Think elections aren’t worth your time and effort? Think again.

According to an article in the Columbus Dispatch on Saturday, January 30, 2010 both Republicans and Democrats raised record campaign gifts in 2009.

Representative Jay Goyal, D-Mansfield, the Democrat’s caucus campaign chairman, said that the amount they have raised “represents the outpouring of support for our caucus’ accomplishments and priorities in fighting for middle-class Ohioans”.

House Minority Leader William G. Batchelder, R-Medina, commenting on the record contributions raised by House Republicans, said that “Ohioans are fed up with the quagmire of the current leadership and are looking for representation in Columbus from people who share their values and truly understand the districts”.

The article states that Armond Budish, Speaker of the House and fundraising leader for the Democratic Caucus, accepted contributions of $10,000 or more from nine unions, FirstEnergy, the Acedemy of Nursing Homes and the Dental Association. His biggest individual donors include the family of Cincinnati nursing home operator Barry Bortz (($22,500), Parma nursing-home operator Bruce Daskal ($10,000) and the family of Lyndhust real-estate developer Mitchell Schneider ($24,500).

In the Senate Democrats are in a deep 21-12 minority and continue to struggle to build financial support. Senate Republicans have more than $2.7 million in the bank, nine times as much as democrats.

Senate President Bill M. Harris, a term-limited Ashland Republican and his No.2, Senator Tom Neihaus, R-New Richmond, have accepted $10,000 or more from a variety of sources, including Akron-based charter school operator David Brennan ($24,150), the Wholesale Beer and Wine Association ($12,000), legal/lobbying firm Calfee Halter ($15,000), and American Electric Power ($13,895).

Follow the money…Elected officials are alligned with those who get and keep them elected, and legislative agendas and priorities are influenced accordingly.

Jim Dickson, Vice-President of the American Association Of People With Disabilities, states that only two factors have power in elections…organized people and organized money. We obviously don’t have money but we could have organized people if only it were a priority.

Can we really afford NOT to make voting a priority?