What does a good Texas governor cost?

 Texans for Public Justice on Tuesday released another of its ever-enlightening reports on campaign finance. This report focuses on the $28 million raised for the battle supreme for the Texas GOP governor’s nomination in 2010 between Gov. Rick “Goodhair” Perry and U.S. Sen. Kay “Give me a ‘G,’ give me an ‘O,’ give me a ‘P'” Bailey Hutchison.

  The most recent state financial disclosure reports indicated Hutchison raised about $14.8 million and Perry, slightly less, at $14.4 million. TPJ says there are caveats to these figures, however.

 Perry has been raising campaign cash since taking office since 2000. That is with the exception of a six-month period surrounding the biennial legislative sessions during which state officials are prohibited by law from taking contributions.

 Hutchison’s monetary figure reflects the period between December 2008 — when she named a state campaign treasurer — and July 2009. But Hutchison also transferred an additional $7.9 million from her federal senate war chest to her state campaign funds.

 A few million dollars here and another few million there and we’re talking a lot of money.

 S.W.T. Lanham, elected Texas governor in 1902 and 1904, oversaw early campaign reform laws including the requirement of filing campaign expenditures. Lanham spent $20 on his last campaign. Then again he didn’t have to deal with the cost of jet planes (or planes for that matter), or television ads playing statewide and in some of the country’s major markets. Of course, there was no TV or commercial radio. And the Inter-what?

 Many of those people who rant about campaign finance at either the state or federal levels often aim their invective at the industry, or organization or even the person. That influence-peddling, legal or not, has become one of the major obstacles to governing raises little doubt.

 But it should be bothersome enough to most people except those who make a profit off expensive elections that such enormous amounts of cash go toward elections. It’s the money, stupid.

 How much money will be raised through both the Democratic and GOP primaries for governor in Texas? Then comes the general election. What will be the final tally for the entire 2010 election for governor? There are widespread predictions of another record-breaking year for raising cash to buy the Texas governor’s seat.

 The mind-numbing amounts of money raised and spent for offices provide commerce for some, but can anyone say with certainty that the cash is spread around to many? Well, one could argue, it pays off in the end for the individual donors who seek time with elected officials to make their case for this or that. Of course, if such influence provides rotten results that help only a few, then we proceed, straight back to square one.

 There is little reason to hope that the laws will eventually bar the ever greater amounts of millions of dollars which infuse campaigns. Americans seem willing to wait for the critical mass. Wait until the waters overflow — like in New Orleans during Katrina — and fix it then.

 But one has to wonder. Will Texans have a better quality governor — who spends millions upon millions of dollars — in office after the 2010 election than it did with S.W.T. Lanham who spent a mere 20 bucks to get elected?