Dalton, Clary, Kiser mostly funded from non-constituents

State legislators Walter Dalton, Debbie Clary, and Joe Kiser get 73 percent of campaign funds from outside their districts.

Average from inside: $310. Average from outside: $1,148.

That means when an issue you care about comes up (like the current mental health funding crisis), you need to let them know that you expect them to represent YOU and not some group of people who don't live here.

Here's the story, from the INSIDER:

A report from liberal policy group NC PIRG found that 10 of the more powerful state legislators collected, on average, 73 percent of their campaign contributions from sources outside their districts. The report examined the out-of-district fund-raising during the 2006 election cycle by top appropriations chairs and minority leaders -- Reps. Bill Owens, D-Pasquotank; Jim Crawford, D-Granville; Joe Kiser, R-Lincoln; Beverly Earle, D-Mecklenburg; and Debbie Clary, R-Cleveland; and Sens. Phil Berger, R-Rockingham; Kay Hagan, D-Guilford; Linda Garrou, D-Forsyth; Walter Dalton, D-Rutherford; Tom Apodaca, R-Buncombe.

Among the 10, the report found that the average in-district contribution was $310, while the out-of-district contribution was $1,148. Many of the out-of-district contributions came from political action committees. Rob Thompson of NC PIRG said the out-of-district contribution undermine the influence of voters within the district. The group is advocating public financing of legislative campaigns. Thompson acknowledged that the report did not take into account the amount of contributions redistributed by the candidates to other candidates in other legislative districts. That practice is typical of legislators in leadership positions like those selected for the study.(THE INSIDER, 4/26/07).

They get this money because they are in influential positions. If their seats are safe, then they can pass their money on to other legislators, gaining influence with them. That's why it's so important that we keep track of what they are doing. And that we let them know we are keeping track . . .