USMMAAA Eviction

My take on this: La Hood has a bee in his bonnet(to put it very politely), and Helis is feeling the pressure, and taking it out on the mids and the alumni. It's my understanding that what MARAD wants, they get. So it's time to get a KPer in the lead at MARAD. The question is, HOW DO WE DO THAT????

Hopefully RADM Buzby's retirement next month facilitates a new Administrator. However the current president has final say, so we have no control over it.
 
Oh my gosh, is it grab your torches and pitchforks season again already ?
:thumbdown:
 
Hopefully RADM Buzby's retirement next month facilitates a new Administrator. However the current president has final say, so we have no control over it.
I seriously doubt that the President has any intent of replacing the current Administrator, as much as many may dislike the current office holder.
 
You are right Tankercaptain. I don't, but I am learning. I have been reading this forum since 2010 and I do not have the knowledge to have a real contribution at all. I typed my comment a while before I hit submit and the posts that fell in between make my timing particularly bad.

However it does seem cyclical as far as the circular firing squad goes. And that is my point, especially for the newcomers. They can read back through the archives and see that for themselves.

I want the newest to hang in there and not panic. This is a good time for them to enjoy. This academy is still something that is so special and although it appears to be driving into an oncoming $h!7 storm they can still be excited about what lies ahead for them at KP.

I am anxious to learn more.
Most respectfully
 
You are right Tankercaptain. I don't, but I am learning. I have been reading this forum since 2010 and I do not have the knowledge to have a real contribution at all. I typed my comment a while before I hit submit and the posts that fell in between make my timing particularly bad.

However it does seem cyclical as far as the circular firing squad goes. And that is my point, especially for the newcomers. They can read back through the archives and see that for themselves.

I want the newest to hang in there and not panic. This is a good time for them to enjoy. This academy is still something that is so special and although it appears to be driving into an oncoming $h!7 storm they can still be excited about what lies ahead for them at KP.

I am anxious to learn more.
Most respectfully


There are many of us in the Alumni association that just want to make Kings Point a better place. We want to give the current and future midshipman more opportunities then we had while attending. There are many of us that want to make the experience at Kings Point a better experience then we had. With that being said, this situation is sad. It does not help those attending the school currently. I hope that the foundation and MARAD can resolve this in an equatable manner for the sake of the midshipman.
 
Greetings, I am new here and my son is interested in attending USMMA. We are considering a visit in the very near future, but I am concerned about all of the recent turmoil with the ringing of the bell (I know nothing about this or KP in general), and now this new concern. Needless to say, as a parent I am concerned about the future for my son in many regards including this and whether we should pursue visit. :confused:
 
As long as the superintendent doesn't openly solicit, it's not illegal.

TC: Some might consider the current statements and content of the "new" Academy website to be an open solicitation. I know it certainly looks like a solicitation given the words on the following Academy Website page:


Interested in learning how to make a donation to the Academy?

As part of its five-year strategic plan, the Academy has created a new Needs List, outlining its top ten Margins of Excellence needs for the coming year. Each item on the list will help the Academy achieve the goals defined its Strategic Plan, from providing Cutting-Edge Programs and developing Sound Leadership to creating a Dynamic Campus Culture.

Alumni, parents and other Kings Point supporters can review the Needs List:
•2013 Margins of Excellence Needs List

You can also learn more about how to make a donation here:
•Guide to Gift Giving

Especially when you consider here to for MARAD attorneys reading of the law was that people like the Athletic Director were not even allowed to answer a direct question about what types of new or additional equipment any particular Varsity Sports Team might be able to use or needed.

Also one might ask why this approach - directly giving the Superintendant up to $10,000 as a matter of course or as much as $100,000 (subject to "legal and ethical reviews") is preferable to the past method of having the USMMAAAF as the main conduit and having it provide lage gifts of 300,000 to 1,000,000+ a couple of times a year to cover things like Atletic Team travel, etc. needs.

Sure seems to make me wonder what sort of ego or power games are in play here and how one would expect a properly run 501 (C) 3 organization with a proper Board, etc. could be expected to behave appropriately and with the legally required transparency, excercise their required fiduciary responsibility, etc and just sit in the back and bus and color without questioning anything about the Academy or the use of the funds provided by its donors in furtherment of the organizations' stated goals or the donors specific wishes.
 
TC: Some might consider the current statements and content of the "new" Academy website to be an open solicitation. I know it certainly looks like a solicitation given the words on the following Academy Website page:




Especially when you consider here to for MARAD attorneys reading of the law was that people like the Athletic Director were not even allowed to answer a direct question about what types of new or additional equipment any particular Varsity Sports Team might be able to use or needed.

Also one might ask why this approach - directly giving the Superintendant up to $10,000 as a matter of course or as much as $100,000 (subject to "legal and ethical reviews") is preferable to the past method of having the USMMAAAF as the main conduit and having it provide lage gifts of 300,000 to 1,000,000+ a couple of times a year to cover things like Atletic Team travel, etc. needs.

