$447,541 is what the Union County Democratic Committee received in campaign contributions since 2008 from four primary sources:

E- Employees of the county, most with six-figure salaries, chipped in $27,350.

V - County Vendors, mostly law firms, donated $108,450.

U - Unions through PACs paid $113,825.

P - Other Political campaigns or committees transferred $172,024.

I can’t account for another $25,167 though it might be from those looking to break into one of the groups above.

What did they get for their money?  Less than they think.

County employees get good-paying jobs with great benefits on paper but those benefits are not being paid for.  The type of officials corrupted by the system into accepting these kickbacks show no compunction about letting the state pension go bust or having no trust fund at all for OPEBs.

Vendors get picked for contracts not so much for how well they do the work but for how much they kick back.  Eventually all private sector work dries up as nobody else is going to hire a law firm that charge $85,000 to represent one defendant in a disgruntled-employee lawsuit.

Unions get to force governments to bond to continue building projects with prevailing wage rates so some of their members remain employed.  But what about all the projects foregone as the private sector abandons the state in droves because it doesn’t make economic sense to stay?  How many businesses or people are attracted to the state with the highest property taxes and worst business climate in the nation?

Electing corrupted officials comfortable with taking kickbacks leads to a situation where you govern for the special interests.   Initiatives are undertaken not because they are best for the community but because they bring in the most campaign cash to woo a dumbed-down electorate into propagating the disease of bad government.

Next: Who donates to those out of power (i.e. the Union County Republican Committee).  Hint: Almost no county employees or vendors or unions.