Dave Mathewson for AMA President

Here is the problem with the whole AMA election deal. People are being asked to vote for a group of guys/gals they have never met. There are no debates, no ads, nothing to go on but a few paragraphs in a magazine and a handful of passionate modelers on the internet who demand that you must kick out the incumbent and vote for this other guy, and here's why (and who's to say YOU don't have an agenda, I've never met you either). It's impossible really to make an informed personal desision about candidates most members have never seen hide nor hare of, and that's why everyone pretty much just marks off the incumbent. There needs to be give and take between candidates at the very least, somehow. As it is now, I would have to trust a small group of internet posters who tell me that Dave Brown is bad news to vote for someone else, and that's not enough.

Hi Frank, have you gone to RC universe? Mr. Mathewson has several messages and a question and answer forum their.

He also sent out a flier stating his goals and principals to the charter club contact officer. Do you belong to a club or a local flying field? if so I would contact the club of field contact officer and ask them for the flier.

Richard D. Rittmiller CD 9362 AMAA Chino Flyers Club AMA 113 Secretary/Newsletter Editor/Web Master

Former Airline Mechanic Credo:

We the will> Here is the problem with the whole AMA election deal. People are being asked

True. I've met Dave and I've worked for him in District 2 for a couple of years. He answers his e-mail promptly and has listened to some complaints that I've had about AMA policy. He hasn't agreed with everything I've said, but I know that I've been heard.

Not on TV.

Dave does have "position papers" available, as others have noted.

If you're willing to do a little work, you can google r.m.rc.air to get to know me. I've been posting here since November 15, 1995.

OK. You get to make up your own mind in your own way.

Marty

Mr Cain, I did vote for your buddy, but not because I think Dave Brown is an ogre or an insurance company lackey. Rather, I feel that turnover keeps fresh ideas flowing, and two terms is enough for one person.

Brown, being a businessman, has done some things that non-businessmen would not have thought to do. That's not a bad thing. AMA HAS changed since you and I joined and most of the changes are for the good. Remember when Model Aviation was just a few mimeographed pages containing nothing but contest results? Remember when the physical edifice was just a rented office in DC or Virginia? AMA now has a physical presence and can render services to all of us that it couldn't have provided just a few years ago, so we can't denigrate all that's gone on under Brown's leadership.

Could AMA improve its promotion of model building and flying? Absolutely! Do most of us really need AMA's insurance when we have homeowner's insurance? For the most part, no, but IF we have something catastrophic happen, in our insanely litigous society, we'd best all have a couple million in liability insurance. So, for those of us who aren't wealthy, the excess coverage that AMA provides is a good thing.

If we are to promote model building and flying to younger folks, AMA's insurance might be the ONLY insurance in effect, since many young people don't own a house or even have renter's insurance. Times are tough. The county where AMA headquarters is located has about 15% unemployment. Many counties where I live in Oregon are equally hard up. Do we NOT promote model aircraft to those people just because they're poor? In my beat up old mind, AMA insurance, and AMA's physical presence are good things. Government big shots are impressed by fancy physical plants. A big insurance policy shields us from hysterical Naderite lawyers who want to make the world so safe that we have no freedom.

As I said, Mr Cain, I voted for your buddy, but I'm not gonna bad-mouth Dave Brown for his vision of what AMA should be.

Geoff Sanders AMA11285

My vote was in the mail a week ago for Matheson. I think the AMA needs change, I like what I have read about Mr. Matheson, especially reviewing his involvment in his district.. I think voting Brown out will be good for the AMA, it past time for fresh ideas.

Phil

Ca> Vote Now. Detach your ballot from the AMA Renewal. Check Dave Mathewson for AMA

Thanks for voting for DM regardless of your reasons. ".... insurance lackey?" I don't consider being President of the company exactly a lackey. Of course you do know that DB is Pres., Holland VP. and Maroney as Directors of the AMA Captive Insurance company, DON'T YOU?

