Real-Life Math -- Solution
65,000 x 0.35 = $22,750 (business contributions)
$65,000
- $22,750 = $42,250
$42,250 - $15,000 (personal contribution) = $27,250
You
will have to plan to raise $27,250 in your fund-raising campaign.
Math
skills are important during a campaign for "[M]aking the dollar go as far
as you can because you never have enough money to do everything you want to,"
says Nan Whaley. She's a city commissioner in Dayton, Ohio.
After
you're elected, you'll continue to rely on your math skills. "Math is helpful,
so you know when people are snowing you," says Whaley. "There are budget and
tax analysts [that you hear from], so if you understand that it's very helpful.
"And [for] managing the city's budgets -- it's important to have
an understanding of government finance."
Being able to use math means
you can figure things out for yourself, and not have to rely on others to
interpret things for you.
"If you don't have the numeracy skills,
you'll sink in this job," says Duane Nicol. He's a city politician in Selkirk,
Manitoba. "It's absolutely critical to have basic mathematics, especially
financial math.
"Understanding interest rates, compound interest,
the time value of money -- all of those concepts are critical to making good
decisions," Nicol adds. "Any time a financial statement is put in front of
me I ask detailed questions because those numbers are so easily manipulated.
"I would say I use my math skills at council more than
any other hard skill, even more than the social studies and language arts
that I used in school."