Archive for “Chambergate”
Edgewood Chamber On The Lam?
by John Weckerle
The local newspapers are abuzz this week with news and commentary on the recent move on the part of the Edgewood Chamber of Commerce to – well, move.
At the heart of the issue are expressions of concern from a number of sources, including NM-Central.com, that the Edgewood Chamber has been perhaps more involved in politics than some might consider appropriate. Much of the current brouhaha seems to revolve around recent concerns associated with a “meet and greet” function for Republican candidates – Jim Smith and Tom Mullins – running for State Representative and Congress, respectively. Some current and past Town officials have expressed reservations regarding these functions, suggesting that the Edgewood Chamber’s actions in this arena, and actually conducting events supporting those candidates in office space provided by the Town, represent a de facto endorsement of the candidates by an organization that is receiving public funding in the form of free office space. One of the candidates counters that the Chamber announced a “meet and greet” event for his opponent. A local Tea Party activist and Chamber booster alleges violations of the Chamber’s First Amendment rights. A person or persons unknown attach a not-too-recently deceased skunk to the Town office with what appears to be 50 tubes of Krazy Glue. Panic ensues.
Only some of this is true (the skunk part and mass hysteria aren’t), but there’s much more to the story(ies)… »» Edgewood Chamber On The Lam?
Edgewood And The Chamber Of Not Exactly Secrets
by John Weckerle
We take it as a compliment that our readers are willing to send us information on which to report.
We received a forwarded e-mail today that apparently originated with the Edgewood Chamber of Commerce. The message reads as follows:
There is going to be a workshop titled “Making of America in the History of our Constitution”
The workshop will be on May 1, 2010 from 9:00 Am – 4:30 PM and will be held at Valley View Christian Church in Edgewood, NM
The cost is $15/adults and $12/students – includes workbook, lunch and refreshmentsI have registration forms at the Edgewood Chamber office if you are interested.
We thought it was worth looking into. »» Edgewood And The Chamber Of Not Exactly Secrets
What’s A Chamber For?
by John Weckerle
One of our readers sent us an e-mail message from Debbie Ortiz, executive director of the Moriarty Chamber of Commerce, sent out this past Monday, March 15. The message, with the title “FWD: transformation in the marketplace,” reads as follows:
Dear Chamber Members,
Please open the attachment. Leanne the Chairman of the Chamber requested
this be sent out. Please join her at Shorty’s on March 17, at 5:30 for her
presentation on “Transformation in the Marketplace”.Thanks – Stay warm and have a wonderful rest of the day!
The attachment, which we will absolutely not post here, promotes an event called “Transformation in the Marketplace” – which, as it turns out, was a dinnertime prayer meeting held yesterday at a restaurant reputedly owned by Santos and Leanne Tapia (the Leanne referenced in the e-mail).
Where do we start? »» What’s A Chamber For?
Cap, Trade, and Chambers
by John Weckerle
Last year, as a gesture of friendship and by way of some attempted fence-mending, then-Edgewood Chamber of Commerce president Kelly Krauth put your editor on the Chamber’s e-mail list for announcements and other communications. On February 22, we received an e-mail from Chamber executive Robin Foshee discussing a proposal by New Energy Economy (NEE) to include what appears to amount to a carbon dioxide (CO2) cap-and-trade program in New Mexico’s environmental regulatory structure. The e-mail strongly opposed this move, and listed the Edgewood Chamber of Commerce as being publicly opposed to the regulation. Language in the e-mail seemed fairly clear with respect to an intent to have it forwarded to the greatest extent possible. I responded to the e-mail, asking whether the decision to oppose this proposal was made by the entire membership or just the board of directors, and on what basis the Chamber was opposing the regulatory change.
In response, I got a “corrected” version of the e-mail (this was also sent to me by a concerned Chamber member), which simply changed “Edgewood Chamber of Commerce” to “Edgewood Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors.” I sent another e-mail to Ms. Foshee stating the belief that this was essentially a difference that made no difference, given that the Board was invoking the Chamber’s name and using Chamber resources to oppose NEE’s petition. I again posed the question regarding the basis for the Chamber’s opposition. The response was rather unexpected. »» Cap, Trade, and Chambers
Oh, What A Tangled Web
by John Weckerle
It was about a month ago that we noticed that the Moriarty Chamber of Commerce web site was missing. Shortly thereafter (on or about March 2), the beginnings of a new site appeared, with most pages simply stating “New site coming soon.” The site has remained essentially unchanged since. It has come to our attention that the Edgewood Chamber of Commerce web site went dark this past Sunday, and remains so as of this morning. Given the history of outages in the past, perhaps a gentle admonition is appropriate. »» Oh, What A Tangled Web
Is There One Less Chamber In The “Gate?”
by John Weckerle
Yesterday, your editor met with Edgewood Chamber of Commerce president Kelly Krauth and briefly with Board member Renee Willes to discuss a variety of subjects related to the past, present and future of the Chamber. While much of that conversation is not ripe for publication, there are a few bits that bear examination.
Among the subjects we discussed are the Chamber’s plans for restructuring its relationships with other entities, and it appears that some good progress has been made in that direction. According to Ms. Krauth, the Chamber has already begun reaching out to the Town government and other organizations, and the effort has been well received. Edgewood Mayor Bob Stearley is reportedly working cooperatively with the Chamber on several initiatives, as is Town planning and zoning administrator Karen Mahalick. The Chamber is working in cooperation with the Estancia Valley Economic Development Association and the New Mexico Economic Development Department to present a small business workship featuring micro-lenders for immediate assistance for struggling businesses (we will post information on this workshop, scheduled for April 9, 2009 when it becomes available). »» Is There One Less Chamber In The “Gate?”
