franklin_m

It's clear that you and I disagree about the value of AMA. What you call tearing down, I call holding them accountable for the decisions they make (financial, operational, legislative, etc.). I think it's fair to say that I fundamentally disagree with the direction of the organization, one that I see will ultimately hurt the hobby in the long run. Why? Because as long as they focus on a misguided effort to create carve-outs for members instead of creating real perceived value for ALL participants, they will be limiting their "market" to only those who require club fields to fly. That market is only so big in terms of potential membership revenue. ARRL, NRA, AOPA, and others advocate for ALL participants, which I believe is the correct strategy. Also, the EC's financial decisions threaten the long term health, for if they run the place into the ground financially, then there won't be an advocacy group at all. There's any number of examples where they've lost money on things year, after year, after year, and yet they're trimming around the edges. The two biggest expenses are employees and the magazine. Yet on the former, they're adding staff. On the latter, it continues to lose money. And lastly, they continue their past practice of being less than fully honest with members about the rules as they know them to be (witness this last fiasco with class G information), which I believe is out of fear of losing even more members. The reality is, those who will leave over class G issues are going to leave eventually anyway; obfuscating the true state of affairs only delays it.

While I appreciate the armchair psycho-analysis, comments about my ego etc., I would note that you're not a doctor, and if you are, you have not examined me. To make comments about one's mental makeup is at best a personal attack. At worst it's petty. It's also based entirely on emotion. And not my emotion.

As for "Dear Leader." I would note that starting a letter with "Dear________" is a common traditional salutation. As President of AMA, he is in fact a "leader". So "Dear Leader" is a completely approprate start to a letter. How you choose to interpret it is your business. It was used in the manner it was used.

On the subject of our "Dear Leader," I would note that this is the same individual that called for the FAA to take enforcement action against the very people he's presumably hoping will become members. Now I don't know of many succesful business models that rely on insulting your potential customers. But hey, I suppose there's always a first. Actually though, it isn't a first, at least not a succesful one. Which circles me back to the opposition to the direction and decisions of the organization. I cite this as yet more proof that they're on the wrong path. As a dues paying member, I'm free to register my displeasure. If you disagree, fine. But that doesn't prohibit me from doing anything.