Sure seems to make me wonder what sort of ego or power games are in play here and how one would expect a properly run 501 (C) 3 organization with a proper Board, etc. could be expected to behave appropriately and with the legally required transparency, excercise their required fiduciary responsibility, etc and just sit in the back and bus and color without questioning anything about the Academy or the use of the funds provided by its donors in furtherment of the organizations' stated goals or the donors specific wishes.

Jasperdog
I don't disagree with you on any of that, however Ms. Ilene Kreitzer legal counsel at Kings Point would beg to differ.
 
Greetings, I am new here and my son is interested in attending USMMA. We are considering a visit in the very near future, but I am concerned about all of the recent turmoil with the ringing of the bell (I know nothing about this or KP in general), and now this new concern. Needless to say, as a parent I am concerned about the future for my son in many regards including this and whether we should pursue visit. :confused:

Go visit! Go enjoy! These things are bumps in a long road and will be resolved.
 
It's hard to imagine any alum would want to donate directly to the academy given the manner in which the sup has treated KP's largest supporter in the AAF.
 
Jasperdog
I don't disagree with you on any of that, however Ms. Ilene Kreitzer legal counsel at Kings Point would beg to differ.

Yes I'm sure she would, that said in any legal dispute both sides usually have legal counsel and often one of the two ends up having an opnion that is judged as being incorrect or certainly less than fully correct. That's why they call it asking for and getting a legal reading and/or opinion. Especialy here in countries that are under English Law vice Napolianic Code (at least that's what some of my attorney friends said). Also as you know up to this point some other MARAD lawyers had the opinions that I cited and enforced them upon the Academy staff.
 
Yes I'm sure she would, that said in any legal dispute both sides usually have legal counsel and often one of the two ends up having an opnion that is judged as being incorrect or certainly less than fully correct. That's why they call it asking for and getting a legal reading and/or opinion. Especialy here in countries that are under English Law vice Napolianic Code (at least that's what some of my attorney friends said). Also as you know up to this point some other MARAD lawyers had the opinions that I cited and enforced them upon the Academy staff.

You know I don't disagree with you on any of this, however it's going to be a legal uphill battle and MARAD is going to do what they want to do.
 
Go visit! Go enjoy! These things are bumps in a long road and will be resolved.

What he said. Seriously, every SA has their trials and tribulations and always had had them. After these issues are resolved the Academy will still be there and the funding in the current budget, etc. is in place; there are capital improvements, etc underway. Should you child get in, attend and graduate they will have a great future ahead and a strong foundation for success - regardless of whether they have to get in formation and wear their kahki's to ring the bell and whether or not we as alumni are still bickering with MARAD Lawyers about the processing time for accepting our gifts, etc.

Is it important that the USMMAAAF be a well and properly managed 501 (C) 3 with offices on campus, I absolutely think so. However neither that or any of the items that have been discussed here really should factor into the decision now confronting you and your child, also my opinion. What should matter is do they want to go to USMMA and do they want the opprotunity for a career as a leader in the maritime industry as a likely option for them going forward.

Good luck in the quest
 
Greetings, I am new here and my son is interested in attending USMMA. We are considering a visit in the very near future, but I am concerned about all of the recent turmoil with the ringing of the bell (I know nothing about this or KP in general), and now this new concern.

BuckeyeGuy, I also am relatively new here and have read a lot on this forum. My son and I did visit the campus earlier this year and all I can say is GO GO GO. Both of us were incredibly impressed.

I was impressed not only by the campus, but also the students I came across while walking around. A very impressive group of young people. They appeared happy and were very friendly. Just about every time I walked past a student, or group of students,they would smile and say hello. Looking lost and trying to find the cafeteria, a student walked over to me and then walked me across campus to the entrance. All of the staff I came in contact with were friendly and helpful.

If I hadn't visited myself I think the talk on this forum would be discouraging to me also. But you need to realize, this forum seems to be dominated by Alumni. They use this forum to communicate with each other. They are very passionate and emotional about these issues that effect them. Some of them post their thoughts here several times each day, hundreds of times a year.

All I can say is go see it for yourself, talk to the people there yourself, I assure you, you will have a much more positive impression.
 
You know I don't disagree with you on any of this, however it's going to be a legal uphill battle and MARAD is going to do what they want to do.

I agree "MARAD is going to do what they want to do" right up until the time someone like a key appropriator and/or several members of Congress and/or their key staffers require them to either do otherwise or at least until they raise enough questions that it causes them (MARAD and/or DOT) to take pause and reconsider these actions and policies - remember as RADM Helis himself said yeasterday at the KPWDC Luncheon, neither MARAD or th Academy have resolved all the prior GAO report findings, and cited issues with regard to fiscal management and oversight. Why they might risk creating new issues, etc by now changing something that wasn't an issue and was handled the same way the other four Service Academies handle it (Foundations with rent free offices on campus) makes little sense anyway and in light of the above, even less IMO.

At this point I'm leaving this thread and writing my MOCs etc as suggested by the USMMAAAF Board which has 23+ volunteers all of whom are prominent alumni I respect - at least until I have something further factual to add.
 
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