Yep and so did some guys at a place called Inron.

Yep, back in the '60s However I prefer that to a very "stars and glitter" magazine that has pages of advertising--read the audit reports -- such adv. is priced barely to cover the agent's (lives about 20 miles from DB) commission and the expense of producing the adv. This gaudy magazine is almost completely supported by membership dues money instead of being a self-supporting or profitable non-related business as defined by the IRC.

Do you remember who initiated the plan to get AMA out of Dc and into Reston, VA? No one ever remembers AMA Pres. Earl Witt as the man that really started it all. Reston was the stepping stone to moving AMA into Muncie. However, don't blame Earl for that decision.

For the most

FOR THE MOST PART YES, YES YES.

The AMA insurance provisions are an absolute necessity, yet they are not the main reason for AMA's existence, although without the insurance program, AMA would not exist.

Whatever your choice is fine. Unfortunately in my own mind, I can no longer accept DB's vision of AMA as I perceive it to be. While I definitely concede that DB is definitely the most talented and knowledgeable person for the job, my observations indicate to me that those skills and knowledge are not being properly utilized for the betterment of the hobby-sport I call model aviation.

Again, Thank you for supporting DM.

Horrace Cain AMA 539

Then, how do YOU determine who to vote for? I'm not trying to be a smarta$$, just like to know.

Well, how has Dave Brown's tenure negatively affected the average modeler, and how would a new pres. change that? I'm talking about the average modeler. Has any candidate promised to lower the membership fee, improve the insurance coverage, have an opt-out on the magazine in exchange for a discount, or is it all just talk about general cerebral issues that don't have any real effect on the general membership, i.e. the guy who flies sport on the weekend and doesn't care about petty politics?

Good question Frank. This might really be the crux of the matter. Since changes in leadership don't appear to have any effect on the average flyer. Is it any wonder that 80 plus percent don't care and don't vote? After all, what does the average modeler want? A place to fly! Anything else is fluff.

Since most of us are over 50, and I'm guessing we're moderate to conservative on the whole, one would think that voting - even for AMA Pres, would be more important than it is. However, it is in the incumbent's interest NOT to push a large turnout, so you don't see "VOTE" messages in bold face in Model Aviation. Ironic that you see voting pushed in several columns in R/C Report! Ummmm... maybe we should have the option of getting RCR instead of MA! :-)

As for only wanting a place to fly, THAT's the critical thing AMA is supposed to do! Without effective advocacy and lobbying, we WON'T have anywhere to fly. And the further from town our fields become, the fewer youngsters who can't drive will be attracted. But then I'm "preaching to the choir" here - you guys know this. Getting it instilled in Joe Average's mind is the trick.

I think the magazine helps to sell airplanes. I think people get interested in buying an airplane when they see someone next to or holding the plane. And I dont mean a 6 year old to make the plane look like a giant scale. I dont see much of that in the flyers.

Hi Frank

I know Dave Brown, and I have considerable respect for him. He did a great job for a long time. BUT. something changed. As many of his better known friends have stated, it is time for him to step down. Many of us, who will continue to consider him a friend, know he was right when he agreed that three terms were enough. Over the last couple of years, he has taken positions, and then refused to change his mind, in the face of facts, or the opinions of experts. This is not the Dave Brown that led us in the past. This is not the Dave Brown that was able to consistently guide the EC to a consensus. He has taken independent actions, and had those actions reversed several times. This is not the Dave Brown of the past.

When such a diverse group of people. well know modelers and leaders. like Hal deBolt, Don Lowe, John Worth, Bob Aberle ,Larry Davidson, Jef Raskin, Jean Pailet, Leon Shulman, Horrace Cain, Fred Marks and Frank Tiano, to name only a very few, come together to endorse change in the person of Dave Mathewson, there is a reason.

