzalez in the November,2024 General Election.
By the way, Democrat Beto O'Rourke left his defeat to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott with a large amount of cash (a few million) still in his campaign coffers.
What's he doing with it? Democrats aren't asking.
Using it as best he sees fit, likely also taking a few bucks for himself.
Don't rag on party favorite Mayra Flores for the legal things she's doing; look for anything she may be doing that is illegal. I mean, if you hate her that much, like Blogger Montoya...
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Mayra is a force. Watch out, valley!
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