……10,000 Emails From Sussex CountyDick,
This is nonsense. Mike DuHaime purchased the exact same list we did and Reform New Jersey Now used it to quick our ass in the budget debate. I found out about it and did the same, but we were unable to utilize it due to our lack of technical know-how. Okay, after making my own inquires I now know that people at Steve’s skill level simply don’t know how to do it. I just wish I had known before the budget debate began. I don’t like to lose and after a string of good victories we got our ass kicked.
NJCRLC didn’t purchase the list, so I don’t know what screw-up is that you are talking about. It was purchased and donated to us. I think that’s a good thing that I did for the cause, not a bad thing. And while the list does have some old addresses, it has thousands of current addresses. Someone who knows how to handle these lists knows the process of sorting them out. There’s no violation of federal or any other kind of law, because the RNC, DNC, RSC, DSC, NRCC, DCCC, RGA, and DGA all use the same process year in and year out.
Please be honest Dick, this is not the reason I am angry with Steve. Sure, Steve could have been honest up front and told me that his skill set was limited and that he didn’t know anything about e-mail blasts. That I can deal with, but it’s his refusal to respond that gets me. And it’s not just me. I have had e-mails from a number of board members complaining about the site — multiple times. Some of those complaints revolved around his lack of follow-up or even acknowledgement of their attempts to contact him. Our board members, like me, are volunteers. It’s a little disheartening when the only guy who is getting paid acts like this.
No Dick, you were never the IT contact. Why would I set up a situation in which I had to go through you to contact someone we are paying? And Dick, it’s not about us justifying anything — we pay him. He has to justify his work to us. And he’s going to do that from here on in. You are right, he does have a contract. And I’m going to see that he works for it.
Dick, you came to me a year and a half ago and said that you wanted to re-emerge into the political scene again. I played a big part in facilitating that — and never charged you a dime. That is my work, you know. People like Steve Oroho come to me and I help them with their careers. I helped you with setting up your think tank and you got a grant and hired a couple people and I don’t know what’s up with that. I know I’ve done a heck of a lot of writing for you, so don’t think the relationship hasn’t benefited you.
But this isn’t about you and me — or even you and the rest of NJCRLC. My beef is with Steve. We pay him. One reason we pay him is because we don’t pay our executive director, namely me. So I expect him to be pleasant and easy to deal with and to make my volunteer job easier. He doesn’t. He’s a sore ass and I’m tired of being told that things can’t be done when EVERYBODY else in politics and lobbying is doing it. Sorry, I’m just not stupid enough to go along with it.
I don’t know why you take Steve’s side against me, but the world is a funny place, so I’ll just accept it.
So fare thee well.
– Bill
—–Original Message—–
From: “Richard J. LaRossa” <sendl1@verizon.net>
Sent: Jul 11, 2010 12:19 PM
Cc: ‘Linna Selby’ <linna.selby@earthlink.net>, gintylawoffice@aol.com,
johnpginty@aol.com, ‘Carolee Adams’ <eagleforumnj@gmail.com>
Subject: RE: Steve
To All Concerned!
Bill, you opened your message to me with “You know what pal”? What did I do to deserve that type of attack? What did I do or say to you to deserve that type of pejorative opening? My note below explained something to you, very clearly. You bought a 10,000 person 3rd party email list. I contacted over 10 different companies and not a single one of them would email a third party/purchased email list. I explained this problems and issues to you repeatedly. That list had names that were over 10 years old. We cannot subject NJCRLC to the possibility of being considered a spammer. If you want to continue and complain about something you screwed up and don’t want to take responsibility for, then count me out. What you wanted and want done violates both FCC and FTC rules regarding emails. Steve may not be the most gracious person in how he puts things, but he is as honest as it gets with this stuff and will not do something to harm himself or anyone else. He is the one that directed me to the issues regarding what you wanted done. We cannot jeopardize NJCRLC by doing something that has the potential to violate Federal Law and I will not be a party to it. Stop scapegoating Steve for something you screwed up and simply do not want to take the responsibility for or time to admit. While there is no organizational chart for NJCRLC, you seem to want to be in charge of everything. So be it. As of this email, I am officially relinquishing all contact and association with NJCRLC. As someone once said, “I’m a volunteer.” Well, I am no longer a volunteer. I simply do not have time for this petulance and arrogance and nonsense. Just for the record, and I’d like everyone to be aware, I’d like to know specifically, what you have asked Steve to do that he has not done! Your comment “for the uninitiated” is again pejorative and demeaning. I have served as the IT contact person and have done that from the start. That is why I respond and not Steve. My understanding was that everyone had a role and that was mine. I have more practical experience so I was acting as a buffer to make sure that everyone understood what was being asked and what could or could not be done. That is how Gayle Kesselman was granted access to post on the site. Whatever is going on from your standpoint puzzles me. Bill, there is no need to respond any further. Do whatever you wantand take whatever action you want. I will not, repeat, will not be attending any meetings or have anything else to do with NJCRLC, especially when someone is asking for something to be done that could potentially violate Federal Law. Effective immediately, if I am listed in any official capacity to NJCRLC, please remove my name. I hereby resign and want nothing further to do with this type of nonsense.
