District X Election
 

I have been notified by the AMA that my nomination was accepted for the Vice Presidential election in District X. Any District X Members who would like to discuss issues that are of interest to them please join me at a web site I have created, the address is:

http://ama-district-x-election.blogspot.com/

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Lawrence Tougas
AMA 247032

RE: District X Election
 

What is your modeling background? Club offices held?

RE: District X Election
 

Do you plan to also answer questions here?? I really do not want to have to sign up for yet another forum.

RE: District X Election
 

Looking back at the candidates 5 posts, I found this one interesting: http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8123918

RE: District X Election
 

Not from your district, but my oldest son was born in Sacremento, CA while I was attending a rather long USAF advanced navigation, reconnaissance, and strategic bombardment school there some 51 years ago. ;)

Looking at your page for the AMA's MA, I think you may do very well. Your goals fit very well with most people of today's society. To get what you can from the national organization, with no concern for the national organization having to pay the bills. Since I have run for AMA office so many times with the concerns of AMA becoming a self-sustaining organization that builds the sport-hobby, enhances the overall well-being of the entire national activity, AND SUCH has NOTworked, hey man, your self-perpetuating limited objectives just may well be the BIG TICKET. Good luck!

RE: District X Election
 

Hi Red , the candidate has made an interesting statement by saying senior citizens have more financial resources and id like to see the data to back up that idea . As a retired person on a pension i respectfully disagree with that assertion . Also , and i dont want to take the statement out of context , I ask - More money than who ? the rest of the country thats in a recession ? Its really easy to appear well off when EVERYONES broke . I see such statements as the foundation of reduced benifits to seniors and hold on tighter to my wallet !

RE: District X Election
 

I have to agree, what are you using to base your assertions on about seniors having all the money and not needing a little help from the AMA in the way of a reduced membership? Sounds like a real bold statement to me. Dave

RE: District X Election
 

Well anyway Lawrence, welcome to the RCU AMA Discussions group.

FWIW, I am pleased to have somebody other than an incumbent seeking AMA office. Not knocking the man currently in the slot at all, but it seems right that at least those of us in D-X will have a choice.

Abel

RE: District X Election
 

LT-
I'm not in dX,
but good luck on your run

RE: District X Election
 

I agree, it is always sort of sad to see all the complaining and then see people running unopposed. Having said that, I would like to know how Mr. Tougas feels he can improve on what Jim Giffin is doing as the incumbant.

RE: District X Election
 

Red,
I think I’ve got a pretty diverse background in modeling. I’ve built the Guillows free flight models when I was a kid. I also enjoyed building rockets. I built control line models first ½ a size and then later .19 size. I’ve built glow and electric r/c models, and right now I am flying a twin powered glow model. I’ve held Officer Positions in organizations other than my local AMA chapter.

P.S. I really enjoy your columns in MA.

RE: District X Election
 

Just wondering how old you are???

RE: District X Election
 

His blog traced from above OP link says a 45 year old Aeronautical Engineer employed in transportation.

RE: District X Election
 

Hmmmm...Although I am not a proponent for lower dues/discounts for seniors but certainly not against lower dues for seniors either, I would have given a lot more weight to his position/perception if he were a senior...anyway…carry on and grill him…he needs to toughen up his skin at every opportunity… LOL…he might be a good VP if he can endure us. ;)

RE: District X Election
 

I can see that the subject of the AMA Senior Discount is a hot topic. So let me say this for the record.

I believe giving a financial break on dues based solely on the age of the member is not the best way to help AMA members in need of financial assistance. Do some senior citizens need a break because of financial hardship? Absolutely, and I support giving it to them. I don’t support giving it to someone regardless of their age who is not suffering a financial hardship, which is what we due when we base the deduction solely on age. If there is a teenager who life has dealt a tough hand to, and would benefit more from the discount shouldn’t we consider giving it to him or her? If we gain this person as a new member they very well may be an AMA member for the next 6 or 7 decades. Doesn’t this benefit the AMA to a greater degree and make for a stronger organization?

