How is AMRA Spending Your Donations?

[Terry Soloman]

WHY is the American Mining Rights Association in Papua New Guinea? Are they spending donations to be there? WTF?

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[bcfromfl]

I would also caution against lumping The New 49ers into whatever comparisons are trying to be put forth, here. There are a lot of good people involved in that organization who are sincere in their efforts to make progress for all recreational miners...amidst this madness.

Remember the adage: "United we stand, divided we fall." Criticism has its place, of course, but if we go down this road of falsely accusing others of imagined crimes, or even hearsay, we run the risk of shooting ourselves in the foot.

Edit: I wasn't going to add this anecdotal narrative to my post, but changed my mind, because I think it's particularly relevant to this discussion. I had the opportunity some months ago to correct an individual very involved with the WMA, who had a hatred of The New 49ers because of a false story he had heard, and was repeating. (I won't share the story here.) I am privy enough to some simple but key details that I was able to shed the truth onto what he believed was true, but in fact, proved it false.

Please, please, let's all of us be VERY careful of carelessly causing infighting, etc., because of second-hand facts, or unsubstantiated stories, that color perceptions and are repeated without forethought! I wonder about the potential damage the incident I speak of above might have caused, or prevented other organizations from teaming together because of mistaken rumors/falsehoods.

 

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[jere64ca]

I would also caution against lumping The New 49ers into whatever comparisons are trying to be put forth, here. There are a lot of good people involved in that organization who are sincere in their efforts to make progress for all recreational miners...amidst this madness.

Remember the adage: "United we stand, divided we fall." Criticism has its place, of course, but if we go down this road of falsely accusing others of imagined crimes, or even hearsay, we run the risk of shooting ourselves in the foot.

The majority of the organizations and individuals that are actually involved in the fight are some of the most stand-up, well intentioned, honest, reputable men I have ever met. Top of the list would be, of course, Brandon Rinehart and WMA the unsung behind the scenes workhorse.

 

[Tuolumne]

your AMRA donations went to pay gas bills and bank card fees, oh yeah and PLP got most of it in 2014, Where is the 2015 returns with all the money given to Brandon?

http://990s.foundationcenter.org/990...149.1472077848

looks like most of the money went to PLP! what a joke, why start a mining rights group if you give most of it to other orgs? orgs that now will have members going to jail and more legal fees fighting the overhaul?!

and only a few grand in gifts and donations? what about the recent raffles? one gun they give away is worth more that what they put down for "Contributions, gifts, grants, and similar amounts received "

Id like to see the 2015 release please

this is even more fishy.......

come on jery64 AMRA board member...... give us the true updated info please, if its that easy to pull up then just do it and be a serious about a serious subject, be transparent thats all I ask...no smoke and mirrors , if u have info offer it not "look it up" I did and you have more explaining to do

I love how they spent 2000 gallons on gas =6,000$ @ $3 per gallon, lets say they have avehicle that gets 35 gallons per mile, if they use a truck why are they wasting peoples money? thats 70,000 miles driven average car for what? 6k out of $28,000 expense. Looks like this org is a small fry in the river, cant even help much if not much is available after the expenses but hey at least all the board members get their gas payed for, thats called embezzlement........... then they give all of the rest of it to PLP and now its frozen or who knows where it went lol!

what kind of business racks up $1,000 in bank card fees? what a joke, are they pulling cash out of others ATM's?

http://990s.foundationcenter.org/990...149.1472077848

 

[Tuolumne]

Just to be clear,,,, PLP supports MMAC,,,, AMRA not so much.

Just be be clear, Amra gave $38,000
To miners fund and PLP, which in turn supports MMac

http://990s.foundationcenter.org/99...990EZ.pdf?_ga=1.7195506.1960654955.1472101121

So now AMRA board members lie?

jere64, Amra board member, read to me line 28 of the 2014 990-ez for Amra

Spent 38k on PLP expense.....

But wait who runs PLP and it's frozen accounts funded by Amra?

It takes on to know one, Amra next miner funded non profit to "not exist"
Like PLP

 

[russau]

First, trying to identify AMRA with the Gold Prospectors Association of America (GPAA), is disingenuous at best. Second, AMRA, MMAC, and PLP are leaches on the Small and Recreational mining community, taking money away from educating politicians and the general public, and promoting small mining and recreational mining as a core American pillar this Country was built on, and a wholesome pastime for the entire family using green mining methods in the great outdoors.

