To stretch your analogy a bit, isn't it possible that the Jefferson Chamber is just an overfed, chubby tot and not even a gawky teenager? I don't think the Chamber needs any more handouts. If you think the Chamber is a mess today, don't forget it reached this condition after seven years of heavy-duty financial hand-outs from the City.

The Chamber should exist to support and strengthen its member businesses. It should get back to the basics. It's not in the City's development business. Indeed, it is easy to see there is great potential for conflict of interest if it was. If you operate a gas station, do you want your Chamber working to encourage another gas station to come to town?

Your editorial gave the impression that Olsen was the only person to hold the Commerce and Industry Association (CIA) position. It was held first by Bob Coffman. He resigned when he found the opportunity to build and manage a gas station on the south edge of town.

Who benefited when the City gave $41,000 a year to the CIA to pay an Executive Director? The Chamber. By most accounts, Executive Director David Olsen spent 95% of his time on Chamber work. The CIA wasn't supposed to do anything but supervise his position, and the Jefferson Development Corporation (JDC) certainly didn't have enough inquiries from business park prospects to warrant a full-time position. Which other private organization in the City has a full-time director paid with tax dollars?

During these seven years, the City also gave the Chamber separate funding of up to $10,000 each year. Does the Chamber do so much more for Jefferson as a whole than the Kiwanis, the Rotary, the Lions, the Optimists, the Freemasons and Jaycees combined? A smart person once suggested to me that Jefferson would be better served by spending the money on a landscaper to beautify the streets and parks.

The subsidies didn't strengthen the Chamber. It never had to raise its own money for a full-time director. The Board never examined its own balance sheet closely enough to realize that $30,000 had disappeared. It only pays $75 a month for rent for its office space in a City building. The City paid for its phone system and computer. And again the Chamber cries for more City money? It's acting like a spoiled child.

Chamber members have tried to make changes. In 1999, members forced a referendum question to allow the membership to see the full details of the Chamber's finances. The Board fought the measure, led by Olsen. It failed. That's unfortunate. Even most Board members had never been told about the $30,000 reserve fund until November 2001. Even past and current Presidents had no idea. Until November 2001, the City Council was never told of the reserve whenever the Chamber had its palm extended for more money. Who did the hiding? Olsen bought the certificate of deposit and prepared the misleading financial statements given to the Board each month.

Many Chamber members wish they could become part of the Board and change the way it operates. However, the election is rigged. Volunteering to run for an open seat isn't enough to get on the ballot. Who rigs the election? The Nominating Committee picks the names that appear on the ballot. That Committee is led by Executive Director Olsen, and composed of one or two other members he selects.

In 1999, twelve members volunteered to run for eight open seats on the Chamber Board. Only eight names were put on the ballot. Because of this ridiculousness, in 2000 only three members volunteered to run for two open seats. Only two names were allowed on the ballot. The third wasn't. In 2000, the Nominating Committee didn't even meet in person. They met by telephone, said Olsen. During the same month as that election, two other Board members were appointed, not elected. One was a pro-forma member from F&M Bank who had come to town only days before. Most Board members had never met him, but nevertheless they added him to the Board.

I think I have the right to say "I told you so." In March 2001, it was my open records request and examination of the CIA's financial records that revealed Olsen's creation of an unauthorized retirement fund, and his creative methods of funding it. He'd neglected to inform the CIA Board about it at previous meetings. Similarly, he'd doubled his health insurance benefit to $1,000 a month without prior approval.

I believe the CIA disbanded because of Olsen's abuse of the position, and from a desire of the City to distance itself from the Chamber. I think the JDC disbanded because some of its members didn't like the public attention from these many disputes. Thankfully, the rest of the JDC Board wanted the JDC to "grow up," too, and so they dissolved the private corporation and became a full City committee. I hope the Chamber Board takes similarly strong measures to improve and restructure.