Summary
Government officials are temporary stewards—not owners—of public funds. Every dollar in every account belongs to the people who earned and paid it.
By Ricky Dana – Candidate for U.S. House, Missouri’s 4th District
💸 Our Money Not Theirs — The Truth About Public Funds
Make no mistake: not one cent of any city, county, state, or federal budget belongs to the officials holding office. It’s our money not theirs—earned by working families and collected to provide roads, schools, public safety, and basic services.
Too many politicians act like public budgets are personal trophies. That ends here. Public office isn’t a throne; it’s a trust. The people of Saline, Pettis, Johnson, and every county across Missouri’s 4th District deserve representatives who remember whose money it is.
⚖️ Our Money Not Theirs in the Constitution
Here’s the bedrock: the U.S. Constitution requires that money can be spent only by law—appropriated in the open, debated, and justified. That framework exists to protect the people’s interest. In plain English: our money not theirs means every dollar must be tied to a public purpose that voters can see and question.
Officials don’t “own” funds; they manage them temporarily under public rules. The moment they forget that, government drifts from service into self-service.
🧾 Where the Dollars Come From
Every repaired bridge in Benton County, every sheriff’s patrol in Hickory, every school roof in Pettis—paid for by the same source: the people. That’s why the standard must be high. Budgets should read like promises kept, not like favors owed. When we say our money not theirs, we mean every penny—from gas taxes to property taxes to federal income taxes.
🚨 When Officials Act Like It’s Theirs
Red flags are easy to spot: insider contracts, secretive “emergency” allocations, vanity projects with no public value, padded travel, and budget gimmicks that hide the true costs. That behavior treats the people’s treasury like a political slush fund. It violates the most basic rule—our money not theirs.
🗣️ Our Money Not Theirs — Message to Every Official
Missourians expect three things: transparency, accountability, and results. Publish line-item budgets, open the books, show the bids, and justify the spending—before the vote, not after. If you can’t explain it in plain language to the folks paying the bill, don’t spend it.
We are the ones who fund your office, your salary, and your programs. Remember who signs the check: taxpayers. The public will not tolerate arrogance with our dollars. Again—our money not theirs.
🌾 Missouri’s Reminder to Washington
Out here, we know what a dollar of sweat looks like. Whether it’s a farmer in Polk County, a teacher in Lafayette, or a small shop owner in Cass, we’re the ones financing government. When I’m elected as your congressman, I’ll fight for open budgets, ban pay-to-play games, and require plain-English disclosures so folks can see exactly where their money goes. Because it’s our money not theirs.
💪 Bottom Line
Every dollar in every government account belongs to the American people. Officials are stewards, not owners. If they forget, we’ll remind them at the ballot box. Hold the line, Missouri—our money not theirs isn’t a slogan. It’s how a free people govern a free country.
💙 Chip in now to help keep government honest and accountable.
💪 Join our team and help amplify Missouri’s voice.
📖 Stay updated: rickydana.org/news-you-should-know
Sources:
National Constitution Center — Appropriations (“Power of the Purse”) Clause
Congressional Research Service — Authorization and Appropriations: An Overview (R44761)
U.S. Government Accountability Office — Principles of Federal Appropriations Law (“Red Book”)
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