So, we think it’d be a good idea if every member of the State Central Executive Committee raised the issue of staff pay and reimbursement tomorrow at Kentucky Democratic Party Headquarters. The quarterly meeting will be held at Dem HQ in Frankfort at 1:00 P.M. Eastern. If you’re a registered Democrat, the meeting is open to you.
Jeremy Horton is now telling field staff that– in addition to not receiving their final week of promised pay– mileage reimbursements will not be issued. In other words, the folks who did nothing but drive while fuel prices were out of this world expensive, won’t be receiving much-needed money that was promised to them before they took their jobs.
On an interesting note, we know with certainty (because they’ve told us and shown us) non-field employees of the Coordinated Campaign at KDP have received all of their pay and all of their reimbursements– including mileage. Fancy, eh? Stiffing the one group of employees who are the heart and soul of an entire organization.
The KDP is broke. We get it. Mismanagement and zero lack of common sense is the cause. But it’s no excuse for not paying staff members what they have been promised. It is certainly no excuse for not reimbursing expenses incurred during the course of everyday and necessary business. It’s potentially illegal, as we explained yesterday.
So.
We feel that the KDP, the Governor, and anyone else with the ability to raise money need to get to together to raise the funds necessary to pay staff and to dole out reimbursements. If the party big dogs can’t raise the funds to pay these people, then it’s time to get a loan. Immediately. Otherwise, high-level KDP staffers shouldn’t be receiving paychecks.
Maybe it’d be a good idea to force the big kids to pay the folks who are rightfully owed? Maybe Jennifer Moore could reimburse the party the $3,000 per month it’s paid her over the past year? Maybe Jeremy, who has done such awesome things as threaten people for merely being friendly with us and refuse to allow the 2007 Field Director to collect volunteer information, could reimburse the party for his wasted salary?
UPDATE: Turns out, not all of the non-field folks have received payment and reimbursement. Only a portion (maybe the four folks we interviewed?). So. It gets worse and worse.
UPDATE #2: Oh, wow, at least 25 non-field staffers are owed wages and reimbursements. Wow.
3 responses so far ↓
1 Optimistic Dem // Nov 21, 2008 at 4:30 pm
If the employees of the Democratic Party have not been paid or reimbursed then that is absolutely disgraceful and the party should fix it immediately. If they do not have the cash on hand to do so then they need to raise it immediately. Plan an event and raise some dough! I bet if you gave all of them an option they would probably help with the event so they could receive the money that is owed to them. Be honest with them and let them know the financial difficulties the party is going through and let them be part of the solution. My bet is that they all know some people who would contribute to help pay the wages owed. Not that it is their responsibility to do so but it is a solution to the problem.
Which brings me to the main point of my posting today…..solutions! I once had a boss that told all of his employees that if we had a problem or saw a problem in the company he would love to hear about it but when we were to speak with him about the problem we had to have an idea or two for a solution. Be proactive! I do believe this concept is one of the best I have learned in my professional life and it should be applied to everything. We lack this in Kentucky with our Democratic Party.
Everyone wants to point fingers and blame one or two people for the “downfall” of the Democratic Party when the truth is that it is not any one person’s fault and to even say “downfall” is a complete overstatement. The problems have existed for years and will continue to exist until we change the very nature of the way the party operates. We are working on a model that is outdated and ineffective.
It is going to be hard to transition to a party that fully utilizes the benefits of 21st century technologies and organizing cause there will inevitably be push back from a generation of good dems that aren’t familiar with the new technologies. That is where getting the younger people involved can build a bridge over a gap that exists right now. We need to figure out how to make this party work for everyone young and old, city and rural, and everyone in between. We need to make people part of the process not just dictating to them how “it should be done”.
Pointing fingers and blaming is easy and I guess for some it is fun but it is not productive. One of my favorite quotes “Be the change you wish to see in this world” by Gandhi is something we should all keep it in mind when discussing the issues that face our party after a disappointing election cycle here in Kentucky. We need to recognize that this is exactly what our President –elect Barack Obama would advocate for….finding what we can do together to make this a better party.
2 M.O. // Nov 21, 2008 at 4:32 pm
I have an idea which I think is pretty optimistic:
Pay those staffers what they’re owed (due to the fact that the KDP is supposed to be a party that supports labor) and fix an error and smooth over a bad reputation.
3 honestabe // Nov 21, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Maybe the KY GOP will pay the KDP employees….they are making it easy for us…..!!!!!
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