Right now the AMA is having a membership drive. If there are potential members who are on the fence because of finances, and the discount would bring them in the fold shouldn’t we be offering the discount to this person and adding a new member rather than offering it to someone who is an existing member and in a more secure position financially?

Anyway that’s how I see it and I understand those of you with opposing views, and I support your right to express them.

We have an opportunity to choose the leadership of the AMA. Districts II, IV, VI, VIII, and X are having their regular elections. District IX is having a special election. That’s 6 out of 11 districts up for grabs. According to an AMA staffer I spoke with I am the only challenger in any of those races. I wish that was different. I wish we had a full slate of candidates for each District election. I believe the Executive Council is an exciting group to be a part of. They get to make important decisions that will shape the future of our organization, and I would consider it an honor to be a part of that group.

RE: District X Election
 

Not to worry,
I'm sure the /cough/ "Term Limit" plan will take care of that :eek:

As that was another topic of debate here,
what do you think of the toothless Term Limits we just got, that dont actually limit the term?
Would you consider changing them to be real, hard line term limits?

RE: District X Election
 

Makes sense… But do you any idea how a determination of hardship can be assessed? Most guys in this hobby pretend they are broke when it comes to certain things. Some skimp on servos but have expensive engines...etc...

After thinking about it a bit, I feel the only truly fair way is not to have any discounts and just keep the dues as low as possible. When I see a young teen flying a $5000+ model and realize he probably represents a greater risk than some others but only paid a dollar…it makes me think…conversely when I see an old guy that seems to always lose control and crash I wonder again…the obvious answer would be to give the middle age a discount…[sm=thumbup.gif]of course I am a middle aged…LOL

RE: District X Election
 

IMO you just well may find the idea of a change is the "hot topic" rather than the actual change content. :eek:

Again, IMO, any individual in today's economy that cannot afford $58 for AMA membership should stick to doing something else.
Whether that person be young or old makes little difference, $58 is a small amount in the overall scheme of aeromodeling. It follows the same old complaint about all club members: They can spend thousands on model/s yet when it comes to a flying site, they complain about $5 for a decent place to fly. SOSDD!

Teenagers can belong to AMA for $1.00. How much more discount do you think they need?

And just who is going to be qualified to make those judgments? Will you have to hire another staff, supervisor and clerks, to sort and list all those that "on the fence" but cannot buy modeling supplies because they are out of beer or such? [sm=confused.gif]

Well, again, just another opinion, but even if you are wearing blinders, most of the decisions by the EC over the past 30 years have been to satisfy those making those decisions, and again IMO have done more to harm the AMA than to promote model aeronautics as the SPORT, HOBBY, and RECREATION that it really is.
One last point: You told Red, "I’ve held Officer Positions in organizations other than my local AMA chapter." What is an AMA Chapter to you? How big is your Chapter?

While I am not an admirer of your competition (As IMAA Pres. he did very little, if anything, to help IMAA) I think you will be just another "ME TOO" EC member. Please WIN and prove me totally WRONG! Please! [X(]

RE: District X Election
 

Hoss

"$58 is a small amount in the overall scheme of aeromodeling."

Well, in most cases,
but $58 is a lot of sticks & tissue in the Rubber FF discipline.
And unfortunately, they dont qualify for the PPP subsidy due to control requirements.

RE: District X Election
 

I am all for change and think that the VP for life attitude that was present in the AMA was a bad thing, but having said that, change just for the sake of change is not a desirable outcome either.

I'd like to ask again, what exactly does Mr. Tougas feel he will do better or differently than the current Distirct X VP? Honestly Jim has only been in the office for just about a year now so it is unclear to me what standard should be used to assess that he needs to be replaced.

RE: District X Election
 

Lawrence-

Looks like I have diverted your thread from what you want to discuss, and I apologize for that. Please ignore my posts here and continue on your terms. Best wishes and thanks for stepping up to the plate.

Abel

RE: District X Election
 

In my candidate statement I laid out my three top priorities. Maintaining flying sites, leveraging new media, and creating a Western United States flying, site those would be my initial focus.

