<VV> HERE'S HOW TO FIX CORSA

[Brent Fullard]

Brent,
> 
What do you think of my comments?

Well, since you asked:

Your comments below would lead to the conclusion that CORSA fees have
increased at the rate of inflation ($38.40) and then some ($45.00 minus
$38.40) to cover the cost of additional benefits and services, making a
membership in CORSA an attractive value proposition to its current
membership base of some 4,000 people

Meanwhile, my comment about the ³price elasticity of demand² was in
reference to the concept of indiscriminately increasing fees as the
salve-all solution to CORSA¹a funding woes and my comment was intended as a
cautionary observation.


On 12/10/09 6:02 PM, "Bruce Schug" <bwschug at att.net> wrote:

> On Dec 10, 2009, at 5:17 PM, Brent Fullard wrote:
> 
>> Re: ³Adjust dues each year so that they cover operating expenses. It is what
>> it is.²
>> 
>> I  respectfully suggest that you acquaint yourself with the economic concept
>> of ³Price elasticity of demand².  See:
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Price_elasticity_of_demand
>> 
>> CORSA is far from being an essential service that people are unable to live
>> without, for which such a pricing philosophy might be justified.
>> 
>> CORSA needs to provide good value for service, rather than considering
>> itself to be the equivalent of a monopoly phone company from the sixties.
> 
> Brent,
> 
> You may remember reading this, which I wrote a week or so ago. It addresses
> the value of CORSA and puts it in a historical perspective regarding
> inflation. WHat do you think of my comments?
> 
> 
> INTERESTING FACT:
> 
> In Preliminary Newsletter #3, no date, but references to 4-1-1970
> CORSA dues had been set effective July 1, 1970 as follows:
> Charter Members: $6 annually
> Regular Members: $6 annually
> Family Members: $1 extra annually for all
> Life Members: $100 single fee
> Honorary Membership: no charge
> 
> According to my favorite inflation calculator:
> http://www.westegg.com/inflation/
>  the $6 that CORSA dues were in 1970 equals $32.92 in 2008 dollars.
> The $1 extra for a family membership would bring this to $38.40.
> 
> And what did you not get in 1970 that you get now???
> 
> A glossy color Communique magazine instead of a black and white
> newsletter.
> A web site.
> Insurance which not only covers you but allows you to have events that
> you couldn't afford to have on your own.
> Availability of the Tech Guide.
> Availability of the membership roster.
> Availability of CORSA merchandise.
> Free e-mail lists - VV, FV, Stock, etc.
> 
> What am I missing?
> 
> You may argue that not all of these are free or done by CORSA but if
> there was no CORSA do you think they'd exist?
> 
> PART of the problem is that, I believe, as we age, we get set in our
> ways and can't handle change as well as we used to. This includes
> prices we must pay for things. That's why we complain about the cost
> of everything, "Why, I used to go to the movies for a quarter, not
> they want seven dollars!". CORSA dues are no different. Because of our
> demographics, many of us still think we should get all the benefits of
> CORSA for $6.
> 
> Time to wake up folks. It's almost 2010.
> 
> 
> 
>  
> Bruce
> 
> Bruce W. Schug
> Treasurer, Membership Chairman
> CORSA South Carolina
> CORSA member since 1980
> Performance Corvair Group
> Stock Corvair Group
> VirtualVairs
> FastVairs
> '67 Monza, "67AC140"
> bwschug at att.net
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  
> 
>