New Year, New Rant (Actually, Old Rant)

I got a card in the mail the week after Christmas inviting me to the Adel/Cook County Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner.  I've never been, but it's every January, it's $25/head, and it's usually pretty lame.  This year it's in the High School Cafeteria.  That about says it.

I got another card last week telling me that the deadline for RSVP to this event was extended to the 8th of January.  The date doesn't matter, it's the fact that they can't find anyone to attend.  The reason for the extension was that the Chamber couldn't get their shit together in time to send the original invites out.

I learned later that the President of the Chamber of Commerce, after holding the position for less than one year, had resigned.  I knew instantly why she did such a thing.

The board sucks.  I'm sorry if you're on the board at the Chamber of Commerce in Adel, but the board sucks.  For several reasons.  However, I can only name two.

1.  The board is slow at making decisions.  I know this because I, along with a few other businesses in Adel, submitted a quote for a website redesign in JUNE 2009.  Nothing has been changed as of yet.  Last word is that they have formed a committee to look in to it.

2.  The president of the chamber has no power.  I offered backup services (badly needed) for about $17 per month, and the president simply said she'd have to get approval from the board.  WHAT THE HELL?  What exactly does the President of the Chamber of Commerce get to do?

That's not my decision to make.

Anyway, I'm not going to the dinner.  Mostly because I don't have the $50 to pay for myself and my wife, and I don't want to leave the kids with anyone else.  And because I don't like anything that happens in a high school cafeteria.

I just wanted to express my opinion on a local issue.  Also, the local "legal organ," A.K.A. the newspaper, or the Adel Tribune, is garbage.  There is no progressive news in there.  Just police reports, forclosures, and poorly-written reports and op-eds.  Don't waste your money.  I could get so much more done passing a letter-size piece of paper around every week.

Can you believe they wanted me to pay to put a computer help column in?   Well, I didn't have to pay, but I would have to get the column sponsored.  How about "your paying subscribers sponsor the column?"  No.  Maybe I'll publish my own newsletter, then.

[Disclaimer: Ben has been drinking. Ignore errors in type.  There are no errors in judgment.]