My job puts me in the position of working with government employees on a regular basis. I’ve developed skills in dealing with confrontational matters and resolving them. I’d like to use these skills to help clubs keep their fields. I’m also a huge proponent of clubs promoting themselves to their community before their field is at risk. Putting some good will in the bank is priceless. I’d explore how clubs could best do that and provide guidance in the monthly column.

Speaking of the column I think it’s great to list a club’s activities for other members to enjoy. I’m just not sure that’s the best place. Space is extremely limited, the photos are in black and white, and there are other better alternatives. I think that the AMA as a whole does not take full advantage of the internet. District X certainly does not. It has a very limited and static web page. We can do better. I envision a site that would allow an almost limitless space to cover club events in color, we could include video, and it’s a much more dynamic environment to cover these events. I read recently in MA that clubs in a common area are grouping together to support each other. I think that is a great idea, we could use text alerts to let members in these areas know when a city council meeting is going to be held that might threaten a flying site. These are just a few examples of the new methods of communication we could be using in District X.

I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Muncie 3 times. I’m able to do that because I work for an airline and airfare is inexpensive for me. Anyone who hasn’t been there should go it is a fantastic place. The flying site is unbelievable it has something for everyone. Whether you’re flying free flight, control line, or R/C they have it there. On top of that there is a great museum. I took my father and he couldn’t believe all of the things they had there from his childhood. The tough thing about the Muncie site for District X and XI members is its location. We should be able to have an auxiliary flying site in the Western United States. A site that would allow all of our disciplines to meet and have large competitions. I would campaign for just such a site.

RE: District X Election
 

Well you know perfectly well what the procedure is when a DVP steps down before the end of his term, so I cannot see how that can be held against Jim. Regardless of who the next DVP is he will be elected to the office, so your point is what??

RE: District X Election
 

Thanks for the response. I am not sure that your list of priorities are anything new and I agree that flying sites are the Number One issue in our District. Are you aware of the details of the previous effort to build a Regional Flying Site in District X? If not I strongly suggest that you contact Gary Hover in Visalia since he spearheaded the effort. In the end I do not share your enthusiasm for a District site having lived through the last try for one. Real estate alone is a killer.

I agree about web sites. At first you appeared to be talking about the main AMA site, but it is clear that you are now talking about the District X site as well. I was the webmaster for the site for the first few years it was up and I can tell you that despite our good intentions getting content proved to be the challenge. I stepped aside due to being too busy to work much on it, but to this day I know that getting content is the challenge. If you could change that it would definitely be a plus. Especially since people grow more and more web savvy every day. Even if you were not elected maybe you could volunteer to help remake the website. That would be great.

Thanks again for taking the time to respond.

Bill

RE: District X Election
 

Removed off-topic post

Abel

RE: District X Election
 

Then you need to get the Bylaws changed to reflect your vision of how replacements for incomplete terms are conducted. But somehow I feel that is not your true intention here. I suspect it is far more likely that you simply want to cast a negative light on Jim Giffin for how he became the DVP.

True, I am appointed and serve at the pleasure of the DVP, not sure what that has to do with anything. Tell me, have you ever been a part of the AMA (not club level) in either an appointed or elected position? Just curious.

RE: District X Election
 

Even though I don't agree with most of his ideas, you still have to start somewhere...........;)

RE: District X Election
 

what? [&:]
Just what "your vision" of Abel's are you talking about?
Abel said he knew how the interim guy got there, he didnt complain about that.
He just said an elected guy in an elected office is better than an appointed, followed by reminding us of the advantage incumbents have in elections. What "your vision" bylaw change are you saying Abel wants?

Silent,
if you dont want anyone to run against the appointed incumbent,
(since your posts here are more against LT than for the appointee
... heck against ANYONE opposing the appointee - 'change for the sake of change')
that is not 'winning' an election.
That is an appointee being the name on the AMA classic One Name Ballot


This is not Change for the Sake of Change,
its Candidates for the Sake of Election.
Voting is choosing, One Name Ballots aint choosing

RE: District X Election
 

Kid - I stated early in this thread that I support multiple candidates. That is not my issue. My issue is Abel attempting to smear the incumbent by making it seem that because he was appointed to the position in accordance with the Bylaws.

