An Open Letter to the National Social Science Association

Dear Professor:

I am writing you in your capacity as an officer or board member of the National Social Science Association. As the NSSA promotes the National Social Science Press (NSSP) on the NSSA website, I consider that you should be alerted to the behavior of the NSSP and its director, Jerry Baydo, so that you can decide whether the NSSA should persist in its support and promotion of the NSSP.

In 2006, the NSSP offered cash bribes up to $8,000, described as payment for test-marketing, for the adoption of a microeconomics textbook. This behavior is analogous to a pharmaceutical company paying doctors to prescribe medicine and is transparently unethical. You can see a copy of the email, which I posted in September, 2006, at

https://.mc4f.ee/Introecon/NSSP.html

Last week, Prof. Baydo wrote me and requested that I remove the posting. I declined. He repeatedly threatened me with legal action and demanded that I not discuss the matter in public. You can read quotes from his emails (more than you probably want to know) here:

https://.mc4f.ee/Bin/NSSP.html

I think this behavior � threatening researchers and preventing open discourse -- is contrary to the mission of universities, to promote free and open discussion. Moreover, the NSSP has not renounced its unethical conduct. I want to alert you to this matter because, were I a board member of the NSSA, I would introduce a resolution to remove all support and promotion of the NSSP and replace Dr. Baydo as Executive Director.

Preston McAfee