I have both positive and negative thoughts about the SCCA budget process,
but in the main I think we are well served by our Solo department and not
being overpriced.
For 2005, the insurance fee is $4.50 per driver. Without nitpicking on what
insurance should cost or what loss experience has been, yada yada, that's
fixed. Not part of the discussion.
For 2005, the sanction fee is $3.50 per driver (you can cut it to $3.00 per
by sending in results with addresses). Not really a whole lot to be a major
funding source for the department. The staff has to travel to put on premier
events, and really should travel on occasion also to be the support we need
otherwise. They shouldn't just hide in the Topeka ivory tower and be out of
touch.
Talking about the conduct of club racing being in the regions' hands is not
entirely accurate. The races are in the regions' hands, but the programs are
more in the divisions' hands. The stewards, monitoring of license holders,
scoring of championships, are all divisional procedures with a fair-size
volunteer staff doing all that. Divisionally, most solo programs have a
volunteer staff or 2 or 3. Racing has dozens.
According to the staff directory I just got this week from SCCA, both Club
Racing and Solo are departments of four people (with Solo still covering for
road rally, which I'd thought was being split off to its own). The biggest
department is member services (8 people, not counting the two in Region
Services).
The one point where I have always disagreed with the accounting is in
allocating the office cost -- although I am not an accountant and those who
are tell me this is standard practice. It just seems to me that the office
costs X to operate whether it is 50/50 between race and solo or 70/30 or
90/10. If Solo went away, the office would still cost X to operate. Seems
"office cost" ought to be its own item outside of other departments, with
the expectation it will always operate at a loss (the office does not
generate income, the departments do, but the office is necessary to support
the departments at whatever level of support they require). However, that
loss should always be justified to keep it within reason. And, the bottom
line should be able to cover the office operating loss (if bottom line is
negative, office is one place to look but so is any department that is
marginal). In other words, taking the heating bill and saying "43% of
members check off solo on their membership so 43% of the heating bill gets
charged to solo" just seems silly to this non-accountant, but accountants
say it's a common way to do it so I'm not arguing for change. I just think
it gives a false picture of true cost.
Not saying I like sanction/insurance fees going up. We just decided to raise
our entry fees because of it, but the new fees are still less than many
surrounding Regions so we don't feel bad about it. Things cost more than
they used to. My tires cost more, my gas costs more, I cannot expect my SCCA
not to cost more. I blame Dubya (don't argue politics, he's just handy).
--Rocky Entriken
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