Perspective: Investing in More Than an Election

A recent Wichita Eagle article described the millions of dollars being spent on the campaign over Kansas’ proposed constitutional amendment governing the selection of Supreme Court justices. The reporting was thorough and informative, tracing the flow of money through organizations on both sides of the issue.

The article also prompted a broader thought.

There is more than one way to invest in public life.

Political campaigns require money. Advertising costs money. Polling costs money. Staff, consultants, mailers, and legal compliance all cost money. Regardless of one’s position on a particular issue, campaigns cannot function without financial support.

Communities, however, operate on a different kind of investment.

Every town depends on people who are willing to coach a youth sports team, serve on a nonprofit board, mentor a student, participate in a neighborhood association, volunteer at a church or civic organization, attend a public meeting, or simply become informed before casting a ballot.

Those investments rarely appear in a financial report.

There is no campaign finance filing for an evening spent helping a neighborhood organization. No quarterly statement measures the value of serving on a citizens advisory board. No balance sheet records the experience shared by a retired teacher mentoring a young colleague or a business owner serving on the board of a local charity.

Yet every one of those contributions strengthens the community.

When we talk about investing in our state, we often default to dollars because dollars are easy to count. Time isn’t. Experience isn’t. Judgment isn’t. Neither is the willingness to become involved when no one is watching.

That may explain why financial contributions receive so much attention while civic contributions often go unnoticed.

Kansas needs both.

Healthy elections require resources. Healthy communities require active and informed citizens.

The two are related, but they are not interchangeable.

Most of us will never contribute a million dollars to a political campaign. That doesn’t prevent us from making meaningful investments in the places where we live. A community benefits every time someone contributes what they have to offer, whether that is financial support, professional expertise, practical skills, or simply a willingness to participate.

Perhaps that’s worth remembering the next time headlines focus on campaign spending.

An election lasts a season.

A community is built over generations.

Further Reading: https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/election/article316701203.html