On election night, a colleague from my days covering the state Capitol posted this note on Facebook: “The amount of money Whitman & Poizner both spent on this election would buy a McDonald’s Happy Meal for every man, woman & child in California. Plus, we’d be better off.”

There’s no need to settle for the Golden Arches.

Between them, Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner spent $140 per vote. That number will drop some, maybe $10 or $15, when all the absentee ballots are counted around the state. No need to pay for those who didn’t vote, or those who didn’t vote in the GOP primary. But their tab would have covered a nice meal for those of us who did. (For the record, that includes me.) Maybe not dinner at Chez Panisse or the French Laundry, but it would be plenty at some of the best restaurants in Sonoma County or practically anywhere else in the state. Heck, if they’ll pay $125 for dinner and drinks, I’ll spring for dessert and the tip.

If Meg and Steve are still in a spending mood, maybe my colleague Heather Irwin at Bite Club can suggest some $140 meals in Sonoma County …

— Jim Sweeney