I can't say I'm a "MAAC representative", just a long time, active member.

You express some interesting thoughts that I have no issue with exploring, some of the quick dismissal you're seeing is likely because these issues are not new and have been discussed many times.

You simply can't please everyone and, if you want to tear down some of the services you ( as an individual ) have no use for, you will be negatively affecting other individuals; people like me.

A tiered membership as you propose has been discussed, it always tends to fail at the point of administration overheads and policing. Simply put, to establish and administer a tiered system would require more resources than MAAC currently has. More resources = greater costs = higher dues, the very thing you were trying to avoid....

I had similar issues with an amateur swimming club I belonged to, the dues were high for a kid my age and I saw no value in their magazine (except for the annual speedo edition ). It took a long time but, I eventually understood the need for it, and, did learn to appreciate it when I eventually began competing outside my own little local club and saw what the money was actually being used for.