A Letter About Dave Brown

This is from a friend of mine Fred Marks. Fred runs FMA, the company that distributes Kokam Lipos.

Gentlemen,
AMA voting for the presidency is in process. The information presented here is vital to that process.
Please read the unmodified Soapbox item as submitted. Then review the modifications Brown insists be made.
1. Dave Brown has been AMA Pres for three terms and should have stepped down this term as he had agreed. Yet, he chose to run again.
2. In May, 2004, Brown presented a Presidents Perspective column that was on the subject of Lithium Polymer Batteries that he knows almost nothing about, but chose to make it confrontational and misleading.
3. I took the matter up with him directly in dialogue, tried to educate and correct his most glaring errors. I spent an hour with Don Lowe of the Safety Committee at Toledo and Don and that committee handled the situation accurately and professionally. Yet, Brown belittles their efforts in his mark up of my article.
4. His response was a follow on column in the August issue that added more of the same and closed with an asinine remark.
5. I wrote a Letter to the Editor of Model Aviation in response and submited it to Bob Hunt, Editor.
6. Hunt requested that I make it a Soapbox article as one of the AMA's methods of presenting other viewpoints. This was done and the article attached was promised to be published in the November issue to hit the mail in Sept. All this has obviously been delayed in an attempt to stonewall and delay to the point that voters would not see a true picture.
7. The Oct issue arrived and there was no Soap Box. Surprise!
8. On Sept 27. I received a lengthy haranguing call from Dave Brown insisting that I change my opinion to conform with his. This is not arguable. I insisted that he send me a redline copy laying out his objections. I have attached the redline copy Brown sent me that shows it clearly.
9. I called Bob Hunt on Sept 28 to get his reading and he informed me he had sent the article to Brown for review. Why should this be done with a Soapbox article that is supposed to represent another viewpoint? This was done even though Hunt admits he never had the opportunity to edit Browns two columns. Hunt then insisted that the article would not be published unless it was modified to accomodate Browns directives.
10. Thus Brown demands to deprive AMA membership of a more accurate viewpoint from one who has led the way in AMA Frequency matters and in the introduction and promotion of Li Po technology via strong eductional activity.
11. This is a travesty and an egregious misues of power to suppress the first amendment rights of any AMA member to be heard and to exercise undue influence on the editorial staff of Model Aviation.
12. Truly, it is time for a new AMA Pres. I take this opportunity to endorse Dave Matthewson for that position.
13. You have my authorization to forward this message to any member of AMA that you know. The number of electric flyers alone is enough to decide this election.
14. An attempt to reach Rob Kurek, Director of Publications today to see if he was aware of this situation brought the usual AMA response: leave a message.

Fred Marks AMA 1733