The Democratic Party in Carbon County is homeless. The Executive Board meets in the basement of an inn in Jim Thorpe, our clubs meet in restaurants and nursing homes, and we have no place to store campaign materials, train volunteers, or run phone banks.
I had this idea that we would find 100 progressive people in Carbon County to donate $100 annually to rent a headquarters on a long-term lease. (My first idea was to bank the money until we had a down payment and actually buy a headquarters, but people pointed out that we needed one now.) The headquarters would be located in Lehighton, Jim Thorpe, or Nesquehoning on a main street, it would be handicapped accessible, and it would be relatively inexpensive. I figured $500 a month rent plus $150 a month for utilities, with the Party’s insurance providing liability protection.
In January I began asking for pledges. I quickly realized that $100 was too much for some people in Carbon County, so I decided to accept pledges for $25 or $50 as well.
In February I presented the proposal to the County Executive Board, and the members endorsed the concept by an overwhelming vote. A committee to investigate possible office spaces was appointed, and we have looked at potential rentals in all three towns.
Here is the problem. The pledges are not exactly pouring in. We do have a fat cat in California (who is actually very svelte) who pledged the first month’s rent, but the total pledges so far are just over $3000, not quite a third of what I thought we’d need.
Any suggestions?
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