http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=11114

Bob:

This letter is in response to your repeated requests for USHPA support in helping get you a seat on the Soaring Council. After discussing this matter, the Executive Committee (“EC”) has determined that USHPA is well represented on the Soaring Council by Brad Hall. Further, we believe you have a direct conflict-of-interest in serving on the Soaring Council. That is, your continued interference with management of this site following your suspension is straining what has been a successful relationship between the flying community and the City of San Diego.

By this letter, USHPA affirms the following:

1. USHPA will not support your request for additional representation on the Soaring Council.

2. USHPA will look to Brad Hall as its sole representative on the Soaring Council and all matters pertaining to USHPA’s relationship with the Torrey Pines site.

3. You are not authorized to speak on behalf of USHPA for matters pertaining to Torrey Pines. Specifically, if you identify yourself in correspondence as a USHPA RD, you must state that you are speaking as an individual and you have no authorization to speak on behalf of USHPA.

Bob, USHPA is absolutely committed to supporting Torrey Pines as a flying site for both hang glider and paraglider members of our association. We believe your actions have been detrimental to the best interests of the flying community at-large. USHPA reserves all rights to take whatever action it deems is in the best interest in the USHPA pilot community at-large to protect this important flying site. At present, that includes taking steps to be certain you abide by the three requirements outlined above.

Thanks,

Rich Hass, Secretary, USHPA

Mark G. Forbes, USHPA EC member, and USHPA Treasurer, has consistently stated that the USHPA will not get involved in local Torrey Pines politics. So why have they chosen to do so now? It raises the question, were they always involved behind the scenes and unwilling to admit it?

Some people just don't get the idea that the people can rise up and bite their betters. For example, here is the publisher of the N.Y. Times seemingly amazed that there is such a thing as mad folks getting on the internet: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/18/business/18aigcomments.html?hp

From Saturday evening through Tuesday morning, more than 7,000 A.I.G.-related comments were posted on http://nytimes.com.

Taken together, however, the posts represent a near-consensus among readers that these bonuses should not have been awarded and should not be allowed to stand.

The USHPA continues to be just as clueless. Folks get mad and they get on the internet and smoke you out of your spider hole.