Re: Open letter to Bruce Kelly - HPR lack of quality

phil: while I agree with most of what you said, its NOT just a BK problem....the people still in the TRA that has allowed this to go on over the past years, needs to be booted from the TRA too....why? because they ahve been supporters and facilitators of the HPR fraud.....TRA needs to move its HQ to a neutral site/person.......

When these 2 steps are taken, then we will all know that the TRA is serious about getting their house in order.....anything less, is just the status quo.......

shockie B)

Except for 3 of the ads...

I never bothered with the magazine the year I was a TRA member (Jan 2001-Jan 2002), so I don't really have any grounds to claim "mail fraud" etc. (Membership correspondence was received in a timely manner.)

What soured me on renewing was the expulsion of Frank Kosdon, right when he was running for the board... it sure smelled like the "old guard" was afraid someone might actually vote for a radical alternative to Themselves!

(Dick Embry's rant "explaining" TRA's action simply did not hold water... does he think _everyone_ is as ignorant of the CA Pyro Op/Rockets licensing structure as he seems to be, or does he simply not know that Frank holds a class 2?)

-dave w expired TRA 08575 current NAR 77643 L2

Here, here!

What's truly phunnie is flying a USR motor of any size is perfectly legal at a Kosdon or a PRS or a RRS launch (Pyro-Op2) certified or not, R&D or not. Truly cool. Gates Bros. can you hear me? Other big ass rocket project wannabees can you hear me? 20 mile clearances at MTA as well. Not bad for a bunch of geeks.

I agree with you. The TRA BoD is hearing this from me & others. I keep saying if you want me to shut up, fix the problem.

As time goes on, the old Bod will be gone. I think around half of them have changed in the last 2 years. I'm not saying all the old guys were the problem, but they did know about it. I'm still waiting for the new guys to kick some ass.

You have to agree that BK is the source of the problem. Also, if BK starts losing money, he'll disappear.

Phil

Phil Stein

That's precisely what I said right before I was removed. By Charles E Rogers and Bruce Kelly. Also what I said right before I was refused for reinstatement 10 years later. By Charles E Rogers and Bruce Kelly.

Den of theives?

BS. He has been losing money (revenues-expenses=negative is a loss) for years and has not disappeared yet. Buying new trucks and trailers and matching paint jobs is an expense :) Hiring your daughter is an expense:)

Jerry

TRA012 and an expert on the madness.

Phil wrote:

I didn't mention it but, HPR has a minimal number of color pages. It's a total of 12 sheets of paper, 4 are color and 8 are B&W.

I believe the initital primary reason it was done was to lessen the cost of paying back the 4 issues he was paid for & never delivered. But like I said it still comes down to maximizing profit with very little investment.

Phil Stein

The thought has crossed my mind. I can't deal with this screw job without saying anything. Some of the mouthpieces have even said they agree. I doubt they would stick up for me if I were booted but, you never know. Everyone has a breaking point.

Phil Stein

Phil Stein

snip

I've started several small local organizations over the last 2 decades and I think the first proof of a good, viable organization, is that it will keep going, expanding, prospering, long after the original members have been gone. That was my # 1 goal, to make sure the organizations would do well without me or any one particular person and at some point, I could hand it off , to another competent person to go forward, bringing new ideas and life to it. At some point, a change in the command structure of any group is a good thing. I would think that would be the goal of the NAR/TRA or who ever.

Randy

The members who renewed had an expectation of "similar size andcontent and quality issues" As did the BOD itself.

Neither got it.

What will be done? back charge the vendor the price difference?

Jerry

I'm not disagreeing. Both the subscriber and advertiser base must have diminished a LOT due to the unreliable publishing schedule (which actually did most of the damage, IMHO and was occurring before the content "went south" and is the main reason for the loss of content.)

Anyway, regardless of the reason, it's not realistic to expect an ailing magazine to be produced at the same expense as a magazine that is doing well.

David W. wrote:

It has not been discovered yet and Brucie has been giving it the old college try.

Jerry

For real? he's never published one of these before. That's why he's always used almost as expensive as first class postal rates for shipping instead of the bulk rates just about every other publication from Sport Rocketry to Popular Mechanics uses. The real joke is that it's barely less than first class postage, yet the charge for the first class upgrade is almost the entire first class postage rate.

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD!

How can he lose money when the TRA BOD keeps handing him more, and even paying him in advance $55,000 for issues he never published.

Some may be surprised to hear this, byt when he took over the magazine, I honestly believe he had the best intentions of improving the quality and producing a timely magazine. But as we all know, there are some people who just can't manage to stick within a budget, be it $50 per month or $50,000 per month. It's fiscally irresponsible to let people like this have a credit card. Or access to someone elses money. And frankly, Bruce can't manage money. Not $5, Not $500, and certainly not the annual TRA cash flow.

And that doesn't even consider the shady dealings that go on within TRA...

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD!

HPR is so mismanaged, I doubt Bruce is making much, if any profit off it. Which is really annoying, because someone COULD make a lot of $$$ off it if properly managed.

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD!

All we can hope is that each complainer is heard by 2 frustrated members. Then the house of cards will quickly tumble.

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD!