AOPA fight against user fees

[Michael]

Anyone else receive AOPAs letter regarding user fees? In order to support the fight against user fee-funded air traffic controll system, AOPA is asking for a fee (donation).
While I do support AOPA on this, I thought our annual membership was going towards these legal battles. I have an idea AOPA. Stop sending out the spam mail asking me to renew 2 months after I have. That alone might save you enough money to buy a senator or two.
I just found the letter a little disturbing. the postage says $.11. multiply that by the 400,000 members and you get roughly $44,000.00 I get at least one letter a month from AOPA, so you can add another 44k multiply that by 12 and their yearly cost for mail is over a half a million dollars. Sheesh, I'm no guiness, and I didn't sleep at a holiday inn last night, but it seems to me that maybe switching to email and saving over a half million dollars a year would cover the cost of some of these battles.
c'mon you guys..get with the program. and stop spamming me for more money.

 

[poadeleted3]

This is a BIG money fight. The airlines have a lot of it, and they are pushing to get a pay for play ATC system that they hope will serve their needs, that they won't end up actually having to pay much for, but that will drive out a bunch of the little GA flivvers that they see taking tickets away from them. The airlines are buying congresscritters, and we will have to do the same if you would like to continue to have access to the ATC system. Member dues won't cover a fight like this. Money talks, BS walks in the fine halls of our government.

 

[Anthony]

All us rich, pilot, playboys and playgirls need to donate more to the AOPA PAC. Remember, because we are pilots we are also well connected. As Dr. Bruce says.....Sigh.

 

[EdFred]

If ATC goes user fee - don't expect me to file. If I have to file IFR, I will probably suddenly become dyslexic.

 

[Michael]

This is a BIG money fight. The airlines have a lot of it,

The airlines have alot of money because us taxpayers bailed them out. If a single dime of money from the airlines goes into play here and is found out. I expect a congressional hearing! Afterall, if they can afford to spend millions on a bill, they can pay their fuel bills.

Michael

 

[Jeff Oslick]

I got the letter too. It is from AOPA PAC, which is a completely separate entity, financially, from AOPA, so your dues did not go toward the mailing of the letter. If you don't want to get renewal notices from AOPA, sign up for automatic renewal via credit card. I did about 10 years ago, and I haven't seen a renewal notice since. They also charge $2 less per year if you're on automatic renewal - because they realize that is how much it costs to send you those notices. Having worked for a good-sized non-profit myself, I think AOPA does a very admirable job at managing their finances and keeping dues low by finding other sources of funds.

Jeff

 

[Michael]

I got the letter too. It is from AOPA PAC, which is a completely separate entity, financially, from AOPA, so your dues did not go toward the mailing of the letter. If you don't want to get renewal notices from AOPA, sign up for automatic renewal via credit card. I did about 10 years ago, and I haven't seen a renewal notice since. They also charge $2 less per year if you're on automatic renewal - because they realize that is how much it costs to send you those notices. Having worked for a good-sized non-profit myself, I think AOPA does a very admirable job at managing their finances and keeping dues low by finding other sources of funds.

Jeff

Thanks for the clarification Jeff.