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Not surprised.
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I will become a member on or after Nov 1 and I intend to vote the next time around. I also plan on learning the issues and the people involved so I can make an informed and educated vote.
With that said, what I've heard here on the forums so far is that some perceive a core group of individuals that continually get or maintain their status in the elections, so someone has to be voting for them. What I haven't heard or seen are any folks who are OK with how things are being run. Certainly some have to be ok with it or there'd be more votes turned in?
One thing is definite, changes in an organization this large aren't and can't be made overnight. I am familiar with how things work in these sorts of organizations being a past President of the Central Maryland Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. To change anything requires careful thought and a well planned approach. Regardless, you must keep in mind that nothing a governing body does (or doesn't do) will make 100% of the membership happy. No matter how great 80% of the members think something is, there will always be that 20% who don't like it.
The committees and elected board officials need to formulate their plans for moving forward and communicate those plans. They must stick to their plans unless some mitigating factor presents itself. If those plans aren't working at the end of their tenure then it is incumbent on the members to vote them out. That's how it has to work.
If anyone is unhappy with APBA you basically have three choices; 1) stay with it and vote, 2) run for office yourself, or 3) leave the organization. That's not meant to sound harsh, but at the end of the day, that's what it has to be.
The organization won't live or die because of a committee, it will live or die because of the members.
Dane Lance
700-P
CSH/500ModComment
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More great news from your new APBA board elected members!
The inboard race that had the accident that we all will pay for in higher insurance cost due to race management of the race not following the our own insurance set back rules (whom are leaders of APBA and inboard commission) have collectively voted along with the new elected BOD and agreed to pass the higher insurance cost on to all divisions instead of having the Inboard VP pull the funds from the Inboard promo funds! And they also have agreed to raising all category insurance approx. 25%.
BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE!! (sorry it is not steak knives)
THEY HAVE NOW AGREED TO ALSO RAISE YOUR MEMBERSHIP FEES FOR NEXT YEAR TO COVER THE LOSS COST!!
Don't expect any additional benefits from the added membership fees, you still will get that great APBA sticker and your plastic membership card for your $$$ what a great deal!
Enjoy the ride, and get out your check books!Last edited by 1hshawwpba; 10-10-2015, 01:19 PM.Comment
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It's been so long, I have to ask, is there any sort of initiative process where grassroots racers can put their own measure on the next APBA ballot?
Seems like there was some talk here some time back about how the Inboard and maybe other divisions make more insurance claims than do the Stock/Mod/PRO divisions, but racers in all divisions pay the same insurance premiums with their memberships (and therefore the string-pullers are subsidizing the fanny-riders). Is that correct? So is there a way to try to change that via some sort of initiative measure?
And if not, and there's no remedy, what about NBRA and USTS? Maybe someone from those groups could say why a year or so ago there was much enthusiasm about NBRA and USTS joining forces, but IF I'm following it correctly, that proved not to have worked out so well since then . . . ??
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LOLOLOLOLOOOLOOOLOLHHHAHAHAHAHComment
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It is not true that NBRA & USTS had problems. Both organizations got along great. It was a mutual decision to part ways after USTS got its own insurance plan that suited their needs better.
Art KComment
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Both NBRA and the USTS are both very successful and are for the boat racer. Both organizations are doing well even with a declining economy. It is just too bad that APBA got so political and the cost of joining and sanction fees have caused their decline. When boat racing is declining all over this is not the time for the dividing the groups. In order to survive, unity is the only solution but I don't think it will happen. One thing that could help is that all the origination's honor each other's sanction so a driver could attend any one of the races put on with out a considering expense. Just follow their safety and racing rules. Just my opinion.Comment
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Boat racing is costly we all know that. I submit that unlike auto racing boat racing has no way to recoup what the racer spends. Prosperity is what improves boat racing and Dubai is proof as this tiny country prospered there boat racing flourished. The middle class is the majority that race in the USA. When something that would help shows up we in the USA do not welcome it because it is costly. Until the USA has prosperity in the middle class .Boat Racing will only have more financial difficulties but it is funny how many think that the wealthy group should pick up the added expenses of insurance. Sounds familiar.Comment
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Are you referring to what I said? I didn't advocate that any, quote, wealthy group, unquote, should pick up the added expenses. I said I had heard outboarders say they shouldn't have to subsidize the other categories that were having the greater insurance claims but paying no higher premiums to cover the situation. That's all; you'll hear no socialistic solutions from this old Goldwater man, LOL.Last edited by Smitty; 10-13-2015, 09:20 PM.
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NBRA runs only stock/Mod and sometimes they throw 125cch in......USTS runs PRO (only) APBA has way more on the table so why are we trying to compare insurance costs?
