From: mwallis@clubzen.fidonet.org (Michael Wallis)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.fandom
Subject: Re: Any more BayCons?
Date: Sat, 05 Sep 92 10:59:06 PST
Organization: Club Zen BBS - Fidonet/UseNet - +1 415 968 8140

mvp@hsv3.lsil.com (Mike Van Pelt) writes:

> In article <1992Sep4.015929.7213@hsv3.lsil.com> mvp@hsv3.lsil.com (Mike Van P
> >I heard an awful rumor this weekend...
> >The rumor was that there are not likely to be any more BayCons, because
> >tax forms for the last three or four BayCons have not been done.  In
> >fact, the IRS told them not to have the last one, and they're in deep
> >kim-chee for going ahead with it anyway.
>
> And, as it turns out, it isn't true.  (Thank goodness!)  I just got off
> the phone with Kelly James, head of BayCon Publicity, and she said that
> BayCon had some problems with tax returns over a year ago, but that had
> all been cleared up well before the 1992 BayCon.  The completely
> unrelated TimeConfusionCon folded, and rumors of BayCon's demise began
> within a week.  However, everything's OK with BayCon as far as she
> knows, and she's in a position to know.

Well ...

As Chairman of BayCon '92, I was VERY upset to discover at a Board Meeting
in early February that the State had suspened the corporate charter for
non-payment of taxes. There was a very heated discussion, during which I
moved, and the Board adoped, a motion firing the current Accountant and
authorizing Chris Knight, Board President, to select a new one. Chris took
my recommendations and selected a local accountant I've dealt with and
been very pleased with. As far as I know, however (and I admit I haven't
checked with her in over two months), she's STILL waiting to get the
copies of the books so she can prepare and file the returns.

Now, Back in February I was assured by Michael Siladi that "This would be
taken care of immediate;y", and I sat on the knowledge. The last time
Artistic Solutions had this problem, it lead to the Staff Walkout and to
the mess surrounding BayCon '89. I did NOT want that to happen this year,
with all the returning GoH's we had. Many of them were my firends and I
couldn't in all conscience just walk away from it.

March, April and May came and Diane (the Accountant) still had no papers.
I called and left more msgs on Michael Siladi's answer machine. I
occassionally managed to catch him at work long enough for him to say
"It's not a good time, can I call you back?" and then I'd not hear from
him again. In early May I sat down with my Treasurer, Nancy Cobb, and
brought her up to date. We decided that at this point it would be too
damaging to do anything but continue and we did just that.

I don't know what will happen to BayCon. Siladi was replaced as head of
Publicity for BayCon '92 (by Kelley James) because he proved unreliable. He
has been Treasurer of Artistic Solutions for years, and has proven at least
negligent in those duties. He is currently Chairman of BayCon '93, and I've
yet to hear of more than 4 people associated with that con. It would be a
shame if BayCon should die, but I, for one, will NOT be associated with
BayCon, or Artistic Solutions, while Michael Siladi is involved.

You ask how someone like this can remain a power in BayCon so long? He owns
a majority of the stock of Artistic Solutions, Inc., BayCon's (former?)
corporate shell. The irony is, this also puts him on the hook for the
taxes since the corporation has been suspended by the state.

At the last Board meeting I attended in July, there were not enough
willing candidates to nominate a full slate of Directors. Foremer Board
President Chris Knight refused the Presidency. The current Board President
is Dennisen Fraser, Siladi's on-agaian-off-again girlfriend. The Board was
supposed to have met in mid-August, by which time the tax situation was to
have been resolved. I have not heard any news about it.

While I think BayCon is a good convention and the staffs have worked very
hard for many years to try and hold it together, I have other commitments
that are more important to me at the moment. I am not willing to put in the
time and effort needed under the current structure to pull BayCon '93 out
of the fire, and I already know the Board is not willing to listen to any
changes that will make it worthwhile or even easier. Should the structure
change, I'll certainly reconsider, but it didn't change after the '89
walkout. I don't expect it to change now.

        Michael Wallis
        Chairman, BayCon '92

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mwallis@clubzen.fidonet.org - Michael Wallis