Leesburg Today has an article about the use of the franking privilege, specifically Frank Wolf's use. For the uninitiated, franking is the privilege given to members of Congress that allows them to send mail to their constituents for free by signing their name in the upper right hand corner, where a stamp normally be placed.
Franking is one of the reasons that incumbents are hard to unseat. While franking cannot be used for campaign purposes (in much the same way that campaign calls and work cannot be done from a congressional office), incumbents can tout their accomplishments to everyone in their district for free, while challengers have to pay the costs associated with material creation and postage.
Frank Wolf has used franking in the past more heavily in election years:
The numbers show that franked mail from that office goes up in election years. Wolf spent $90,417 in 2002, an election year, but only $73,304 the next year. In the next election year, 2004, Wolf spent $115,881 on franked mail. In 2005, when there was no election, the amount dropped to $66,285. As of May 23, Wolf had spent $34,232 this year.
This year, Wolf changed the design and style of his franked mail:
+óGé¼+ôThe format has changed,+óGé¼-¥ said Wolf Chief of Staff Dan Scandling, noting that previously the 26-year congressman sent a single annual mailing. That mailing was made in a newspaper-style format and offered all of the congressman+óGé¼Gäós votes for the year. The new format includes 8.5-inch by 11-inch glossy, full-color, card-stock mailers that closely resemble the campaign mailers typically seen during election cycles. The new format also includes sending press releases to individual homes.
There are two explanations for doing this. Scandling:
Scandling said the format changed because there was a feeling that the old newsletters were not being read and those newsletters included a hefty postage cost.
+óGé¼+ôThat+óGé¼Gäós the time that Americans now have+óGé¼-ªbecause we+óGé¼Gäóre inundated with newspapers, with television,+óGé¼-¥ Scandling said, explaining that smaller fliers enable Wolf to get key issues before the eyes of voters more quickly.
+óGé¼+ôYou+óGé¼Gäóve got to be able to communicate with constituents,+óGé¼-¥ Scandling said. +óGé¼+ôYou have to be able to get your message out.+óGé¼-¥
However, I think this IS the more likely explanation:
Wolf+óGé¼Gäós challenger this time around, Judy Feder, a published scholar who serves as dean for Georgetown University+óGé¼Gäós Public Policy Institute, had $268,373 remaining in her campaign fund as of March 31 compared with Wolf+óGé¼Gäós $451,766. Unlike, Socas, she has been in the region for the last 30 years.