Kevin,

Your statement about NALTEA is not quite accurate.  First, I think its unfair to characterize any NALTEA member as a "fanatic."  The negative connotation of the term is a bit offensive. 

Second, I don't think that anyone from NALTEA had a problem with Ellen's idea for a co-op, other than the feasibility and practicality of setting it up.  In my opinion, NALTEA just isn't the appropriate vehicle to do it.  NALTEA is a professional not-for-profit association.  Its purpose is not to establish a co-op.  NALTEA could not properly represent its members if it ran a co-op unless all of its members joined the co-op.  We know that is not going to happen.

It seems a bit naive to think that a sufficient number of abstractors would spend the money necessary to buy into a co-op when so many fail to see the value of spending $200 a year to support an organization that is trying its best to improve the field of abstracting.  You yourself have pointed out many times that the real problem is abstractor apathy - what makes you think that there would be enough participation in a much more expensive co-op to make that a successful venture?

Best,
Robert A. Franco
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