Crash 99 - I wasn't picking on you specifically. One reads so much thoughtless junk about the AMA that I was just threw you into the same box. You have valid points but frankly, all the other magazines are glorified catalogues and not much more than what Tower puts out.
Some of the reviews don't tell the entire truth about a product. If they don't give a good review, the advertisers will go to another magazine.
I read MA cover to cover and even though I am not into Rubber or U-Control, I still read what they have to say and frankly, I learn some new trick every time I read MA. Unfortunately, a lot of folks just look at the pictures and don't read the stories. But fortunately, MA has been unbiased.
I too have flown at Muncie and really was impressed and enjoyed my visits. I see all that land at Muncie as being an asset and the way property values have climbed in other areas, that land has to be appreciating in value all the time.
Except for a few past members in our club, I would have to say that our entire club membership thinks AMA is great and if you did a poll, and could get enough answers from members, you would probably find that the dissenters are a very small minority. Most simply realize that AMA does a good job, provide good insuranace at a very cheap rate and help bring order to our sport.
The tiered membership idea may be a good one but you would have to take it to a general AMA meeting, or, write each RVP and see what their thoughts are on the matter.
It appears we may need to lower the membership fees for some of the newbies that are coming in to fly electric. These are the folks who are not joining AMA because of the cost and their own lack of commitment to aviation in general. They figure they are just flying toys so why bother? A lower membership fee might encourage them to join to fly electrics. AMA is losing members due to normal, common, attrition and the electric flyers who would normally have gone to fuel airplanes are not replacing our attrition numbers. Every club, association or other organization has a normal attrition rate. My point being that your idea has merit and you should discuss it with the folks that get things done.

3dbob