Der Gasser- Letter to Editor

[Brian Minkin]

Having an opt out option for De Gasser is not as easy as it appears to be.  We get our mailing list of members monthly from National PCA.  RTR does not keep membership records.  This service is supplied by national PCA.  There is not a provision in the national database for an opt out field for local newsletters.  To achieve this RTR would have to start maintaining its own database of member records and do additions, deletions and address changes every month.  Anybody up for this job? In addition new members would need to be contacted by a representative of RTR and asked if they opt in or out of the local newsletter.

I am running for Editor next year and I hope we will find a way to continue delivering a quality local newsletter in printed format. How many issues a year depends on budget numbers that come from membership dues and advertising income. Perhaps a change in format that would reduce production costs may help. The board has already taken steps that reduced postage costs which are the largest single component of the cost to publish a printed newsletter.  Unfortunately the poor financial condition of the USPS probably means that postage costs will go up and erode this savings.

Other regions have the luxury of having a huge base of advertisers to support their newsletter but that is not the case for RTR.  RTR will continue to have a newsletter for its members but monthly may not be possible unless it becomes an electronic newsletter.