Paying a few lawyers to lose cases does NOTHING for the vast majority of small and recreational miners.

So if these groups that are fighting for our rights are no good ,then what group that will fight for our rights would be the one to support ? Who else IS fighting for our rights ?

 

[ratled]

Russ not a dig on you, just thought the thread needed to lighten up for a minute

ratled

 

[Hoser John]

KEITH WALKER IN SB CASE. The game has been on for years and you have been told, shown and proven since 94 EIR when YOUR last chance was killed by the Rights (wrongs) and pay to play recreational bs...9 dead dredge seasons for some---and some not so...off we go. AS YE SOW SO SHALL YE REAP.....sic sic sic...John

 

[Oakview2]

There was no MMAC in 2014, Jerry Hodges was alive though, and all the dredge suits were up and running. It is nice to have facts, but if you use them for a false narrative they aren't worth the paper they are written on.

Just be be clear, Amra gave $38,000
To miners fund and PLP, which in turn supports MMac

http://990s.foundationcenter.org/99...990EZ.pdf?_ga=1.7195506.1960654955.1472101121

So now AMRA board members lie?

jere64, Amra board member, read to me line 28 of the 2014 990-ez for Amra

Spent 38k on PLP expense.....

But wait who runs PLP and it's frozen accounts funded by Amra?

It takes on to know one, Amra next miner funded non profit to "not exist"
Like PLP

 

[Tuolumne]

Just to be clear mr oak, do you know what PLP did with the donations from Amra? Did they blow it all right away on gas money and bank card fees too or did they give it to MMac later on?

Regaurdless the money was washed into another org who is also unacoutfull to is donors and boards actions

It's called transparency, if not provided then You have rifts develop like the PLP has now

I run a company and know where ever dime goes

 

[Terry Soloman]

So if these groups that are fighting for our rights are no good ,then what group that will fight for our rights would be the one to support ? Who else IS fighting for our rights ?

Russ, are you still in St. Louis? If so, none of these groups were EVER fighting for YOUR rights. As far as I can tell, anyone outside a couple of Western states has never benefited from anything any of these orgs have done. Well, now that they blew the dredging case in Cali, it's just a matter of time before lawsuits and new state regs affect ALL of us. So I guess PLP, AMRA and MMAC really HAVE screwed us all. Thanks for all the hard work.

 

[Oakview2]

Again you used a 2014 1040 to insinuate the money went to MMAC, that is simply not supported by fact. You have established you have a hard on for them, if you have any facts other than your empty accusations we are all waiting...

 

[Clay Diggins]

So if these groups that are fighting for our rights are no good ,then what group that will fight for our rights would be the one to support ? Who else IS fighting for our rights ?

AEMA fighting for mining rights and winning for 121 years.

Heavy Pans

 

[Tuolumne]

Where are the miners super donors? Grassroots turns small donations in to expense write offs...
Mining the miners is not working out like Gandhi and salt. If everyone gave a little were still in hole and boards break down...
Why are the biggest advocacy groups all out of money?
We need a fund that earns money which we draw from to get a firm to work for us not just one lawyer for the best chance cases.
Our cause has no such coffers......

 

[Nitric]

I'm trying to follow along and learn what some of these alphabet letters mean!

I don't understand the big deal. From the paper work above? Doesn't seem to be a very big org. If the members get to use mining claims, have fund raisers or meets with their memberships, a few local causes helped with then the rest of the money gets kicked down the road to another org. to help out? Where is the problem? What am I missing guys?

So what, they wrote off gas or some other expenses. If that paper above is their income? That's nothing, what kind of leverage are they actually going to have with that? They are still fighting a cause, giving members some value, to use claims. From the thread I was thinking this was some multi million dollar org.

Just doesn't seem any different than a small church operation, in a way....Still have right offs, members get some value, and the rest goes up the ladder to a different group fighting the cause.

Is there more to all this? I'm just trying to follow along with what's in the thread....So, far just doesn't seem like a big deal. As long as they are legal and not misrepresenting anything, then so what? Everyone should study the org. your giving to, some people just want to belong to the cause or the group, nothing wrong with that either. As long as money is going to the cause in the end..

