[Tccc] Are ComSoc F2F meetings a waste of money?

Dear All:
May I direct your attention to the minutes of recent ComSoc face-to-face
meetings:
http://ww2.comsoc.org/webfm_send/158
http://ww2.comsoc.org/webfm_send/714
http://ww2.comsoc.org/webfm_send/819

They offer a wealth of information, in particular about ComSoc budget
priorities.

Please, estimate the cost of these meetings by considering:

Number of participants including "guests" (expenses paid?)
Location of the meeting vs origin of the participants (transport cost)
Extension of the meetings (typically, PM, night, AM)
Meal/coffee cost in meeting venue (usually ca. $50/person/meal we have
been told)
Meal costs outside meeting venue
Cost of travel time (time IS money, right?),
etc.

How much the meeting, would you say?

Now pay attention to the topics discussed and ask yourself:

Is it reasonable to spend that money (ultimately tax-payer's, much of it)
this way, as opposed to just discussing these things over email, or at the
most tele-conference?

Please, see if you can tell, whether participants are encouraged or
discouraged to save society's (mostly tax payer's) money by
tele-conferencing.

Please, find out what happens after a professor suggests the use of
"economy" flights as a cost-cutting measure to balance the budget (hint:
"heated discussion").

Please find out what happens to a professor's proposal to censure the IEEE
IEEE endowment management.

So, is good money (much of it tax payer's) being spent on unnecessary
ComSoc F2F meetings? What do you think, and what do you recomend?

Virgilio
P.S. If you are very busy, please consider the possibility that language
in your grant contracts may imply that you should worry about such
matters.

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