The Sacramento County Republican Party (SCRP) is once again acting much like the Keystone Cops. The tone deaf, authoritarian leadership of the group has resulted in their website going down. Why because they won’t pay their bill for web hosting. And that’s not all!
Member Ken Henderson designed and hosted the site at his own expense. After a few months, SCRP leadership said they wanted a more professional looking site with more ability to upgrade content. Henderson offered them a package for about $1,000. They refused to offer due to cost.
The leadership was not very grateful for Henderson’s contribution and started grumbling. They weren’t happy that he wouldn’t drop everything and do updates to the site when they demanded it. He offered—at a reduced rate—to give them the level of service that they demanded but the committee refused. The concept of paying customers that help Henderson cover his bills getting preferential treatment just made them angry. Henderson told them that they would have to pay for the hosting of the site. Monthly bills we submitted to the Committee for web hosting.
The relationship between SCRP and Henderson continued to deteriorate. Finally, at the May meeting Chairman Susan Blake publically threw Henderson under the bus. She went on at length detailing the perceived lack of service provided by Henderson because he was putting other customers first and not doing things per the committee’s request. Clearly the committee’s idea of a schedule “was we need this done now”. Blake severed the relationship and then announced that they needed a professional person to do their website and give them the level of service that they demanded. A search would commence at once to find a new website designer.
At the June meeting, Blake introduced a proposal for a new website design from a professional vendor. This proposal was introduced on the heels of a Treasurer’s Report detailing the fact that income to the committee was anticipated to be reduced to a trickle by December with virtually no foreseeable income for 2011. Blake’s aggressive negotiation resulted in a deal with the new vendor for a mere $3,800. This proposal was put to a vote of the committee and passed with only one NO vote, mine.
Later in the meeting, Blake was considering an agenda item to fill a vacancy on the committee. She admitted that the proper meeting notice was not sent to members and asked for a suspension of the Bylaws so the vacancy could be filled. This request was granted and the vacancy was filled.
OK so how can the vote to enter into a $3,800 contract for web services that they admittedly cannot afford be valid when later in the same meeting the Chair admits the meeting was not properly noticed? The so-called Parliamentarian at the meeting sat completely silent during this whole discussion.
This week the stuff finally hit the fan and the SCRP website was shut off due to the web hosting bill not being paid. The committee contacted Henderson and asked what happened to the website? He informed them that they were shut off because they did not pay their bill. The committee’s response was, “what bill.” Henderson had to explain to them that the little paper that was sent to them each month since December that they received in the mail was called a bill. A bill is for goods or services provided to someone. If the bill is not paid then the goods get taken away and services are terminated. Further that the law says these bills need to be paid. I’m sure he had to use small words in his efforts to try and communicate the need for someone at SCRP to pay their bills. Also they were told to find another ISP because the current one did not enjoy being publicly tossed under the bus.
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