A New Future For The Edgewood Chamber?
by John Weckerle
Recent articles in The Independent and the Mountain View Telegraph have reported an apparent rebirth of the Edgewood Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber’s Executive Director, Myra Oden, resigned last week. Under the leadership of the Chamber’s new president, Kelly Krauth, reforms are reportedly to be expected. According to The Independent, these will include greater transparency, efforts to better seek services locally before contracting with outside vendors, and improved relations with the Town of Edgewood.
Under other circumstances, and certainly in light of the events of recent years, I would be inclined to express extreme skepticism – were it not for the involvement of Ms. Krauth. Past discussions with Ms. Krauth suggest that, if anyone is likely to achieve the goals expressed recently by the Chamber, she may well be the one to see the effort through. It remains to be seen whether Ms. Krauth and her supporters will be successful, and the Chamber certainly has its share of fences to mend, but we join The Independent in wishing the Chamber good luck in its endeavor to realign itself and work more closely with its constituency.
Support Your Local Vendors First
by John Weckerle
In the November 19 issue of The Independent, editor Wally Gordon showed support for an Edgewood Chamber of Commerce proposal that the Town of Edgewood “formalize an arrangement for giving a 5 percent preference to town businesses” – a proposal that we also support. Mr. Gordon also urged the Chamber to follow its own advice and support local business, citing publication of a recent magazine that was contracted to a Colorado business, Sixtus. In a subsequent exchange in the November 26 edition, Myra Oden, executive director of the Edgewood Chamber, stated that this was a tri-chamber publication, and that two local publishing companies – not including The Independent – were contacted and asked if they were interested in bidding on the project, but neither was interested. Ms. Oden went on to explain how she came to be familiar with the firm selected to do the work, and suggests that The Independent market the Chambers of Commerce throughout the entire state in order to business with the Edgewood Chamber and other area Chambers. »» Support Your Local Vendors First
Moriarty Chamber Confesses: No Tax-Exempt Status
by John Weckerle
Word has reached us (through a local resident who attended the September 9 Moriarty City Council meeting) that the Moriarty, New Mexico Chamber of Commerce has admitted that it is does not have IRS recognition as a 501(c)(6) tax-exempt organization. According to that resident, Chamber spokesman Glenn Tillery advised the City Council that the Chamber did not have such status and did not know when it would, and apologized for the “miscommunication.”
Questions regarding the Moriarty Chamber of Commerce’s tax exempt status were raised in our August 26th article, which examined published statements by Moriarty Chamber president Lee Anne Tapia that the chamber was “operating as it should with a valid tax ID number, and as a valid 501-C6 non profit organization.” Our article clearly established that the latter, at least, was not the case – the IRS stated that they had no record of such status. Since then, we have received unconfirmed reports that other Chamber officials were meeting with businesses, one at a time, and similarly stating that the Chamber had obtained 501(c)(6) status. We would appreciate any information that might help to substantiate or refute these reports. »» Moriarty Chamber Confesses: No Tax-Exempt Status
Moriarty Chamber Tax Exempt Status Remains Unclear
by John Weckerle
In an August 13 letter to the editor of The Independent, Moriarty Chamber of Commerce president Lee Anne Tapia defends the role of Lee Obarr in Chamber activities. We will leave the subject of Mr. Obarr for another time. Ms. Tapia relates that the Moriarty Chamber had been operating “illegally” – reputedly, in violation of state and federal tax laws – for years, and that Mr. Obarr was instrumental in the “discovery” of the situation.
We find ourselves curious about this statement. Two very credible sources have suggested that the situation was brought to the attention of the IRS by a third party, and that the Moriarty Chamber may be facing the possibility of having to pay substantial fines and back taxes. Unfortunately, we cannot confirm or refute this directly. In a July 22 letter, IRS Exempt Organizations Specialist Joseph Belpulsi states “The Internal Revenue Code includes taxpayer privacy provisions…Accordingly, we cannot disclose what action, if any, the IRS has taken or may take…” with regard to examination of the status of any given organization. The State of New Mexico has similar provisions. That means that the only information we are likely to receive about the IRS problems is what the Chamber releases.
Ms. Tapia also states: “…and now your Moriarty Chamber of Commerce is operating as it should with a valid tax ID number, and as a valid 501-C6 non profit organization.” In an August 26, 2008 telephone conversation, an IRS representative named Ms. Mitchell informed us that the IRS had no record of approval of an application for tax-exempt status for the Moriarty Chamber of Commerce or for a reputed – but as yet unconfirmed – alias, the Greater Moriarty Economic Development Association.
The legal status of the Moriarty Chamber as an organization in New Mexico is similarly unclear. A search of the New Mexico NMPRC corporations database provides no results for the Moriarty Chamber of Commerce, suggesting that the organization may never have been incorporated under that name. Unconfirmed rumors have circulated in recent months that the organization might be operating under another name, the Greater Moriarty Economic Development Organization. The database does contain an entry for the Greater Moriarty Economic Development Association, whose makeup appears to be similar, if not identical, to the organization calling itself the Moriarty Chamber of Commerce. It is unclear whether these are the same organization and, if so, how the organization could operate legally under one name and be registered under another – or, for that matter, why it should choose to do so.
It would certainly be in the Chamber’s best interest to openly and honestly disclose its status and discuss the issues it is facing; as noted above, the whirlpool of rumor and innuendo is substantial, and can only serve to damage the Chamber’s reputation. We invite the Moriarty Chamber to clarify its status by providing us with a copy of its letter from the IRS approving their status as a 501(c)(6) organization (which we will be glad to post here upon request), and to explain the other apparent inconsistencies and points of confusion regarding its status both as a tax-exempt organization and a corporation in the State of New Mexico.
Anyone can verify the tax exempt status of an organization by calling the IRS at 1-877-829-5500.