Creatively cleaning up for the election

This weekend, we received what I think might be the most creative and, dare I say, useful items to ever be stuck, hung, or stuffed in our door by a candidate for public office. Oh, don't get me wrong...the little pot holder with a candidate's name on it was an interesting idea but in truth, it was too damn thin. As a result, all I remember of that particular candidate was that I burned my hand taking a pan out of the toaster oven, rather than his name, what he was running for, etc.

However, this Sunday, we returned to the house after a quick, late breakfast at the Sunset Cafe (mmm...good) to find a nicely wrapped stack of 5 lawn and leaf bags sitting on our front stoop. Of course, with several huge trees looming overhead and the threat of huge numbers of leaves burying our lawn soon, brown paper lawn and leaf bags are a necessity. So wasn't it convenient for us that the incumbent in the 68th district of the state house of representatives not only is using "Cleaning Up Rhode Island" as his slogan but he also decided to help his constituents get into the swing of things.

Each of the 5 bags is emblazoned with his name, party affiliation, and the slogan in vibrant sky blue and magenta (OK, that part's a bit garish) and then packages of them were delivered to everyone in his district. Actually, I'm not sure about that. He's a Democrat and we're registered Independents who lean (ok, topple) Democrat. Maybe he was just going for the Dems and Independents. I don't know anyone nearby who is a registered Republican so I haven't been able to confirm if he withheld his lawn and leaf largesse from the supporters of the GOP.

Of course it's a memorable way for him to get attention, both from home owners faced with an autumn avalanche as well as from anyone driving down the street when the bags are filled up. So if I fill up the bags with leaves and thereby turn my curb into an advertisement for him for 3-4 days until the compost truck drives by, will I feel sullied and used? Hell no. I'm staring at a few hundred thousand leaves that will need to be bagged up and if I can give give him some free advertising and pay $5 less to Ace Hardware to for lawn and leaf bags, I'll do it with a smile and call it my own little fiscal rescue package.