When Did That Happen?

[kevin_standlee]

Well, I sure didn't notice until it was pointed out to us that Denvention Three raised their supporting membership price to $50 (from $40) on January 1, just in time for Hugo Nominating to open. That's rather unfortunate. It's legal, don't get me wrong -- the price cap is 125% of their $40 advance supporting membership ("voting fee"). I just think it's unfortunate, at least if you want to encourage people to vote. I have to say that this tendency to keep raising the prices on such low-overhead-cost memberships makes the prospect of requiring voting-rights-only (no publications) memberships at a relatively low cost a more attractive idea. I'm not going to launch a campaign for it, though, as I don't think there are enough votes for it. Business Meeting fandom is likely to be pretty happy with the status quo in this department.

Comments

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

With fewer paper publications, the current supporting membership is edging closer to a voting-only membership already. The perceived benefits of a supporting membership continue to decrease.

I don't consider a voting-only membership to be a poll tax. You have to pay membership dues to be a member of an organization. It's not the same thing as having to pay a tax to vote for your government. Considering WSFS membership dues to be a poll tax presupposes that everyone has a right to vote in WSFS elections without having to purchase a membership.