Re: GWAPA

["S. Hieber" <shieber@yahoo.com>]

I apologize to each of you that might have found my
comments offensive or unkind. 

Rarely am I one to resort to the phrase "our differences
are mostly over semantics." but that might be the case
here.

My use of the term "dismal", an adjective so often reserved
for describing the science of economics in general,
referred only to the fact that AGA is a deficit operation.
Blame it on my financial background -- I guess my fiscal
slip is showing. 

If you will indulge me, I'll try to say better what I
meant. One way to end deficits is to reduce costs, as you
mentioned. Although, cost cuts are eventually eaten up by
inflation or worse, lead to reduced operations and a
vicious cycle of reduced revs, more cost cuts, reduced
operations, etc. Imo, as a rule of thumb, long term the
solution to a defict operation is increased revenues --
cost cuts are almost always short term solutions for a
deficit operation. I don't propose a big bank account as a
goal, just moving away from deficit operations, which I
know we all would like to see.  My point was that
convention surplus revenues won't do it but increased
membership will -- so increasing membership should be the
underlying goal (or at least a primary consideration) even
for a convention.

I also think that TAG going to something less than full
color would be sad to say the least. It's such a great
journal and deserves color.

Nor am I predicting that AGA will dissolve. In fact, I'm
confident that it can continue to be on the forefront of
this growing hobby. And I think that is going to be due our
increasing membership.

It's sort of like "free will" in a predetermined universe
-- it will happen but only because we will make it so.

s-loppy h-euristics

--- Karen Randall <krandall@rdrcpa.biz> wrote:
> 
> > Long term, it won't do much for AGA's dismal financial
> > prospects.
> 
> I have to disagree there.  I don't think our prospects
> ARE dismal.  In a
> VERY WORST case scenario, we could take TAG back to 2
> issues of B&W and 2
> issues of color each year.  I'm not in any way saying
> that this is something
> I'd like to see happen, but we've made a lot of big moves
> in the last few
> years, and they have cost us money.  By moving TAG
> production to Texas, I
> suspect we will be very close to, if not at , break even
> for the magazine.
> 
> Our goal has never been just to have a big treasury. In
> fact, there was
> quite a period of time when we couldn't think of ways to
> spend the money
> that kept trickling in.<g>  The trouble was we couldn't
> find a way to make
> baby steps.  We had to take some big giant steps that
> drew down our reserves
> considerably.  I think we're turning the corner now, and
> we're on the way
> back up.  But even if I'm wrong, and we had to scale
> back, it would be
> disappointing, but not the end of the world, or even AGA
> and TAG.
> Aquaplanta is mostly B&W, they don't pay for ANY of their
> speakers expenses,
> they have NO money, NO web site, and they still have a
> good strong
> membership.  Christel was absolutely amazed by what we
> have done.
> 
> I think we should keep working to make things better, of
> course.  But I
> don't think things are so bad, either.


=====
S. Hieber

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