I'm replying to myself again, which means I just can't let this go.
Before critics of what I've said come back to reply (if they will), please allow me to detail just what went into this banquet.
Let's begin with the financials (all of which are public record):
--cost of banquet hall and food and phone line (for credit cards): $1938 plus change
--cost of credit card terminal and one month of credit card services: $110
--cost of first run of 1,000 flyers advertising the event, and 3,000 flyers to be distributed at the May NRA convention*: ~$110.00
--cost of guns sold from the Shooters Shop: $7138.
--cost of guns sold from anonymous private collector: $2725
Total expenses = (within a few dollars) $12,021.00
Net "profit" after expenses = approximately $7,000.00
Now, let's look at the human cost:
--distribution of flyers to gun stores, clubs and ranges: unknown
--volunteer time at the NRA convention: unknown (Strings, aka "Hunter Rose," aka "Bill" was there; so was I; and I understand that there were a few others who volunteered to show up who did. There were also many, many people who said they'd distribute flyers outside the convention, but who never showed up. *That's why we were left with probably 2900 of the 3000 flyers).
--banquet volunteers: Sharon V (the blonde in the red sweater who sat at the admission table all night, ate her food there, and didn't get to see the "show"); Mike M (the big guy with the beard and gray-striped shirt who was working like crazy to record all of the auction bids, and get payment, and who took a half-day off from his own business to do so); Larry C. (who didn't eat dinner, but instead watched the guns while the dinner and show went on); Jerry K (who took a full vacation day to help out); Chuck R (who was waiting patiently until I had the full list of guns, and then printed out the signs for them); Janet H (known here as "Spoon," who walked the guns around the room during the auction); Jack S (who worked the admissions table); and others
--"ralliers" like Chris T and Patrick M who got a lot of people to buy tickets for the banquet.
--volunteers like Pete from the Shooters Shop who took his day off to bring the guns to the banquet, shine them up, answer questions, and then return them to the shop sometime after midnight on his "day off."
And let's not forget Massad Ayoob, as he was the main reason why people showed up. Massad didn't ask for a dime for his great speech. He did ask if his guest could get a seat at the dinner, which was a question that didn't need to be asked.
Let's compare that to THR's favorite outspoken 2A supporter, Ted Nugent. His folks wanted $25,000 for him to to show up. Plus first-class airfare, and a five-star hotel.
And let's not forget people like David Maglio and Andy Vissers from Firearms Training Associates who spent a lot of hours coordinating Massad's schedule, as well as contributing certificates and direct contributions to the WCCM.
And, then, there's my time. (Yeah, I know, I know: don't volunteer
).
I spend on average an hour a night recording contributions (both on paper and electronically), or just balancing the accounts. That doesn't count the hours that I have to spend calling people who sent in corporate checks, or checks that represent contributions from second party contributors, or anything else that's remotely illegal. And a lot of those people like to talk. For hours.
How much time have I spent? I don't know. I do know that it will be at least a week before I have all of the contributions from those who paid that night recorded both on paper and on the state elections board Excel spreadsheet.
Add all of the above up. Let's put the volunteer time at $10 an hour. This was an expensive event.
Dolomite, Clipper: if I had been able to get the owner of The Shooters Shop to just give $7138 in cash, and the anonymous private collector to give $2725 in cash, the banquet wouldn't even have been necessary! Those two contributions would have exceeded what the banquet brought in.
Instead of recording 100 to 200 contributions, I could have just recorded two. It would have taken less than half an hour. No volunteers necessary, and nobody would have to have taken time off of work.
But that's not the way it works, and I just have no idea why.
The greatest number of emails from people who say that they're "willing to do anything" to help get concealed carry passed come the very day after we've been defeated.
And the people who say they're "willing to do anything" generally mean they're willing to do nothing more than complain. If they were more willing, they would have contacted me before our defeats.
I'm now at a point in my life where I really don't think I have a dog in this fight. My chances of being asked to "step out of the car, sir" and be patted down are slim. I drive an older Saturn with "Endangered Species" plates (a hand-me-down from my wife). I'm not exactly Public Enemy.
But I do plan on continuing the WCCA/WCCM until at least after the November elections, if for no other reason than the fact that nobody else seems to want the job. (There are a couple of people who have said they want at least a part of it; I hope they're sincere).
Dolomite, you described my comment about $50 for freedom as being "unfair."
Spend five years going up to Madison, trying to rally people for CCW, trying to raise money for candidates (which, by the way, is how you get invited to the Capitol, I'm sorry to say), and do all the other crap that you will soon find yourself told to do...or else.
Then let's talk about what's "fair" and what is not.
There is no "fair." There's just reality. And anybody who thinks that their $50 contribution is all they have to do to guarantee that we will win is living in some alternative reality.
Yes, Green has raised more money this year than Doyle. But Doyle still has a incredible lead over Green when it comes to cash on hand.
There's my arguments. There's my whines. There's my rants. There's my self-imposed self-pity.
Tell me I'm wrong, though. You cannot.
We will either win what I have now dubbed the "trifecta," meaning the control of the Governorship, the Senate and the Assembly, or we will lose. Completely. No if's and's or but's about it.
And if that cost isn't worth $50 over what Gander Mountain charges for a gun, then God help us all.
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