I do not want people to be given the impression that being appointed to the DVP position is something that should be held against the incumbent. That is my only point in responding to Abel.

I want to make my voting decision on who I think is the best candidate and not vote for one guy simply because he is not the incumbent or because he is.

So how about we stay focused on that issue rather than wandering way off topic.?

RE: District X Election
 

I still dont get what bylaw change you are saying Abel wants.
You declared Abel's 'vision' requires a bylaw change... what does?

RE: District X Election
 

Lawrence, you can post this on your web site if you care to.

Copied from the minutes of the July 25-26 AMA Executive Council Meeting, as posted publically on the AMA Web site.

>>>>>>>
9. New Business

a. E-mail EC agenda items to Leader Members

In discussion with some of his district Leader Members, Fitch reported that they would like to receive a copy of the EC agenda, via e-mail, two weeks prior to each Council meeting so they can provide input. Supporting documents for agenda items can be requested through headquarters however, documents containing “confidential” or “EC Only” material will not be available.

MOTION VIII: Moved by G. Fitch (II) and seconded by J. Rice (VIII) to provide by e-mail to all AMA Leader Members, the Executive Council agenda two weeks prior to each Executive Council meeting.
MOTION passed: 12-Y; 1-N (X)
J. Rice will draft a medium to aid in re-energizing the Leader Member program.
<<<<<<<<<<<<

Notice that your current DVP wants to keep everyone in the mushroom factory,(in the dark and full of feces) just like he did as Pres. of IMAA.

Good luck.

edited: add emphasis to motion VIII vote

RE: District X Election
 

I still would like to know what Mr. Tougas sees as his qualifications for the office. Has he ever been a club officer, been involved in AMA as a volunteer, or have any other experience that qualifies him for the job. How long has he been a Leader Member even (required to be a VP). He has kind of appeared suddenly out of nowhere so it would be nice to know a little something about the candidate.

RE: District X Election
 

My Background

The following are some of my experiences and accomplishments that I believe would make me a good District X Vice-President.

I have been a Design/Project Engineer for 22 years in the Aerospace Industry. I have worked in Defense, and am currently working at a major domestic airline. In defense I designed parts for two missiles used in the “Star Wars” program, and produced parts for the Space Shuttle as well. In the airline industry on the maintenance side I have been the Primary Engineer, on flight control systems, aircraft interiors, and aircraft structure. On the Operations side I was the Operational Engineer on a wide-bodied aircraft, and as such worked with our Chief Pilots to maintain and modify the aircraft flight manual used by all of our pilots. During my career I have worked a number of long-term projects that required supervising multiple participants to ensure project goals and timelines were met. I believe that translates directly in to skills that an effective DVP would need.

In addition I have owned and operated my own Video Production Company and understand the skills need to be a successful entrepreneur. How to market my products which I think are the skills that our local clubs need to employ to market themselves to their communities to win and retain flying sites.

I’ve spent my whole life enthralled by all aspects of aviation. It was this love of aviation that prompted me to secure a Bachelor’s of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of California. I also have a Commercial Multi-Engine Pilot’s License with Instrument Privileges.

Ultimately the members of District X need to choose the candidate that they feel is best qualified to be elected. If the Members choose me I would consider it an honor to serve District X as their Vice-President.

RE: District X Election
 

Thank you for answering, you have some intersting work experience, now, if I may, I'd like to ask some more specific questions. I posted these on the other forum as well.

I am curious if you are aware of the history and background of the previous attempt to build a Regional flying site in District X. What do you see yourself doing differently compared to the previous effort? How would you see the AMA funding such a venture?

With regard to the website (District X) aside from the desire to improve it (which I agree with) how do you see doing this? How do you plan to obtain content and improve the site? While your goals are laudable how exactly do you see them being realized? Do you plan on using volunteer help or pay a professional for the impressive array of features and information you propose?

Beyond your work with government agencies in your job have you held any positions within model clubs or volunteered with the AMA in the past? How long have you been a Leader Member? Do you have experience working within a club to obtain a flying site?

