Incompetence or Chicanery? - #435

#435 DONALD HUTCHINSON
ORGANIZER OF THE TEA PARTY EXCHANGE

Hutchinson, who operated in Ohio, had this idea for a Tea Party Exchange. Tea party conscious businesses would get a 'TPX-Great American Card' that would be good for discounts at participating businesses. The businesses would use a portion of the profits from the sale to fund tea party rallies.

And all it would cost them was $150 each, payable to Hutchinson.

Hutchinson got about $4500 before the problems started to appear. You'll never guess what the biggest was. Ready?

The local blog, Ideatrash.net, discovered that Hutchinson had outsourced the building of his web site to India. Later, Hutchinson confessed to the Dayton Daily News that's exactly what he did but added he was anxious to work with local programmers.

Then the co-mingling of business with politics had its inevitable effect. A local democratic congressional candidate threatened a boycott of Exchange businesses. Some businesses in the Exchange were startled when people started coming into their establishments and told them they would not do businesses with them as long as they were members of the exchange. The businesses started getting threats and one woman called one of them a "Nazi." Businesses were flabbergasted that they were now pissing off more people than they were getting business from. Even worse, they were being told so in person.

Finally, the exchange wasn't working. Hutchinson cancelled the 5% discount shortly after the program began and Rob Scott, the president of the Dayton Tea Party, received $30 total from the Exchange. Some businesses, convinced that Hutchinson just wanted money for himself, demanded their $150 back from Hutchinson, who said August 18, 2010 that they would get it.

Which just goes to show you either the incompetence or base chicanery at the heart of the tea partier types.

With thanks to IdeaTrash.net, TPM Muckraker and the Dayton Daily News.

S. Olson