Comments on: Is the Dayton Daily News folding? Editor caught in questionable position!

By: Gene

Gene — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:28:18 +0000

http://www.daytondailynews.com/dayton-sports/hockey/league-removes-owners-of-gems-hockey-team-430273.html

By: Roger

Roger — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 04:13:26 +0000

They make around $30 per volunteer per evening… the volunteers often work 5-6 hours, so we’re talking less than $6 per hour. More if you have a good night and sell lots of extra beer and hot dogs.

By: Allison

Allison — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 01:46:16 +0000

In all my years as a restaurant manager, both in downtown and in a ‘burb, none of my employees ever required a ‘health department check’. I’d be interested in learning how much the Dragons donate to the ‘volunteers’ who staff the foodservice area, compared to what minimum wage and the associated costs would be if they hired HS students.

By: David Esrati

David Esrati — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:31:23 +0000

@Gene- I doubt the contract is online- It was Mayor Richard Clay Dixon’s signature item- the hiring of DPS students. We’d have to do some serious public records requests. It was pre-internet, so I doubt they have it online anywhere.

By: Gene

Gene — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:10:08 +0000

I have gone back and forth on these “volunteers” at UD and DD games. Although the staff is untrained, they generally make up in the number of volunteers so the service does not suffer too much. But should UD/DD be required to actually hire people to do this? It is a “part” part-time job that would not pay that much. Hiring high school students seems like a good idea at first, then when you are managing them or if you are a customer it becomes immediately obvious that high school students are just that, and don’t give a shit most of the time. Any number of “parties/family problems” can come up with high school students and boom, you are out staff for the game. I am not sure if it is beneficial for UD/DD to hire people who are known to do a poor job/not show up. I am not trying to be mean but there is a certainly reality to this situation. At least when you get volunteers you have a team of adults that show up.

I have experience with this as I was hired to do Reds games years ago. Not enough staff (age and pay were the major factors, plus the work was inconsistent) and now they have a bunch of volunteers as well.

DE, you said it was written in the “contract” that they would hire high school students. Where can we find this info?

By: Roger

Roger — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:58:55 +0000

And yes, Gene did have a fair question… You have a justified bias against the DDN, but I don’t see where they “failed” on this story.

By: Roger

Roger — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:58:01 +0000

Speaking as someone who has been involved with the “volunteers” at Dragons games, it is also a way to pay workers less that minimum wage…
My charitable organization finally dropped out of this fundraising “opportunity” because of the way we were treated. Yes, we were volunteers earning less that minimum wage for our organization… and if we weren’t also treated like crap by the Dragons and Dayton Sports Service, we might have been willing to continue.

By: Gene

Gene — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:02:33 +0000

@ DE, it was nice that you answered Brilliants question. Do you mind answering my questions, or do you pick and choose?

By: David Esrati

David Esrati — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:29:04 +0000

@Brillant

The "volunteers" are a way to avoid paying taxes and workers comp. The second part of this- when it comes to the Dragons- is that as part of the deal to have the city build the stadium, there was a clause to hire Dayton Public School students- that never was enforced.

Other businesses can't do food service like the stadiums do- requiring health department checks of employees etc. It's a privileged class- granted to sports organizations that can afford to pay properly.

By: Brilliant

Brilliant — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:00:28 +0000

@ David, the volunteers running the concession stands at the Dragons, UD and WSU Basketball games are doing it as a fundraiser. The funds earned during these events help non-profit organizations raise money for their organization. As a band parent, I know not all parents are able to afford the fees associated with your child playing in the band (upwards of $750 plus uniforms). These parents can work these events and help raise funds so their kid can play in the band. The more your booth sells at an event the more you make. A few of our church members got together one year and worked a few Dragons games to help pay for some medical needs of child with CP. There are many other organizations that get involved with this type of fundraiser. Most booths that are staffed by volunteers have a plaque that identifies what/who they are.

By: Mark W

Mark W — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:31:30 +0000

When I first moved to Dayton back in the ’80s I thought the DDNJH (I got there weeks after the Daily News and Journal-Herald were merged) was a pretty good paper for a mid-size city, other than it was a bit weaker on Big 10 and state government news than I was used to back in Iowa. It seemed to “dumb down” a bit in the 15 years I lived there, but it was hardly alone among papers during that time.

Though I moved away in 2002, I return to Dayton regularly and pick up the paper when I do so. On one of those return trips I found the paper had undergone severe changes. The news articles are shallow and lack much substance, often adding little to the headlines. The editorial page is even worse, with the local commentary showing little ability to argue their case well, and what appears to be any willingness to be provocative. The presentation is terrible, and the paper has shrunk to something more typical of small town papers. And they’ve got a higher daily price than most papers I’ve come across in my travels.

It’s gotten to the point where more often than not I now skip the DDN when I’m town. They could lower their price, like they suggested for WSU, but with the current product, I doubt that alone would increase volume at this point.

By: Gene

Gene — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:23:17 +0000

So who exactly are you upset with? The guy reporting what the owners told him, or what the league had to say, or the owner? Do you believe there is a story here?

The Gems are out of sight, out of mind. I have heard little about them. Is that the newspapers fault? Not sure, but it seems to me I don’t see them advertising anywhere. The would do better if they advertised, but of course that takes money.