 

[jere64ca]

I'm trying to follow along and learn what some of these alphabet letters mean!

I don't understand the big deal. From the paper work above? Doesn't seem to be a very big org. If the members get to use mining claims, have fund raisers or meets with their memberships, a few local causes helped with then the rest of the money gets kicked down the road to another org. to help out? Where is the problem? What am I missing guys?

So what, they wrote off gas or some other expenses. If that paper above is their income? That's nothing, what kind of leverage are they actually going to have with that? They are still fighting a cause, giving members some value, to use claims. From the thread I was thinking this was some multi million dollar org.

Just doesn't seem any different than a small church operation, in a way....Still have right offs, members get some value, and the rest goes up the ladder to a different group fighting the cause.

Is there more to all this? I'm just trying to follow along with what's in the thread....So, far just doesn't seem like a big deal. As long as they are legal and not misrepresenting anything, then so what? Everyone should study the org. your giving to, some people just want to belong to the cause or the group, nothing wrong with that either. As long as money is going to the cause in the end..

Nitric, you are from the other side of the country, I think you said you are relatively new to prospecting/mining and yet you have a better understanding of the situation than most,,,, thank you for observations and pleasant demeanor we are just trying to do the best we can with the little we have.

 

[Nitric]

Nitric, you are from the other side of the country, I think you said you are relatively new to prospecting/mining and yet you have a better understanding of the situation than most,,,, thank you for observations and pleasant demeanor we are just trying to do the best we can with the little we have.

I'm just trying to follow along and understand...Maybe there is more to it? I'm not getting it so far.....

 

[Terry Soloman]

I'm just trying to follow along and understand...Maybe there is more to it? I'm not getting it so far.....

These organizations do nothing to actually help small miners as a whole, or to educate lawmakers and the public locally or nationally. They are amateurish and possibly not in compliance with state laws. They are a waste of volunteer time and donated money.

Did you get that Nitric?

 

[Nitric]

These organizations do nothing to actually help small miners as a whole, or to educate lawmakers and the public locally or nationally. They are amateurish and possibly not in compliance with state laws. They are a waste of volunteer time and donated money.

Did you get that Nitric?

Ok.....Lets start the East coast version! First we go to a few of the cities up north....We track down some Russian or Italian sounding names, And give them some money to "Breaka fingers and legsa !!" of any politician not holding up to the law. Maybe get a few of our own demands thrown in just for kicks... We will have to pay them for protection too, probably in gold!!....

Oh wait!! Kansas city and vegas are closer! Maybe we could find some there!

I'm jkg of course! But it does seem that in history they were very persuasive?

I wonder why no one likes my organization ideas? I guess all of our ideas would be different on what is helping!

OK..OK..I'll go back to watching videos......I think I already watched too many movies!

 

[Oakview2]

The silence is deafening

 

[MadMarshall]

Jere
Spinning wheels at the expense of the people you claim to support is not a very good game plan. Why doesn't Amra lead by example? Why doesn't Amra educate people in mining techiniques/ envoromental awareness. Laws and regulations. Truthfully one cant help but wonder actually how educated the AMRA board is in Mining?
I have yet to see anything that tells me that you guys know what you are talking about.. Activism and mining are not the same thing.. I personally loathe activism in todays society.. Activism is a poor description for what it really is today .. Capitalism/Debt slavery.. Personaly I think you failed once you put a price tag on your rights.
For me the first step would be teaching people how to become better miners/prospectors/ land stewards ect ect.. But unfortunately it seems that you went with recreational mining and in truth you will find no education in recreational mining clubs.
Are you Jere a successful miner? Is Shannon? or any other Board member? What gives you success? What methods of mining do you guys use? Why not show people your techiniques? Why not teach people how to be successful miners? Lead by example!!! you guys says you are looking to preserve the small scale mining community. But truthfully everything you do shows me that's not even close to the truth.


Its my thought the best way to preserve the small scale mining community is education and teaching people how to be successful at it.
In creating an advocacy group you guys accepted a responsibility to the people.. A responsibility that in my opinion you have never honored!!!
There is a big difference between propaganda and educating .. Can AMRA make that distinction? I realize propaganda good for donations. But education is good for generations to come and serves everyone not just a few...