The Alabama Education Association (AEA) had a tough day on Tuesday. After the traditionally Democratic-leaning group spent roughly $7 million dollars to influence Republican primary elections, they weren’t able to win any statewide races or senate contests, and only picked up a handful of low-profile house seats.
RELATED: Alabama’s Republican primary was an unmitigated disaster for the AEA
The AEA, however, claimed victory, saying they feel like they won 6 house seats. Even if that’s the case, it’s hard to imagine it being a “victory” to spend over a million dollars per win in local state legislative races where campaign budgets are usually counted in the tens-of-thousands, not millions.
So all of that got us at Yellowhammer thinking; if the AEA just wanted to waste $7 million of teachers’ money, what other options might they have had?
Well… Here’s what we came up with.
1. L’Oiseleur doll toy
L’Oiseleur (The Bird Trainer) is the most expensive (and creepiest?) toy in the world. This 4-foot-tall, one-of-a-kind automaton holding a flute and dressed in Renaissance garb has over 2,000 polished-steel parts. If you’re into that kind of thing, it can be yours for between $6 million and $7 million.
2. 1964 Ford GT40 Prototype
This factory race car, which finished third at Daytona in 1965, sold at auction for an astounding $7 million in April of this year.
3. Kim Jong Un’s yacht
While his people starve and live in isolation from the rest of the world, North Korean dictator Kim John Un relaxes with Dennis Rodman on this $7 million yacht.
4. Mark Zuckerberg’s house
Considering the fact that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is worth over $25 billion, he and his wife live a relatively modest lifestyle in this $7 million home.
5. Kim Kardashian’s engagement ring
The 15-carat diamond ring Kanye West gave to Kim Kardashian reportedly set him back “at least $6 million,” according to Universal Jewelers in New York City.
6. Nick Saban for a year
University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban’s recently announced new contract is worth about $7 million per year.
7. All of the Obamas’ assets
President Obama’s total net worth is around $7 million, according to a financial disclosure form released by the White House.
8. A pair of dueling dinosaur skeletons
The “Montana dueling dinosaurs” sold at auction last year for over $7 million. According to The Verge, “the fossil contains a tyrannosaurid and ceratopsian, intertwined in what some believe was a prehistoric death match.”
9. Help find the Malaysian jet
As of last month, the United States military had allocated over $7 million to help find missing Malaysian Flight 370.
10. Cell phones for everyone in the world who lost theirs today
Internet security firm Lookout Mobile conducted a study recently showing that about $7 million worth of smartphones are lost every single day.
RELATED: Recapping Alabama’s 2014 primary elections in 90 seconds
Follow Cliff on Twitter @Cliff_Sims
