The membership has been reported to have grown from 165,000 to 170,000. If that is true, why the cuts?
Maybe the answer is so EAA can save up money to buy the new EAA corporate jet. (with discounts for marketing the jet in SPORT AVIATION, of course). The jet could be used for air to air photos and transportation to EAA events.
I am not joking here, this seems the only logical next step to becoming another AOPA.