Dave Mathewson has a web site (

) where he puts forth his visions and positions. Look at the endorsements there. Dave Mathewson has stepped up and is answering questions about those visions and positions on RCU in a forum where you can read his answers to questions posed by others, or ask him your own questions ).

Regardless of whether Dave Brown wins or loses, I will continue to consider him a friend, but the time has come for change.

Dave Mathewson is the man to lead the AMA into the future and the time is now.

JR

Frank, You raise some valid points, many have good readily available answers at your flying field. How many members of your club had grief with the old no tail touch rule? The majority of those guys I know of mostly fly on the weekends and do so for fun. I don't think those guys are 'special' rather than average modelers, do you?

The magazine cannot be dropped due to IRS requirements. Well, it would save no $ to drop MA so the approach many of us want to see is to convert MA from a cost item to a profit center. Or at least a neutral item on the financial statement.

If you don't know about the problems in the AMA, all you do is show up and fly at a local field, and never heard of the candidates before; then I suggest it's probably a bit late to cram in a bunch of information at the last minute. Since you are not informed, I suggest that you NOT vote for the incumbant and just throw the ballot in the trash. This is not meant as ridicule, after all modeling and the AMA has never been the most important thing in my life and most of the time I have thrown my ballot in the trash.

Frank- How about just for starters a candidate that is willing to respond to any questions you throw at him regarding his position on issues of concern to AMA members, and wants to hear your position too. Wouldn't you consider that a big step in the right direction? Dave Brown has his own agenda, which seems ever more isolated and divergent from the interests of members, and he really doesn't want to hear from you. Oberdieck has stated that members' rights to influence the direction of AMA is properly limited to casting a ballot for the EC representative of his choice. He doesn't want to discuss his position on issues, and doesn't want to hear yours. Your choice.

Abel

I hear a lot about AMA helping to save fields. What exactly does this mean? I have been a member of 4 or 5 different fields as I've moved around, and all of them were acquired and maintained by local folk, and AMA sanction was sought after or maintained solely for the purpose of having one simple way of making sure everyone who joined up to fly there was insured. If a lease comes up and the owner says split, which I believe is the usual manner in which a field is lost, what is the AMA going to do about it, send a team of negotiators out to change the owners mind? I maintain that the only things a pres. can do that will effect the average modeler at all is to either lower the membership fee or improve the insurance coverage. Are either of these subjects being discussed anywhere, or promises being made about such? If so please point the way, now there is a candidtate I'd like to know more about.

I'm with you on this. However, I suspect there are more who miss this point than you think! There are those who think a flying site is not critical simply because they themselves have one. At present! And they think that it should be all up to the local club to do everything. After all, what could the AMA possibly do to help? Sell Muncie maybe?

I'm going to throw in my 2 cents here. I think Dave Brown has hurt the average modeler in several ways. #1 I think he has gotten caught up in creating a bureaucracy in Muncie that has lead to increase in AMA membership fees. I don't believe that is good long term for the hobby. #2 I don't believe he has shown correct leadership in directing the AMA. Specifically working with the Radio Manufacturers to come up with interopearable radios and equipment. No he can't force the manufacturers to do anything, but as the President of the AMA the organization could do some heavy armtwisting. #3 Again I don't believe he has shown correct leadership in the AMA. Specifically private club flying site acquisition and field development. I believe the AMA could do a lot more there. #4 Embraced the Internet as a viable communication medium. For example the AMA could setup SIG discussion area's and district discussion areas, in addition to looking for input from the "average modeler" as to what the AMA is doing right and is doing wrong. How about some Poll's from the AMA membership on various topics? Why do we still look to RCuniverse, usenet, RCgroups for AMA issues?

There has probably not been a more important time for the AMA to show LEADERSHIP. Radios, Fields, Model economics, safety, working a positive position on homeland security.....

I don't believe Brown is malicious in his direction or neglect, just not forward thinking.

Phil

Frank Costa wrote: