AGAINST by Far
I am writing to encourage a vote AGAINST the resolution to hire a staffer. I think this resolution overestimates what having a person on staff would be feasibly able to do, and also allocates $26000 of our chapter’s budget towards a paid position that offers an unrealistic salary for the costs of living in our region and no other benefits. The assertion that this position will pay for itself with an influx of new dues paying members seems completely unrealistic. Taking the most common dues selection that members choose for their membership which is $10 per month, this person would need to get 167 new dues paying members every month in order to break even within the year. We happen to have an influx of $20,000 this year due to a generous donation, but this is an aberration, and not something we can base long-term decisions on. Our chapter has many other immediate needs for budget, particularly the need for regularly accessible event space to hold our many meetings and in person events. I would rather see a more democratic budget process where we are able to survey our general membership to arrive at a use for our budget that truly meets our campaign needs and grows our work. Further, beyond purely practical issues, offloading basic organizing tasks to a paid position is not a philosophy I can endorse. While it may seem tempting to just pay someone to do unfavorable tasks to free up capacity, I simply don’t agree that the tasks being laid out for this position are unfavorable. The skills of doing listwork, and making organizing asks, reaching comrades one on one, these are all foundational skills we must build in our members if we are to grow and sustain our movement. Ultimately, there are no paid shortcuts, building a better world will require us to lean into discomfort, and unfortunately to sacrifice our time and energy. We will grow our membership most sustainably by the good work we do, and by creating an environment that cultivates hope to which people are drawn. So I urge you to vote against this resolution, and participate actively in discussions to guide our future budget priorities.