Sincerely,
Richard J. LaRossa
—–Original Message—–
From: baseline@sprynet.com [mailto:baseline@sprynet.com]
Sent: Sunday, July 11, 2010 9:41 AM
To: Richard J. LaRossa
Cc: Linna Selby; gintylawoffice@aol.com; johnpginty@aol.com; Carolee
Adams; Richard J. LaRossa
Subject: RE: Steve
You know what pal, you are on. You are not mentioned in that contract, so I’m not corresponding with you regarding the site — I’m corresponding with Steve. (The way it works now — for the uninitiated — is that I send Steve a request by e-mail and copy Dick. The only person I ever hear from is Dick. We are not paying Dick, so I can’t press him to get something done in a timely fashion, so it’s always when he gets around to it, which is understandable, because he isn’t getting paid. But I never hear from the guy who is getting paid.) So from now on, I’m not copying you because the contract isn’t with you, it’s with Steve. If Steve doesn’t reply in a timely fashion and carry out what he’s asked to do, we’ll take it from there.
—–Original Message—–
From: “Richard J. LaRossa” <sendl1@verizon.net>
Sent: Jul 10, 2010 3:26 PM
Cc: Linna Selby <linna.selby@earthlink.net>, gintylawoffice@aol.com,
johnpginty@aol.com, Carolee Adams <eagleforumnj@gmail.com>, “Richard J.LaRossa” <sendl1@verizon.net>
Subject: RE: Steve
Bill, he has a contract and it runs to the end of the year. I am not aware of anything that was sent that was not done, but that is something we should have a full meeting with including Ginty and Carolee. As far as I know everything that needed to be posted was posted. As far as email blasts, emailing was never a part of the contract. Thesite had an ability for people to sign up and we could respond to those who did, but email blasts were never a part of his contract. I’ve attached a copy of the contract for your review which everyone signed off on when it was instituted.
—–Original Message—–
From: baseline@sprynet.com [mailto:baseline@sprynet.com]
Sent: Saturday, July 10, 2010 10:09 AM
To: Mr RICHARD LA ROSSA
Subject: Steve
Dick, we need to have a call with Linna to discuss the website and Steve. The website really doesn’t pay for itself and we haven’t been able to use it as the communications tool we envisioned it would be. As for Steve, he hasn’t responded for months to any e-mails I have sent him. I had to send out the last blast e-mail to legislators (re. Allison Blake) myself from a sprynet account that I set up. He just didn’t respond at all — and yet, he demands that Linna pay him up front every month. This is highly unusual in the business and I know people in the business who handle thousands of accounts. What kind of time does he put in for $500 a month? I appreciate your picking up his slack and responding for him, but he’s the one we are paying. He appears to expect us to pay him and kiss his ass and if we complain he starts his threats. It’s not professional and there are just too many out-of-work computer geeks out there to have to deal with this nasty behavior. You have a relationship with him — I don’t. And I don’t want to. Nobody in my life acts the way he does — not even the people who are paying me — and I can do without it. The bottom line is — we just can’t afford it anymore. We gave it a try, but it just hasn’t worked. He’s paid through July (God knows for what). I would like to have our talk with Linna on Monday if that is convenient for you.
Thank you,
– Bill