Sorry for all the questions but you have appeared out of nowhere and it would be nice to fill in some of the blanks. All of your goals are really nothing new so I am trying to understand how you see realizing those goals and the background and history you have that will enable you to do so.

Thanks.

RE: District X Election
 

Silent-

"How would you see the AMA funding such a venture? "

Perhaps Muncie need some new blood, someone that kind of appeared suddenly out of nowhere,
to offset the way Muncie currently handles concern over paying for ventures
... if the EC was concerned about how to fund ventures, we wouldnt have that subsidy anchor called PPP.

The dX Regoinal Site could easily get the same procedure PPP got from the established & known EC:
Create it, then use its existence to justify subsidizing it.
So lets just build the dX Regional SIte, and label folks that want fiscal responsibility as AMA Haters.
I for one cant wait to start getting the quartery Regional Flyer magazine ;)

"kind of appeared suddenly out of nowhere"
You make LT sound like he is not part of the muncie good ole boy club one party system, an outsider,
I remember Perot said he had no experience creating a four trillion dollar debt.

RE: District X Election
 

Lawrence, if I were in D-X, you would have one vote for sure. [sm=47_47.gif] Your work has required you to work with airline pilots and the FAA, plus airline corporate management. Thos are the most difficult groups I know of to actually get something positive accomplished. Congratulations. [sm=thumbup.gif]
I started out hard on you, but you have converted me.
Now if I don't say much more, it is because an endorsement from me, ref. AMA, could be a kiss of death. Best of luck in your endeavor. I mean that.

RE: District X Election
 

Thanks Kid for sharing your insight on this issue. However, I was hoping that the candidate might answer my questions.

RE: District X Election
 

Silent-AV8R,

No need to apologize for asking questions I’m glad to answer them.

I have no doubt that the previous efforts to obtain a District X flying site were done by a committed group of AMA members. I’m not sure why the process stopped. We both agree that it is a worthy goal. There is no question that meeting that goal will be a long-term-project, something I have experience in accomplishing successfully. Projects like this aren’t sprint races; they are more like relay races. One team takes the reigns for a while then a new team comes in to relieve them and so on. If one plan runs into insurmountable obstacles you make a new plan. There is no reason not to have a standing committee in District X to secure a flying site. We should have an on-going fund raising effort to pay for it. This may take a long time but we should be working towards it on a monthly basis. One thing is for sure if we say it can’t be done we’ll always be right. I say it can be done.

As far as the website goes my first choice would be to find talented individuals within District X to create the site. If there are no volunteers, heck I could create one myself between Blogger, Picasa, and You Tube we could have a great array of timely information on the internet. Color photos, rather than the black and white ones that appear in the District X column in MA. Video of competitions, and building techniques. The only limit is our imagination.

In our club I was elected most likely to re-kit an airplane two months in a row ... I’m kidding; it was actually three months in a row. :D Seriously, our club has a standing roster of officers; there are not annual elections, so it isn’t possible to be elected as an officer.

I’ve been a member of the AMA as far back as 1988; but there was a span of time I was inactive while raising a family. I was made a Leader member this year.

RE: District X Election
 

Now that is interesting. Just how are the club officers selected?

As far as an AMA field in District X, you are looking at an area 1000 miles by 750 miles. Even in the center of the area you would have 500 mile radius if you located the site in Nevada. We won't bring in Hawaii and Guam. Do you really think you could get the support of the guys in Arizona and Utah to put a site in the population center, around LA, where land is prohibitively expensive?

Having lofty goals are admirable, but having unrealistic ones waste everyones time and money. Of course given the make up of the left coast population (that brought us Waters, Boxer, Feinstein, Pelosi, Waxman) you might well pull off getting elected on the promise of an AMA flying site even if it is not attainable.

RE: District X Election
 

So far, I like this guy. Those that think a DVP position should be a full time job has lost sight of what a hobby is... Maybe a 45 year young person can help get AMA's balance correct.

Anyway, good luck and much respect that you can come into the forums and light saber with the old guards.