US Politics - Consolidation or Agenda????

US Politics - Consolidation or Agenda????

Reed

7/28/1999

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have a few questions I would like to ask you, and share some of my
personal opinions.

1. What kind of leadership do we have that would move Corporate Charters
from one state to another 'without' knowing present Corporate law and
that which is in the Legislature for vote? (everybody DUMMY up).

2.What kind of legal counsel has OUR money been spent on that apparently
'cannot' keep up with issues that would involve consolidation? (I just
NOW, for no apparent reason, decided to read this report?).

3. Did the By-Laws of the old Corporation contain voting requirements to
the percentage of Members to make a majority and by some STRANGE
oversight, the new by-laws contained none? (Did I say, OVERSIGHT?)

4. Who really benefits from this consolidation? (Not the public and not
the Practitioners, so why pursue it?).

5. Is anyone seriously interested in starting an Organization, if the
consolidation passes, that would keep the Public's and Practitioner's
best interest at heart? (I am).

6. Do we have legal recourse against the board, board members and/or
legal counsel, if the facts have been withheld from us? (I want to
know).

7. Do we have legal recourse against the board, board members, and/or
legal counsel if the members best interest was not represented? (I
really want to know).

8. Do you believe that this consolidation process has been a finely
orchestrated maneuver to CRAM it down your throat? (Hell yes).

9. Have you noticed that anytime leadership has been involved in this
debate and it gets hot and heavy, they somehow seem to disappear without
the answer to the question at hand? (I have).

I guess by now you know that I am NOT in favor of consolidation. There
are many reasons why. But foremost, I sincerely do not believe it is in
the best interest of our Profession.(either for the public or
practitioners). One organization to represent everyone's concerns? (I
really don't think that is possible, the public has one concern, the
practitioner has a different one, and the business owners/manufactuers
have another.) Can one organization represent three different agendas
to Legislative Bodies,Insurance Companies, etc. without a conflict of
interest? Can one organization have the same numbers of voices speaking
out on issues as three separate entities? No, it is not physically
possible within our field. A little simple math - Let's say there are
2500 Practitioners in good standing with ABC, 1500 members in AAOP, and
900 members in AOPA. As three separate organizations, we have a total
of 4900 voices. Once consolidated, the number is considerably less, at
least by 1500(AAOP) because All AAOP members are also ABC affiliated. No
longer does the Practitioner belong to multiple organizations. There
are also many members of AOPA who are also ABC credentialed, hence more
voices lost. In the example, one organization has at most, 3400
voices. The above numbers are for example only, but if you get the
correct figures and do the math, the results show the loss in voices to
be heard is substantial.

I am in good standing with ABC, I am a member of AAOP, and I am a
business owner which makes me eligible for AOPA. At present, I choose
not to be a member of AOPA. If consolidation passes I have no choice
but to belong, whether I like it or not, if I still wish to be
associated with ABC, and /or AAOP.(at least that is what has been
explained to me). Did I also mention that my dues will go up? Now I
pay dues for two organizations, if consolidation passes, I'll in essence
be paying dues to three organizations. After all, if you are associated
with one, if consolidated, you are associated with all. You really
don't think dues will decrease do you? After all, there is not enough
money now............?

Let me say that I am disappointed with most of our leadership. Not for
wanting consolidation, but in the way in which I feel it has been
handled. I truly believe that if I conducted my business in the same
fashion, my referral sources would dry up. Who would have faith in me
or believe what I said?

Is this paranoia? No, it's not having my 'head up my ass'. Wake up,
the coffee has been on for hours, and the bacon is burnt.

Only in a true democracy, where CHOICES are freely made, does society
truly prosper.


E. Reed Coleman, C.P.
      I voted NO


p.s. What does,In fact, it is my belief, which belief I shared with the
Board, that the failure of the Group and the Board to continue with the
Consolidation vote procedure currently underway, along with the
communication mentioned earlier in this letter, would result in their
breach of their fiduciary duty to follow the already established
directives of each organization's Board of Directors. mean? I want to
know what the law is, not a belief. And what about fiduciary
responsibility to memberships? And finally, if the Group and Board , and
each organizations Board's are the same people, what responsibility?????