I’ve reviewed plenty of depositions and board minutes as an expert witness on fiduciary duty, and you learn fast to spot an answer from a dodge. New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) just handed Congress a masterclass in the dodge, and it took her four weeks to do it.
Page A6From§Eachthe coffee break edition — 2 September 2026
California mayor offers $50 discount for votes, as Congresswoman turns in campaign flyer for homework
It seems to me the California mayor's pitch for a $50 discount in exchange for votes was just an innovative way to get people excited about democracy. Did I say innovative? I meant unusual. But unusual doesn't mean illegal—unless someone says it does, which they did, but that's a probe, not a conviction. Look, the intention was to make voting more accessible, not to violate any laws, and the congresswoman's campaign flyer as homework was probably meant to show commitment to civic engagement. Did I say commitment? I meant multitasking. Sometimes officials get creative, and that's a good thing, unless you think it's not, which, in this case, maybe it isn't, but it depends on the homework rubric. If anything, these actions show how elected officials are thinking outside the box—unless the box is the ballot, in which case they're thinking on the ballot. Democracy is dynamic, and sometimes that means coupons. Well, maybe not coupons, but you see my point.
“A mayor offers a $50 discount for votes, and a Congresswoman hands in a campaign flyer as homework. That's not democracy, that's a coupon program for elected officials. The receipts say who gets the discount: the politicians, not the voters.”
“The mayor's offer was clearly intended as a lighthearted gesture and not an actual violation of election law, and the Congresswoman's campaign flyer was simply a creative way to fulfill her assignment. It's all part of engaging the public, unless you think it's not, but it is, in a way.”
The receipts
A California mayor is scrambling to explain why a campaign video appeared to put a $50 discount on the ballot.
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.