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This is a polite suggestion for those planning to run for congress in the upcoming election. RECYCLE, REDUCE, REUSE



Congress elections can be an exciting time, your chance to put forward a point of view, seek support, and participate in the democratic process. One of the key tools is your congress presentation. I believe it is important for every candidate to prepare a presentation. It's a time to reflect and consider what it is you plan to accomplish in the congress if your bid is successful, and to articulate that for your fellow citizens. I'd encourage everyone to prepare one, even if you're running for the umpteenth time and have guaranteed support from your party or faithful friends.

But here's the rub. With so many candidates all presenting their election platform at the same time your newspaper becomes almost entirely ineffective as a means of getting your message across.

I'd suggest having a think about your platform. Have you run before? Is there anything remarkably different about your presentation this time? Have you already published your views in the media or on the forum? There's no rule that says you have to make your presentation link to a current article. What I've done in the past is recycle - gone back to the article I used previously, deleted all of the text, and rewritten it to outline my new goals and plans, then used that as the link for my congress presentation. Others have linked to party platform (a bit lazy IMO but acceptable) or to a forum post (another great idea).

Sure, if you have some exciting new platform, or if it's your first time running, you might want to publish an article but be prepared for it to be lost in the tsunami of promises and platforms. Don't be lazy, take the time to write an article and express your thoughts and amibitions, but consider whether you can recycle and reuse so that the media can be even a little bit usable in the days before/after the election.