American Professional Mariners Association

There was definitely a response although it was far from clear. Education? Job postings? Again everything that I caught listed as services or benefits seems to be free via the rest of the interwebz. A lobby group getting involved with DC, NI, things like that would be helpful. Actually having a bank or financial institution available with a mariner specific program to help those invest/save would be helpful. So far they claim nothing that isn’t free everywhere else.

sorry Tim Hamilton, but I will ask my questions here and expect to be answered here as this is the largest gathering of professional American mariners anywhere on the planet. You have better learn that if you have any hope for success for the AMPA, you must have a positive presence here with this forum of which I am proud to be a leading member. If you don’t return to answer the questions I will soon have in response to your earlier post today, I will consider it as tantamount to your dismissal of the members of this forum and a refusal to listen to their collective voice.

Ok Mr. Hamilton…

I am going to start without dissecting your post line by line but instead to ask three basic questions which I hope you will answer:

one: is it planned by the AMPA to sell or otherwise direct members to financial services or providers? This certainly appears to be an underlying direction the association is pursuing. How does it intend to assist members with their retirement planning if not to advertise Raymond James, Fidelity Investments, Charles Shwab or any of the many other financial advisory services already offering such services to the public? Does it have it have its own certified financial planners on its payroll? If it doesn’t, how can it in any way advise anyone concerning their investments? Does the AMPA plan to earn revenue from this “service” it intends to provide?

two: does the AMPA in any way, shape or form have any intention or plan to represent the interests of the American professional mariner with the USCG, MarAd or the US Congress? Does it intend at all to be representative of all American professional mariners as its name implies? If it does, explain how it will and why it believes if can be successful? If it does not please explain why it does not feel this is a necessary function of any such association? In order to be an association you must have members to be associated with the organization. Associations are formed so the individual voices of the members are spoken as one by the association’s leadership. How does the AMPA plan to be the “voice” of the American mariner?

three: does the AMPA leadership know it has a non US flagged ship on its homepage and does in intend to rectify this grave error?

.

^^^^^ Way to go Scooter, maybe you will get the truth out of him.

but guuuuuuys, wont it sound so cool to say you are a member of the american professional mariners association??? just think about how much credence that will lend you when you are trying to get that AB job via skype interview!

Something else I am wondering about. I am a member of MMP. In our by-laws it is forbidden to belong to another labor organization.

would membership in APMA jeopardize my MMP membership?
What sort of job listings will they have? Obviously non-union. Will the jobs be on American flagged ships? Mr. Hamilton. Thank you for your concise reply, even though you didn’t make the sailing deadline. You, sir, missed ship’s movement. NOt the best start.

Like C.Captain, I suspect that they want to sell insurance like the vultures at AARP. Hopefully I’m wrong.

Where is the question everyone should be asking any charity soliciting money?

[B]Where will my $72/yr go and how much of it goes to ‘payroll’ for the seemingly large group of administrators?[/B]

[QUOTE=Fraqrat;154588] Can they pass out duffle bags of cash to buy the influence we need in D.C. or not?[/QUOTE]

I would rather support a group that was dedicated to ending the bribery that is now required to pass legislation. That kind of corruption doesn’t defend or support our industry, it just adds to the real problem … feeding corrupt political parasites who sell favors to the highest bidder. I don’t want a dime of my money going to bribe a politician.

Then you should keep it in your pocket. Based on this guys response they aren’t gonna bribe anyone. Maybe when we join our money goes to a cool hat, an ink pen and maybe a poster of a foreign flagged ship for my stateroom.

[QUOTE=Steamer;154655]I would rather support a group that was dedicated to ending the bribery that is now required to pass legislation. That kind of corruption doesn’t defend or support our industry, it just adds to the real problem … feeding corrupt political parasites who sell favors to the highest bidder. I don’t want a dime of my money going to bribe a politician.[/QUOTE]

All very noble but at the same time to eschew all use of campaign contributions to gain influence is to hamstring any organization. Joe Boss has more that enough money to pay to play and they have unparalleled access to our esteemed leaders in Washingtoon. Gary Chouest is a master of the craft. For the voice of the American mariner to be heard, the organization which will do the talking will have to soil themselves to a certain extent filthy as it is. What is important is that the end is far bigger than the means employed.

