The insurance problem

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Jim
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Post by Jim »

Bob Kuczewski wrote:
P.S.
While there, I noticed that you (Ken) have been welcomed as the new Region 3 Director. Let me say that if I could have voted, I'd have voted for you. However, I also endorsed both Dan and Alan, and they've both been corrupted by USHPA's insiders. Time will tell.
I haven't been reading BK's posts but I noticed Ken Andrews name and saw the above. To anyone reading who doesn't know Ken, BK's "time will tell" comment, implying that Ken may succumb to the dark side of force at the USHPA (not that I believe there is one) is truly insulting. Not only to Ken but to all of us who know him and trust him completely. I have never met anyone more incorruptible than Ken Andrews. He will be an excellent director.

BK on the verge of impugning Ken's leadership and this, before Ken even gets started. I suppose that, if Ken doesn't call BK about his expulsion, BK will soon post about the new "freeloading, cheapskate* director" in Region 3.

*One of my favorites, Ken.
:lol:
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Bob Kuczewski
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Hind sight is 20 20

Post by Bob Kuczewski »

JT, it's been over 5 years ago since you got your way and had me recalled as Region 3 Director. Here are the topics for anyone who wants to review JT's contribution:
The other side:
http://www.shga.com/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1676

Petition to recall Region 3 Director Bob Kuczewski
http://www.shga.com/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1829

Petition to Leave BoB K alone and let him serve out his term
http://www.shga.com/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1832

question ...
http://www.shga.com/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1925
That was in the spring of 2010, and you got your way.

Now it's late 2015, and what has "your way" brought us?

Bill Helliwell was backed by the Torrey PG crowd, and he provided no oversight at all. The Torrey concesionaire had a field day with no "Bob K" looking over their shoulders. They did whatever they wanted to do and (mostly) got away with it. According to the reports and videos I've seen, they were flying tandems while on drugs, and they were bumping paragliders into each other in mid-air while carrying child passengers. They were having a good old time doing whatever they wanted with no "Bob K" to worry about. That was 2010 and 2011.

The video of Shannon Hamby's accident from the summer of 2011 has been pulled from YouTube (with claims of "copyright infringement"), but you can still find the photos from that video (and Tad's various remarks) here:

http://www.kitestrings.org/topic83.html

Shannon Hamby was badly injured by what a jury would likely consider the gross negligence of the Torrey Pines concessionaire (that would be Robin J. Marien - "RJM" on this forum). Search for his rambling posts by user name (RJM) and get a glimpse into who's been running Torrey for these last 5 years. He's the guy who was running the show when that accident happened and I believe the subsequent settlement became the flash point for this insurance fiasco. And ironically he will likely be one of the guys controlling the RRG and deciding who can fly and who can't ... not just at Torrey ... but at Sylmar.

I am suggesting that Sylmar consider pooling its money locally and use that money to establish your own ownership in the RRG. I don't know why that's considered too "crazy" of an idea to discuss rationally. But it's the same people pushing against that idea who removed any meaningful oversight at Torrey. And now you can see how that worked out.
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Ken and the Machine

Post by Bob Kuczewski »

Jim wrote:BK on the verge of impugning Ken's leadership and this, before Ken even gets started.
Ken's own actions will be his legacy - not my comments nor yours.

The first thing USHPA will try to do to Ken is to convince him that his loyalty is to a corporation named "USHPA". They will try to brainwash him that his loyalty to that legal fiction is greater than his duty to the pilots who elected him. Never mind that the corporation is supposed to be made up of the members - only the Executive Committee matters now. They will give him a book that explains all of this very clearly, and he can call Tim Herr any time if he needs to have his loyalty re-examined.

I've been there. I know how it works.

If Ken gives any indication of not being a "team player" (the "USHPA Team" that is - not the pilot's team), he'll be an instant "outsider". It's a rigged game, and the people at the top - especially Mark Forbes - know how to play it.

I've watched some pretty good men get caught up in that system, and it's a shame to see what comes out the other end. Ken might be the best so far, and I do have some hope. But I'll quote Doug who quoted Ronald Reagan's famous line: "Trust but verify." Thanks Doug.

By the way, it's fun to go back and read the posts from 2010 - given what we know now.
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Jim
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Post by Jim »

Torrey! Torrey! Torrey! Wasn't there a movie? Didn't the attackers lose in the end? I think they got nuked.

Why is Torrey so important to you? Are you that hooked on ridge soaring? Or is that the extent of your skill, no slight intended, maybe thermals just aren't your thing. Was it so difficult to follow the rules there? Many others do. Never mind, it wasn't the rules. It was that you just didn't like who made the rules. They catered to PG because that was the majority of their business. So you waged jihad against the owner of the business who made it possible to fly at Torrey, annoying city officials and making enough trouble that they could have closed it to free flight, altogether.

