From the hanggliding.org topic:
USHPA IS IN THE RED- EXECUTIVE PAY INCRESES AS MEMBERSHIP SHRINKS -OVERSIGHT:
USHPA7 (Frank Colver) wrote:I hope this discussion doesn't get anyone expelled from USHPA, so that they can never fly an insured site again - like someone I know.
Frank Colver
Dave replies:
DAVE 858 wrote:You can be expelled for talking trash on the internet?
Frank confirms:
USHPA7 (Frank Colver) wrote:Absolutely! #1 reason given for this person's expulsion was that he formed a competing organization to USHPA, which in reality was only an internet site critical of USHPA's policies. It was not even breaking a rule in the published SOP's of USHPA. I guess you can call it an "unwritten rule".
FC
"Mavi Gogun" doesn't want the expulsion topic discussed:
Mavi Gogun wrote:Like the use of wheels or full face helmets, while worthy of discussion, the expulsion topic is here a digression.
Dave comes back:
DAVE 858 wrote:Ok, what in the hell do any of you propose be done about any of this? I will say this much, I'm not surprised by this in the least bit, and they've got me until the next price increase and thats it. I think there are a lot of people who share this same view point. People are only going to pay so much for a product that, lets face it, they don't really need.
Miraclepieco makes the strong point that pilots should abandon USHPA:
miraclepieco wrote:Time to kill this parasite on hang gliding and start afresh. If everyone does not renew, the a**. will fold in one year and we can fly without coercion.
USHPA regulations have stifled hang gliding. FAA Part 103 is the sole regulation required by the US government - no fees, no membership, no ratings, no insurance.
Kill this parasite on our sport - don't renew.
"Mavi Gogun" (lacking any real argument) launches a typical personal attack. Notice how he uses the imagery of isolation ("Guys? Guys- where ya go'n? Guys?") to put down their arguments without actually addressing them:
Mavi Gogun wrote:You sound like the kid who didn't get invited to the party. "Hey, you guys- you know what would be cool? - if no one went to Jason's party. All that left over cold pizza, warm beer. It will be so great. Guys? Guys- where ya go'n? Guys?"
It's not for you, everybody gets that -but this invitation to join your grievance-pity-party is just lame. Pretending as though there aren't compelling needs fulfilled, however imperfectly, by the Association- as though folks just pony up the money out of habit -is absurd. How long has it been now, you hitting this one bitter note on the piano, over and over? It ain't compelling.
Mtpilot properly ignores "Mavi" and gets back on track:
mtpilot wrote:miraclepieco is right. You can't fix USHPA, every fix just makes it worse. It's way past time to start over. Consider we are just paying dues to a paragliding org. The majority of the rules, problems, additional insurance/expense seems to come from commercial activity like towing not free flight. We have no say or any way of finding out what is really going on in USHPA. Trying to follow the money reveals the real purpose of USHPA is to provide high income for a select few inc producing a worthless magazine. Like the BOD vote will fix anything? We are all tired of hearing about it but nothing gets done because it can't fix itself. Meanwhile most are held hostage by the THREAT of insurance.
All that "Mavi Gogun" can do is continue to attack the person:
Mavi Gogun wrote:When did you hold office?
Hey "Mavi", I held office in 2009 and 2010. I called out the problems like lack of oversight at Torrey and no accountability of elected Directors. I reported problems that could have saved USHPA's insurance program. But the USHPA insiders kept backing their cronies ... right into the ground. USHPA expelled me for a number of reasons (silence me, keep me from running as Regional Director, cull me from the herd, make an example to intimidate others ...), and they are reaping the comsequences of their retaliation: two dead at Torrey just this past March (2019).