[QUOTE=txwooley;154643]Where is the question everyone should be asking any charity soliciting money?

[B]Where will my $72/yr go and how much of it goes to ‘payroll’ for the seemingly large group of administrators?[/B][/QUOTE]

That’s about all I really care about. You’re bigshot grandmaster mariners, why the hell do you need another paycheck? You should be doing this for practically free…and I hope you are. Otherwise I have $72 that won’t be heading your way.

I second others in asking when APMA plans on showing up in Washington with bags of money or whatever other leverage it need to get something done for US mariners?

If not, why? Thats all that really matters in the end…

I would contribute $$$ to someone willing to take clear and decisive action in DC.

I would ask the APMA to post, or otherwise provide a link to, their 1024 application and most recent IRS form 990’s. As a 501 ©(6) (same tax classification as the NFL) they are bound by public disclosure laws.

…If the organization filed its application for tax-exempt status (e.g. Form 1023 or 1024) after July 15, 1987 or possessed a copy of its application materials on that date, it must also make copies of that application available to the public. All schedules, attachments and other supporting material submitted with the annual return and application must also be disclosed, with exceptions noted below.

Public access must be provided promptly on request by allowing inspection of the documents at the organization’s office or offices, and by providing copies of the documents promptly in response to any in-person request or within 30 days for a written request. However, organizations don’t have to provide copies if they make these materials widely available through publication on the Internet,…

I think it is safe to assume that if they hesitate to provide their obligated public disclosure info., then that would be a red flag.
Other questions I would ask:

Q: Are the minutes of board meetings made available to the public or just members…or just the board?
Q: Exactly how many members are there currently, and what are your future membership goals?
Q: Are there any meetings of the general membership?
Q: What do the bylaws of the Association say about Membership, Board Members and Meetings, and Salaries?
…I guess thats all I want to know, those four questions and links to the 1024 application and 990’s to start.

Two words: Term. Limits.

well after the very ineffectual non answers provided by Tim Hamilton, this mariner’s initial skepticism concerning this AMPA is not just renewed but now is in fact reinforced. I cannot say that in any way do I see this bunch as anything other than self serving parasites intent to get between the mariner and his money and to get their cut. There in not one thing Hamilton said which gives me confidence they intend to do anything positive for our collective community and their website is so utterly lame in its message as to be downright embarrassing.

I had slim hopes but I never pinned anything on them coming to fruition. This “association” is NOT the association us American professional mariners need. I VOTE NYET and I hope all others here are with me…

I’m going to reserve judgement until I have more information…but if it walks likes duck…

[QUOTE=captjamied;154704]I’m going to reserve judgement until I have more information…but if it walks likes duck…[/QUOTE]

Having searched extensively online for info regarding the American Professional Mariners Association ( AND their 501 ©(3), the American Professional Mariners Association Foundation) organization…the jury seems to be in and the verdict is unfavorable. Although the “officers, executives, and board members” seem to be real enough (hard to tell…), their website, even after joining and logging in, seems to be an empty shell of useless information and glistening generalities…shocker.
The only real benefit I can discern from joining the APMA would be to lighten your wallet, thus making you float that much higher in the water…

They have the same mailing address as this place: http://www.energy-three.com/complete-project-financing/
…and here: http://www.celticshipping.com/

Rob, How about you stopping into their office for an Interview as it looks like they are located in Annapolis, MD 21401.

well no reply back from Tim Hamilton nor have they replaced the foreign flagged Maersk ship on their homepage with an American ship. As far as this American mariner is concerned not only do I plan to NOT invest the $72 they want from me but I plan to make DAMNED sure no one else gives them a plugged nickel as well.

FUCK THESE BLOODSUCKING LEACHES! They’re as bad as a pack of EFFING lawyers at an airplane crash site picking through the remains of the victims!