What $9 Million for the West-Klein Race Could Have Bought

The cash poured in from all over the country, as unions, Christian conservatives, Tea Party ideologues, Big Pharma, and Big Oil opened their pockets. With at least $9 million raised in the Ron Klein-Allen West congressional contest, it was one of the most expensive races of its kind in the...

By Lisa Rab

November 3, 2010

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The cash poured in from all over the country, as unions, Christian conservatives, Tea Party ideologues, Big Pharma, and Big Oil opened their pockets. With at least $9 million raised in the Ron Klein-Allen West congressional contest, it was one of the most expensive races of its kind in the country.

Was it worth it? You decide. Meanwhile, here are a few other ways that kind of dough could have been spent:

1. Help plug the hole in the state's broken unemployment-compensation fund. We've already borrowed $600 million from the feds to keep up with bills.

2. Provide health insurance to some of the approximately 800,000 children in Florida without that essential coverage.

3. Make a dent in the Broward County School District's budget shortfall, which hovers around $130 million.

4. Fill in some of the budget gaps in Palm Beach County, so the poorest citizens would not have to pay more for bus passes.

5. Fund more stimulus projects to put Floridians to work and lower the staggering 11.9 percent unemployment rate.

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