I posted this in the candidate sub-forum, because that's where the allegation was made. I'm posting it here as well because I think this deserves discussion by anyone who has been following the election and the comments of the two candidates.
ORIGINAL: Hossfly
Actually, I don't think the Park Fliers themselves have even requested such. The word on the street is that a certain AMA Official has partnered with a couple big wigs in the model airplane industry to formulate, initiate, and promote this AMA special privilege group. Don't you think you are being somewhat "used" for the benefit of a small round table of persons feathering their own nests. I certainly feel that wind blowing.
Let's not tip-toe through the tulips here, OK?
The make-up of the AMA Marketing Committee is public kinowledge. It's chaired by Mark Smith, and includes two senior executives from Horizon and Hobby-Lobby. That's not "word on the street". It's not something he's done outside of AMA. It's a standing AMA committee. This is the group which formulated the PPP program and took it to the EC for THEIR approval.
You are insinuating here that the Marketing Committe (or perhaps the EC as a whole, it's not really clear) have personally benefited from the decisions made to formulate and promote PPP.
Direct question here: Do you believe that Mark Smith (in particular), or any member of the Marketing Committee or the EC has personally benefited from their decisions on implementation of PPP? Do you believe that PPP was established to benefit Mark or anyone else on the EC and not as a program to improve AMA membership numbers? Do you think there is money being exchanged under the table? What exactly do you mean by "feathering their own nests"?
I am sick and tired of "politics by innuendo", whether it's at the national, state, local or AMA level. You are implying something very serious here, and if you don't have anything specific to back it up then you owe them an apology....at the least.
Personally, I don't really expect a direct or responsive answer. That seems to be the way you operate. But if there is any one single question that has been posed to you in this forum that deserves a direct and responsive answer, this is it.
Bob Mitchell
AMA 903015
Lexington, KY 40509
Address and phone number available by PM to anyone who asks