Museum Issue-NOT A QUESTION

[R W Burgess]

Peter, we really need our regular moderator discussion forum put back in place to discuss issues like we are having.

 

Ok, the Museum:

A new posted came on today asking all kinds of questions about the finanials (can't spell it, too pissed) and other tax information that I don't feel should be public, regardless of what our Government says. I hid those two new ones by CarHunter and John's answer. 

 

I posted my phone number yet again and I started to Lock the Thread, but was advised not to do it right yet. I am close though. This has gone on long enough. It's over, get over it people. (speaking to the Museum now)

 

Anyway, maybe I'll cool down shortly.

 

Wayne (where's my drink?)

 

PS, Steve asked that I put these posts in view again, but I am not happy about it. For those of you who knew him? I can just imagine what HVS would have done!!! 

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[MCHinson]

You still have one response from John Saylor hidden. I think you should unhide that one too. 

[R W Burgess]

Let's leave it hid..,.. Working on something.

[MCHinson]

Well, you have apparently now deleted carhunter's two recent posts so now none of the replys that quote him make any sense. They make us look bad for deleting his posts yet leaving the replies that quoted him. Since his posts have been deleted, I would suggest hiding all of the replys. 

 

He obviously just registered to ask some stupid questions that attempt to make the club look bad but we don't need to help him with that.

[R W Burgess]

I did not do that do that.... Let me look.

Looks like he deleted it himself. I will go through them again.

 

And, unlike Bob I am not going to let these outsiders from the Museum continue to come on our forum taking pot shots at us, regardless of how it makes me look. We have discussed this to death. It should have been locked down a week ago.

[MCHinson]

You are correct. I just checked the moderator logs and carhunter deleted it himself.

 

Check out my posts. ( One I just did and one I am about to post)

[R W Burgess]

Looks good Matt.

[MCHinson]

I realize we don't typically discuss moderation but I thought it important to point out that we did not delete his two posts. He registered on the site, posted two explosive posts, got everybody all riled up, and then deleted his two posts. It looked like we deleted them out of anger, which makes me think he was simply attempting to try to discredit the club and the forum moderators.

 

And the museum's title of document 14 pissed me off! That is childish. I guess they think that the average member will feel that Steve is overpaid. While I may not have made that much as as cop, I certainly know people who make a lot more than Steve makes doing a lot less work in a much less stressful job. Steve thanks for all that you do for the club.

[Steve Moskowitz]

Thanks Matt.  Here is an article that MAY be published.  Sorry I did not notice your last post.

 

The museum has tried to make an issue of AACA compensation to our staff.  It is beneath our dignity and sense of fair play to make comments about the museum’s finances but we certainly could.  So let’s examine the issue of our executive director.  Steve has started on his 14^th year on the job.  In those years the museum has had five (5) executive directors and several interim executive directors.  To our knowledge there was severance pay involved with some of those that were terminated.  In fact there have been other museum employees who were also terminated and our sources have told us they were also given severance pay.  In that time you may ask how many were fired at AACA?  One part-time person.  How much severance pay was given out?  None.  This is one way the club can afford to pay his salary.  We felt Steve should have a chance at responding as well.

“It should not be necessary to explain myself but given the museum’s attempt at trying to find anything that would throw our membership off and away from the issues of our failed merger I will bring a very private matter out into the open.  Terry Bond, Doug Drake, Earl Beauchamp, Mike Jones and Joe Vicini were on the selection committee and I am sure will back up my comments (sadly Janet Ricketts and Jim Raines are no longer with us).  When it came to my compensation, the committee knew that I had another offer that was far more lucrative for me and that my starting salary was not an issue.  I told them give me a year or two and then you decide if I am worth more.  I took this job when Mrs. Ricketts and our accounting firm had finished a study which stated that at the pace the club was going it would run out of cash in a few years.  I told them I would fix that issue and as a team we did just that.  We did it without cutting anything and in fact raised the bar with our magazine going to full color, better trophies, given our staff a retirement program and increasing salaries and generally fixing this club to operate as a business.  I am very, very proud that AACA is now on a solid financial footing and proud that we did a lot of it without putting our hand out.  We found new and innovative ways to bring income into the club.  I also became the executive director of the Library on taking this job which paid a salary but I refused it and have never taken a dime from them.  Our library is a treasure and has a hard enough time finding income so I was not going to make their battle any harder.

Over the years, the board did give me merit raises.  One large one and a couple smaller ones. However, as this board and past boards will tell you.  I have refused raises and bonuses numerous times over the years. I distinctly remember one board member telling me in a meeting I had no right to turn down a raise or bonus which I knew was meant well but nevertheless I did refuse. I am the only employee who does not take a Christmas bonus.

Look, I am paid well.  Not more than other ED’s of similar size organizations and not as much as I could have made in the private sector.  Yes, I was offered another job a few years ago and it was very tempting but in the end my work here was not finished. I came here to see if I could give back to a hobby I love and to AACA.  I have always worked long hours many times they include Saturdays and Sundays.  I am here late most days and personal vacations day have been less than 40 in all these years!!  

So, no tears for me, many people have their salaries published as they are in the public domain but understand that there is always far more background into those than you may know.  No one at AACA is making more than they are worth.  Everyone here puts in extra hours, does not ask for compensatory time off and gives this club so much more than you will ever know.  I can only ask you to think about the people who posted another organizations business and determine if it was an attempt at personal vindictiveness. This may give you an insight to their souls and why the merger failed.”