AOPA infuriated me with their Fall 2008 issue which compared the 2008 POTUS nominees.
Though the theme of the article was “Who supports general aviation?”, they focused only on very specific niche issues, like user fees, increased regulation, aviation taxes, etc...
They didn’t even pay lipservice to which candidate’s overall domestic policy would best serve the economy and commerce as a whole, which stood to have a far more significant impact on aviation overall.
I attribute AOPA’s a-political opinions to their new president, whose name escapes me. Any article involving politics always paints the democrat politicians in the most favorable light, they are listed first amoung supporters for GA-friendly legislation, even when the vast majority of the legislation’s supporters are republican, who are listed last.
There are also fluff pieces for governors and congressmen who are also pilots, but no mention is made of party affiliation when the dems oppose GA interests.
No nod to Toomey, who basically flies himself from campaign event to campaign event.
AOPA knew Obama would be bad for the economy, and hence aviation in general, but they chose to ingore the fact. As I say, I attribute it to their new president, a dem lacky.
Can you guarantee me that not a dollar of my money will go to a Democrat, regardless of his or her position on general aviation?
I will give up flying, and you should too, before I help you enable a Democrat who will vote a party line to institute policy that will ultimately make the exercise of the privilege to fly impossible because they've taken all my money in taxes.
Michael E. Thompson
Austin, TX, USA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "AOPAPresident@aopa.org"
To: grobdriver@yahoo.com
Sent: Wed, September 22, 2010 6:12:26 AM
Subject: Critical! No pilot can afford this!
Dear Michael,
The November 2nd 2010 elections are only 41 days away. Voters will go to the polls to elect and re-elect candidates who will determine the future of your freedom to fly.
We have just 41 days to raise the money that will mean the difference between victory and defeat for AOPA's allies in Congress.
By raising this money, AOPA's PAC can make valuable last-minute contributions to the campaigns of 123 Congressmen and 31 Senators who are facing re-election and serve in the Congressional General Aviation Caucus. The money you and I raise will help them buy the ads, hold the rallies, and organize the volunteers who will turn out their voters and secure the victory on Election Day.
Our allies are fighting for their political lives. If you and I can help them win their campaigns today, they'll help us win fights tomorrow. When Congress reconvenes in January, you and I will be thrown into the middle of fights over:
Airspace use
ATC procedures,
Weather service modernization
Pilot medical records
Security
FAA funding
Avgas regulations to name just a few.
With just 41 days remaining until Election Day, your contribution is an essential investment to make sure that air safety remains a top priority, and that Congress doesn't treat you as a cash cow to be milked through fees and regulations.
Thank you very much for your support of AOPA, your friendship to me and your loyalty to our shared ideals. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Craig L. Fuller
President and CEO
Craig Fuller