You probably shouldn't bring up old wounds, BK. In 2010, all I saw was that someone who was supposed to be sensitive to my view - don't file a frivolous suit against the organization we belong to - failed to listen and frustrated me enough by following his own bull-in-a-china-shop methods that I resorted to character assassination. Sorry, you aren't that bad. However, in the end, your reaped what you had sown. The majority of your constituents didn't like what you were doing and kicked you out as their rep. That must be what you are referring to, in hindsight.

Lesson learned? No way for BK. He'll just keep kicking that dead horse, annoying and frustrating everyone on the way until he's deemed persona non grata, until the damage inflicted on the organization he should have supported was too much of a liability to keep him around.

If you come to Kagel, well, if you had come to Kagel and broken the rules here, the same thing would have happened. Actually, it might have happened, effectively, just because you were an annoyance.

But, as I'm wont to do when I haven't flown for a couple of days, I'm wasting my time due to boredom, trying to give you an alternate view that you just won't consider. You will never learn.

I've told others here that you're actually a pretty nice guy, in person; just not to talk flying politics with you. Whatever kernel of sense you may bring to the conversation is overshadowed when the crazy BK comes out. You're obsessed and that is your weakness. That you can't see it is your downfall.

Come on back with your next rebuttal. I'm going flying, probably tomorrow and I'll not waste another thought for you.
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Getting to the TRUTH

Post by Bob Kuczewski »

Jim wrote:Why is Torrey so important to you? Are you that hooked on ridge soaring? Or is that the extent of your skill, no slight intended, maybe thermals just aren't your thing.
Hi Jim,

I enjoy both thermalling and ridge soaring. If you knew my flying history, you'd know that. But I don't live in Sylmar. I live in San Diego. I work within walking distance of Torrey. Is that enough?

Jim wrote:Was it so difficult to follow the rules there?
As I mentioned to Barton in the other topic, I am one of the most careful pilots when I fly at Torrey because I know I've got a target on my back. I know that I can't break the smallest infraction or they'll be all over me. So I've been extremely careful about not breaking any rules at all.

So tell me, where did you pick up the narrative that I've broken rules at Torrey? Who EXACTLY told you that?

Thanks in advance,
Bob
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Bob Kuczewski
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Re: The insurance problem

Post by Bob Kuczewski »

OK, back on topic ...
Ken Andrews wrote:And in another thread, Bob said:
One question that hasn't been answered is whether it would be beneficial for Sylmar to be a part owner of the RRG along with the schools and other clubs.
SHGA is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation, and as I read the federal requirements as listed in 17 CFR 230.501, I think we would have to $5 million in assets in order to invest. We don’t meet that requirement, so I believe we cannot be a part-owner in the RRG.
USHPA is also listed as a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation. Do they have $5 million in assets in order to invest? Does the Foundation for Free Flight have $5 million in assets in order to invest? How many of the other investors have $5 million in assets?

Ken, it looks to me like someone isn't giving you the whole truth.
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JD
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Post by JD »

Here's the truth....
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Bob Kuczewski
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Post by Bob Kuczewski »

While we're waiting for incoming Director Ken to answer the previous question, let me ask a simple question of current Director Alan Crouse:

Is the Torrey Pines concessionaire one of the "investors" in the RRG?
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Post by Bob Kuczewski »

While we're waiting for Alan Crouse ...

The owners of the RRG will be in the driver's seat. They'll make the decisions on:

- which sites to insure
- which pilots to insure
- which clains to settle
- which claims to defend

These "investors" will also be the ones to get their money back if the RRG doesn't go bankrupt. The "donors" won't get any of that. They won't have any say in who gets insurance and who gets squeezed out. All that power will rest with the "investors".

USHPA and the big investors want Sylmar pilots to be "donors" ("give us your money") rather than investors ("lend us your money").

Sylmar pilots who care about keeping their money should be discussing Sylmar's participation as an owner. USHPA doesn't want that, and that's why they're bypassing the clubs and appealing directly to pilots with their mass-marketing campaign. They want individual pilots to give them their money rather than pooling it as an investment through the local clubs.
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BK

Post by Steve90266 »

Well said, Jim. Very well said.
Steve Murillo
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Bob Kuczewski
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Post by Bob Kuczewski »

Nothing Jim (JT) said has addressed the topic of this thread which Ken titled "The insurance problem". Jim's comments are self-admitted character assassination to divert the discussion from the insurance topic.

I have suggested that all local clubs (including Sylmar) should begin pooling their money locally rather than sending it off directly to USHPA. The only rational argument of substance that's been lodged against that idea comes from Ken who has mentioned that investors need to have $5 million in assets to qualify to invest in an RRG. I've challenged that by asking whether USHPA, the FFF, and the other investors have $5 million in assets. And if they do, then why don't they just fully fund the RRG and stop asking members to "donate" money to THEIR investment?

I have further suggested that the formation of an RRG instead of other mechanisms (like mutual insurance) might not be in the interests of the pilots themselves. I have suggested that USHPA might have chosen an RRG because that benefits the "insiders" who really control USHPA.

