Rising prices put a dent in WYO politicians' travel budgets

Casper’s Keith Goodenough announced through The Underdog Report e-mail newsletter that he will officially launch his campaign for U.S. Senate on July 10, which is "Statehood Day." He plans to conduct weekly podcasts on Sunday evenings. He says that he will "invite my opponent to be a part of each and every one of them. I doubt that he will accept, but with enough voter pressure he might."

To get on Goodenough’s mailing list, drop him a line at citizen@citizengoodenough.com.

He also said this:

In order for the Wyoming Democratic Party to advance, we must be in the lead in using new technologies, and this should be one. Think of the potential if primary races in the WyoDem Party were conducted to a large degree via podcasts!

The advantages would be numerous. Politics should be about logic, and with unlimited 'airtime' on the computer a candidate like myself would have the time to fully flesh out a platform for the voters. The cost in time and money for a candidate to get around the state would be minimal. The money saved could be used in the General Election. Wyoming Democratic voters could be convince to listen to their computers in their own homes to really get a bead on the candidates, plus they could call in with their questions, comments and viewpoints.

This tech approach to campaigning is a great idea, considering gas prices and lodging prices ($110 a night in Rock Springs -- if you can find a vacancy). It does create a quandary in a state where personal contact among candidates and citizens is considered a God-given right. We're touchy-feely that way. Gary Trauner came close to beating Barbara Cubin in 2006 because he walked the neighborhoods and knocked on almost every door. He also hit rural areas, where space between neighbors is measured in miles. Unlike Goodenough, Trauner does not have a primary challenger, so all of his funding can go to the general election campaign against whomever Republican voters choose.

But here’s a fact that all of us independent-minded, behemoth-driving, outdoor-loving Wyomingites will have to face: gas prices are high and will only get higher. Driving everywhere will drive your budget into the ground. So what are the alternatives in a state that lacks a public transportation network? You tell me.