I thought this thread was about how low the percentage was on voting.sigpicWayne DiGiacomoComment
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Wayne, if you look at the original post again you'll see that Howard talked about the low percentage of voters, but also said he doesn't like the current direction of the APBA, and the high costs, specifically insurance. I had previously understood that some outboarders here feel that they are to some extent unfairly subsidizing the insurance costs of some of the other categories. I saw it as related to that part of the original post. Let me say, I don't, DO NOT, favor one organization over another (I don't know nearly enough, and have no axe to grind here), other than having a general attitude that competition between them should theoretically be a good thing . . .Last edited by Smitty; 10-13-2015, 08:59 PM.
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Some of you apparently have a real axe to grind with APBA and have for some time. If you do not like APBA then don't join, don't comment, leave it alone. The whining and complaining is starting awful early this year and what a surprise, from the same few as always!Joe Silvestri
CSH/500MH
Dominic Silvestri
JH/JRComment
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Your comment is correct if a member does not like APBA don't join, if you have half as brain you can see that every year less members are joining, gee I wonder why maybe they don't Like APBA or don't see the value in paying the membership fees to get a APBA sticker and a plastic card for their hard earned $. or maybe they don't feel that raising cost to cover losses of others that cause the issues is a good idea!
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Smitty, the 1st post was updated and the direction part was added on the 10th... copied and pasted post #18 and added to 1st post. This started as a voting thread and spiraled into another anti APBA thread.
I agree with Joe, If you really hate APBA than just stop going or just don't join. In my case I run the APBA pro nationals and the rest what ever USTS races I can go to. But that' because I don't run stock or mod.
See I try and keep out of politics in racing...So thats why I have fun at every race i go to.sigpicWayne DiGiacomoComment
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So if someone has an issue with something APBA (or any other organization) is doing, he therefore "hates APBA" (or whatever organization)??
When Howard and I were racing forty-five years ago, people in Seattle Outboard had issues with APBA. SOA is still an APBA club. Doesn't quite sound like "hate," does it? -
Yes, When I see the SAME people complain about APBA I do say HATE because if they didn't have an issue it wouldn't be posted on here all the time. I also would love to see the ones that complain actually go to a race once in a while..... Never see anyone complain (active drivers) about NBRA on here.... You will never see anyone ( active drivers ) about the USTS complain on here.
Hydroracer is very easy to cry about everything. I hear all the issues about APBA on here but then never here anything at a APBA race. The answer is very easy.... the ones complaining are not even at the races. I am not trying to start any issues myself, this is just true facts that I have seen in the past 10 years or so.
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I am not a racer but certainty a fan of racing. The low voter turnout is not just a racing problem. I believe it is just a result of the membership or electorate being apathetic. The reason , I believe , is people feel their opinions or thoughts really dont matter to the elected officials and therefore change wont come.
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Well, it seems that mere fans of racing are not supposed to have anything to say here unless it is entirely laudatory.
After my old friend Howard Shaw, who along with his wife has done an enormous amount of volunteer work for Seattle Outboard for the fifty years I've known him, had some things to say including about low voter turnout, I offered the idea of on-line debates as a possible means of clarifying issues and candidates for members. Did anybody (except Howard) think the idea was good or bad?? The only other responders had not one word on the idea itself but for some reason got real defensive and decided I was being negative and hateful. So to h--- with it.
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I certainly feel as a 40+ year member of APBA, plus numerous awards won as a Driver I will not mentioned so as not to be accused of tooting my own horn, I have EVERY right to criticize APBA for all the mistakes and errors they have made over the years. Maybe some do not like to hear them so when you see my name on a post just pass it by.
There is an old saying and it goes like this...
"Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it", or something similar.
I also remember another famous man whose name was Truman and a sign on his desk read "If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen".
Perhaps if APBA would use one of their greatest UNUSED resources, some who have seen the mistakes made over the years (and the results which are still with us today) THE FORMER MEMBERS, who do not have a trailer to protect, or axe to grind, things would get better and membership would not be declining with no end in site. Unfortunately in addition to being blind, they are deaf there also.
And one final suggestion to JSILVESTRI/DiGiarD54..... If I or anyone like me upsets you that much, when you see our name on a post, JUST DON"T READ IT, cause the only thing that will shut me up about this subject is when I am horizontal.
And Smitty and Howard Shaw., keep right on keepin on.Last edited by bill van steenwyk; 10-15-2015, 03:21 PM.Comment
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I'm not upset just tired of the complaining. It comes from the same few people and it's the same complaint. Either stop complaining or actual do something about it. Get involved, leverage for change, offer solutions otherwise you come across as bitter with an axe to grind which is how I take it and I'm tired of reading it. So, if you don't like what I just wrote then you don't have to read it either.Joe Silvestri
CSH/500MH
Dominic Silvestri
JH/JRComment
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I'm not upset at all. I guess I will see all your names on next years Ballots and on what direction you guys take? Good luck, looking forward to see how everyone doessigpicWayne DiGiacomoComment
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Getting back to the low voter participation. Why can't they do on line voting? People tend to be lazy when it cones to filling out forms and mailing them in and forgetful too. Its easy enough to do an online poll, so why not vote online. Verification with your name and membership number and a password and away you go. Just a thought. And yes I did send in my ballot, some I voted for got in and some didn't .
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