This attitude that has become prevalent in RC is what's getting us in trouble to begin with. It's not that we don't WANT to pay more, it's that we HAVE to pay more, just because some bureaucrat says so. Just like taxes, dues and insurance slide down the slippery slope to larger and larger numbers. Once raised, they rarely ever go back down.

If it meant I pay double AMA dues just because my airplane weighs 27 pounds, I'd for damn sure join AMA for my 9 pound helicopter, and UMA for the airplane, and still save $23. Plus, I will have the satisfaction of not giving the AMA more than it deserves.

People are willing to pay the price of membership. They pay sometimes outrageous club dues and initiation fees, field improvement assessments, and event fees. Then they pay the AMA. Not to mention travel and lodging expenses. I don't know how you manage your bank account, but for most people, every little bit counts. That's part of being responsible. If we all just paid what the "man" said, anytime, our dues would be over $100 a year already, just under the auspices of "paying the price of membership".

BTW, your electric, phone, and water bill just went up $5 a month. Hey, calm down, it's the price of membership. It's just a measly $15 a month, surely you can swing that! Just be sure to save up for next year's hike, too.

Yeah, I could pay $98 a year AMA dues, no problem. Does my wanting a VALID reason to do so make me unfair, and unwilling to pay the price of membership?


Erich