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Usapa........by pilots, for pilots !! maybe not

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Fast43

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 12, 2007
Posts
170
usapa evidently doesn't believe in accountability, when asked to explain the basis on which germane fees are set, Mr. King appears to get defensive. So much for transparency!!!

East dues objector
All,

I thought you might enjoy this email exchange between an East pilot (who happens to be a Certified Public Accountant) and Mark King USAPA S/T. As you'll see, this CPA is having a pretty difficult time getting his agency shop fees straightened out with USAPA. Start at the bottom of the exchange and read your way up:


-----Original Message-----
From: Mark King <
[email protected]>
To:
XXXXXXXXXX
Cc: Mike Cleary <[email protected]>; Steve Bradford <[email protected]>; [email protected]
Sent: Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:01 am
Subject: RE: Dues/Agency Fee Invoice

You will not have access any of my data or staff in the USAPA office as long as I am Treasurer. I have been very clear on what you need to do if you have any problems with your personal billing. No worry, I won't be here for much longer, I prefer to fly. Perhaps you can be elected to my position. I have attached a membership form for you if you want to start at the entry level in this fine union. You will need to join in order to campaign for office. Time for you to be "a good union pilot."

Mark. USAPA

From: XXXXXXXXXX [mailto:XXXXXXXXXX <mailto:XXXXXXXXXX?> ]
Sent: Tue 7/15/2008 11:20 PM
To: Mark King
Cc: Mike Cleary; Steve Bradford; XXXXXXXXXX
Subject: Re: Dues/Agency Fee Invoice
Mark,

That's really a nice email and you have demonstrated that you obviously have more than enough time to answer my questions but would rather rant and spew drivel but once again where are the answers to my questions. If you made adjustments to my account and the accounts of others.......numerous adjustments..........then what are they? You are the one that is doing the invoicing. You are the one that is responsible for substantiating your invoice. That's part of the checks and balances that are normal when occupying the position of a fiduciary in an organization...especially a nonprofit. Obviously you believe that there is no way your calculation could ever be in error.........that's why you provide detail on an invoice...to validate and as a check and balance. I hope that you are not fearful of checks and balances in your new found line of work. That is a deadly position to be in if you! are. It is my job to examine the invoice based on your calculations for reasonableness having full knowledge of the base that is subject to dues and the rate and either pay it or dispute it based on the unique facts and circumstances that apply to my situation. Not a difficult concept at all, Mark. Just do the work.........it's quicker than running from it.

As far as your last ALPA bill (who cares, really), I would have expected and demanded them to provide the same analysis and you would deserve that analysis. If they didn't provide it then shame on them for not doing so and shame on you for paying it.

Snap back to the present, Mark. How can I tell if I was improperly billed or properly billed when you provide a gross number with no substantiation. For all you know, you could have miscalculated in my favor and if there is an error there, then I would expect to pay the amount due by correcting any errors...........not a penny more nor a penny less. As far as you producing one number with greater accuracy as you asert.........I wouldn't know because you haven't shown that you have calculated this with better accuracy. Sorry, my crystal ball is broken.

As far as your innuendos about my approach, I think you need to just get the job done. Get the information, provide the information and move on. Your little comments really have no bearing on the whole issue and as far as your staff.........I didn't even know you had staff..........great. Having staff will allow you to just answer the questions and move on........just push the button on the spreadsheet that shows my calculation that says print to pdf and send it or copy and paste it to a spreadsheet that shows the data and the calculation and voila.........you're almost there. Then just answer the questions or have your staff do it. Either way is fine with me if you are too busy. I am not particular as long as I get the answers.

If you are incapable of producing the calculation or unwilling to provide those calculations and data that you used to produce the bill then I seriously question that number even more. Just produce the calculation and the answers to my questions and I will produce the check. Not a hard concept..................just a normal business practice. Waiting until year end to sort out errors is not appropriate and leads to more errors.
Accuracy and transparency are critical as a fiduciary and I expect both as an end user of the services that I am paying for...........which in this case is representation.

As far as the letters behind my name.......I earned them the old fashioned way by demanding study, demonstrating proficiency within an established professional discipline with professional standards and practicing the requirements for adherence to professional ethical behavior. I don't remember you completing any professional requirements like those to get those letters behind your name but that's not to say you shouldn't be proud of them nonetheless.

Tell you what............I will set aside some time next week to come into the USAPA office and look at the calculations if you don't want to send them and read the documents that support the calculation and answer my questions that I wanted answered. That way you don't have to waste a stamp or any more time with this. How about next Thursday afternoon the 24th or preferably early Friday morning the 25th before I go on my trip. Just have all the information assembled and ready for review and you can just have one of your staff there to answer questions so you won't be disturbed. Given a 10 key and a pencil I can calculate what I need but I will bring my laptop with Excel just in case. In fact you don't even need to be there......I work well with staff.


Warmest regards,
XXXXXXXX
In a message dated 7/15/2008 8:31:14 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [email protected] writes:


XXXXXXX, like you said, you will pay your fees.

While you are working on your next letter to mail, maybe you could provide us with a similar analysis of my last ALPA bill, attached. It is only one of three I ever got in almost 23 years. I always paid in full, and was fully educated as to how ALPA billed. Please also note I left ALPA with a $1 credit. I never received any accounting, much less a year end statements. You will get a full accounting, with a refund or due amount after the first of the year. If you think you were so improperly billed, so hideously wronged for your April 18 - 1 May pay period, then I will personally lend the amount to you until next January, to prevent you from mental anguish, If you feel you were improperly billed for the rest of the periods due to a status change from last year, then feel free to mail me a letter spelling it out. We might make an adjustme! nt if it is way out of line. XXXXX, I have continually informed our members of this process, and you either are not reading it, or want to continue this "uninformed" charade.

I always knew my own dues to the penny, and I don't have as many "alphabets" after my name (other than USAPA, the one I am most proud of). You, despite your background, seem lost at sea in the process. Other than improvements and better accuracy, we have not changed the basic way our pilots are billed. Your personal attacks, "I know stuff you don't," and multi addressed emails are an insult to my staff. I can take the heat...I just don't have time to devote to lobbing your lowballs back. We are running a fine new union here, and you are a distraction. I look forward to your mailings.

Mark USAPA
 
I just sent Mr. King and the others that were CC'd a note about how abysmal this appeared. I also noted I have no dog in the fight as I'm ex AQ and working in the sandbox. But man, how disgusting is this situation....
 
USAPA refuses to be accountable to anyone. They also refuse to hold elections, preferring to retain their appointed power rather than bow to the will of the governed.

A little piece of Zimbabwe in Charlotte, NC.
 
USAPA's officers appear to be way over their heads. How sad for the pilots they pretend to represent.
 
W-w-what?

The USAPA "Dorothy's" are clicking their heels and chanting "There's no place like home!...There's no place like home!"

The catchy slogans that brought them to power are echos, and now they've got to deliver.

The dweebs that were claiming they were gonna do things "differently" than ALPA are sitting at their desks right now, muttering, "How in the world did those ALPA guys handle this?"

You caught the car, Rover. How's that bumper taste?
 
Now that's funny. Funny ha-ha.

USAPA is funny strange.
 
You do realize that by putting the cursor over the XXXXXX, you can see the identity and email address of the original poster?
 
You do realize that by putting the cursor over the XXXXXX, you can see the identity and email address of the original poster?
:laugh:...where's PCL_128?????:laugh:
 

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