As part of our discussion on whether, when and how much (if any) we should consider increasing the ARRL membership dues, I thought it would help to review past dues increases and whether those dues increases were sufficient to keep the League current with inflation. Based on inflation, I thought it also worthwhile to consider what a new dues increase should look like based on inflation since the 2001 increase. *Enclosed is a PDF with two pages.* *The first page compares the actual dues increases since 1981 to inflation.* It shows the actual increase and what it "/Should Have Been/" if the increase was to have kept pace with inflation. Each of the dues increases since 1981 has failed to keep the ARRL current with inflation. Based on the difference between the actual increase and what each increase should have been, the losses due to the failure to match inflation are calculated. *The second page reflects what a current increase should look like based only on inflation since the 2001 $39 increase*. Rick Niswander did a year by year inflation increase calculation and came to almost the same exact result. (See his email of this afternoon). The spreadsheets make the same point made by Rick — we are, and have been, seriously behind the inflation curve. Based on what the dues "should have been", the League has missed $37,836,751.94 in income since 1990. Even in Texas that is real money. What a future dues increase, if any, should be, when it should be and how far in advance should we begin to sell the membership on the crushing need for the increase are decisions the Board must address. But to see where and how far we need to go, I thought it would be helpful to be aware of where we have been and how far behind we are. All of the inflation calculations come from the US Department of Labor CPI Inflation Calculator: http://www.bis.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm Food for thought. 73 *-----------------------------------------------------* ** John Robert Stratton N5AUS Office telephone: 512-445-6262 Cell: 512-426-2028 PO Box 2232 Austin, Texas 78768-2232 *-----------------------------------------------------*