I have also suggested that the "recreational land use" statutes already protect land owners and should be used to keep our sites open. This should be done regardless of whether we have insurance, an RRG, a mutual, or anything else. By bringing land owners up to speed on this protection, we can help to eliminate the insurance requirement that threatens to cripple our sport.

These are all valid suggestions, and they're all appropriate for a topic on "The insurance problem". Unfortunately, there are people - like JT - who don't want these things discussed, and they are trying desperately to derail that discussion. Please ignore them if you value the future of hang gliding.
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How about some full disclosure?

Post by Bob Kuczewski »

How about some full disclosure?

Yesterday I asked outgoing Director Alan Crouse if the Torrey concessionaire is one of the RRG "investors" (see post above). So far there has been no answer.

Ken, if USHPA is asking members to donate their money to a fund that will be owned and controlled by the "investors", is it too much to ask for a full list of who these "investors" are?

Now that you're a Director, can you provide that complete list for the Sylmar members who might want to know who is going to own and control the money they're giving?

Thanks in advance.
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Post by OP »

Bob, I do believe that's a constituent service. Meaning you are entitled to neither jack nor shit. I don't see how this even concerns you at this point.
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Post by Bob Kuczewski »

OP wrote:Bob, I do believe that's a constituent service. Meaning you are entitled to neither jack nor shit. I don't see how this even concerns you at this point.
There are a lot of things you don't seem to see at this point...

Why do you think USHPA expelled me?

Flying? Nope. My flying has been safe and conservative.

Keep me from speaking at City Council? Nope. Check the council video ... I'm as vocal as ever.

Keep me from talking to the press? Nope. I talked to 2 reporters on a related story just this week.

Keep me from testifying in court? Nope. I'm much more likely to testify now than ever before.

So why expel me?

1. Intimidation of future witnesses.
2. Try to discredit me.
3. Keep me from speaking out about their corruption.
4. Try to isolate me from other pilots.

Your statement is exactly what they wanted to accomplish. I've witnessed far too much of USHPA's corruption, and this expulsion was their best attempt silence me.

Your desperation to do the same is quite revealing.
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Post by OP »

Glad it worked.
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Post by dhmartens »

The new RRG might be able to ban you if you are a member/owner and testify that regular negligence is in fact gross negligence thus creating a big loss to the RRG under article 131 section 7 part A.
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displ ... le=125-140

(7) The board of directors shall adopt and disclose a code of
business conduct and ethics for directors, officers, and employees
and promptly disclose to the board of directors any waivers of the
code for directors or executive officers, including all of the
following topics:
(A) Conflicts of interest.

A conflict of interest (COI) is a situation in which a person or organization is involved in multiple interests, financial interest, or otherwise, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation of the individual or organization.

The goal now is to promote safety and reduce loss.
in effect we are all now BobK.
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Post by JD »

dhmartens wrote:....The goal now is to promote safety and reduce loss.
in effect we are all now BobK.
Do you really mean to imply that my peers and I are obsessed with lancing windmills while concealing our true agendas?
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Post by OP »

BobKrazy, Why continue trespassing on the lease property and the 'pilots only' area and keep getting arrested?

"Rosa Parks"
Image


I for one stand with BobKrazy. We need better mental health access in this country. It's a national shame that people like him need to call the local news on themselves to receive treatment.
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Post by Bob Kuczewski »

OP wrote:BobKrazy,
More junior high name calling OP? Please read up on slander and libel. I'm sure this all feels like fun and games to you, but you can be responsible for saying things that are incorrect and damaging to another person's reputation. Second warning.
Tangent Man wrote:Do you really mean to imply that my peers and I are obsessed with lancing windmills while concealing our true agendas?
Gee, Jonathan, I'm just dying to hear what my "true agenda" might be. Please enlighten us while we wait for Ken to find out who is going to own the insurance everyone is "donating" to create.
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Post by dhmartens »

OP thinks Galileo was crazy, no he like Bob was just ahead of his time.
Image

"We are all now BobK"

Still don't believe me?

Listen to the Sith Lord Himself, MGF:

http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=45823
"....Our premium rate is set by independent actuaries, who look at our history and project an estimate forward. Right now, our history looks lousy and our future premium rate is high. We're betting that we can beat that, and show a healthy profit for a few years. As we do that, the actuaries will re-compute their estimates each year. If our claims come down and we don't have huge costs, then the future premiums will decrease too. That will reduce the amount USHPA has to pay for insurance, and hence the cost that it has to pass on to members as dues. When and how much is unknown…it all depends on how well we do as a group to minimize accidents and claims.

It has always been the case, but I'm hoping that it will be more clear to everyone…this is OUR money we're spending, every time somebody screws up and gets hurt, or hurts somebody else. It's not some far-away insurance company. It's ALL OF US, and we should all understand that. If you see somebody about to do something dumb/sketchy/marginal…call them out on it! Their screw-up is going to cost YOU money. Take ownership! Don't wait for an accident to happen to say "I told you so". If there's a problem brewing, head it off before it costs us all a fortune. We need to own the problems, and deal with them. That's how we're going to save money on insurance.

MGF"
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