Silencing the Critics -- ChessUSA.net Closes

I have received a credible legal threat from an interested party in the upcoming 2009 USCF Executive Board election. I will not identify that party unless they go public with their threat or carry through on it. This party has silenced opposition in venues under their control -- and that is their right.

My attorney advises me that I can fight these bullying tactics -- and win. And receive recompense for my trouble. My speech here is protected in that what I write are opinions. Where I cite facts I provide sources. I have also asked for input from those with whom I disagree, in fact, I have asked those with alternate views to author items for the blog. For instance, Jack Le Moine disagrees with me completely about certain individuals. I have never pulled one of his posts or tried to make him alter them. I have commented, at time in private and others publicly, on what he writes. That is what this blog was supposed to be about -- Interaction between disparate viewpoints.

I have done everything I could to allow alternate viewpoints on this blog. I have allowed relaxed standards for those who hold opposing positions here. I have tried to engage both members of USCF governance and regular members, mostly with no success. In the end, the mission of this blog is not being accomplished.

I have fought off legal threats before when others have tried bullying tactics. This time I find it is not worth fighting. I do not hold the passion I once had to bring out the facts and stories behind chess governance in the US and I have been without that passion for a while. I have been unable to find others who have this passion, at least not enough to write about it. The USCF operates on a "One Man, One Vote" governance principle to elect delegates and board members... But the voting members and governance members either are too apathetic or too engaged in their own power plays to open up meaningful dialogue on the operations of our organization. In the end, fighting the litigious personalities is not worth the time and effort, much less the financial expense.

So, this is -- at least for now -- the last blog update for ChessUSA.net.

To the latest party to play the legal threat game -- Shame on you.

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Polgar Misrepresentations? Answer: No.

What is the difference between a report and an attack? Here’s an example of a report.

Quote:

According to the Chief Financial Officer of the USCF Mr. Joe Nanna, the US Chess
Federation under the leadership of President Bill Goichberg, Vice President Jim
Berry, Vice President of Finance Randy Bauer, and Executive Director Bill Hall,
lost $419,968 in the first 6 months of this fiscal year. With the $374,626
bequests, the federation still lost $45,342 year to date! There are still 6
months left in this fiscal year!

Note the factual nature of the sentence. It states that the USCF lost $419,968 in the first half of the year. Note next how the fact was sourced: “According to the Chief Financial Officer of the USCF Mr. Joe Nanna”. This is how you’re supposed to report the news. Basic Journalism 101.

Now this is an example of an attack:

“In RGCP Randy Bauer notes in closing, ‘I'm truly saddened by Susan's attacks.
They do not help US Chess.’ Indeed. So why is she doing it?”

Now as to the issue, let’s cut through the fog. Revenues for the first half are down 9% over the first half of last year. As for projecting the second half, the correct way to do that is to take the historical average of second half gain. Not politician’s spinning; not budgets; but the historical percentage.

As for Susan’s figure $419,968 loss, this came from the reported loss through December adjusted for the special bequests.

Would that the Vice-President for Finance and the rest of Susan’s attackers respond to the substance instead of playing politics. “I’m truly saddened by Susan’s attacks.” I like this. Attack, defense, and evasion – all wrapped up into one simple sentence.

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Polgar Financial Misrepresentations?

On her US Chess Discussion blog Susan Polgar writes:

According to the Chief Financial Officer of the USCF Mr. Joe Nanna, the US Chess Federation under the leadership of President Bill Goichberg, Vice President Jim Berry, Vice President of Finance Randy Bauer, and Executive Director Bill Hall, lost $419,968 in the first 6 months of this fiscal year. With the $374,626 bequests, the federation still lost $45,342 year to date! There are still 6 months left in this fiscal year!

First, a loss in the first part of the fiscal year is traditionally budgeted by the USCF delegates, the group of "directors" to which GM Polgar and her husband, fellow board member FM Truong, as board members both belong. Mike Nolan writes in the USCF Issues Forum that the budget approved by the delegates expected a shortfall of $281,061 and that the actual six month shortfall is "$328,928, which is $47,867 larger than the budgeted loss through six months..." Why is GM Polgar overstating the loss by $91,040? Nolan also states that through the first six months the USCF is only $7004 over budget on expenses. The problem has been slow membership revenue in September and October 2008 but that membership revenue was up in December 2008 and that trend shows signs of continuing.

Second, the best months, those months that the USCF "catches up" in the budget are yet to come. Fellow EB member NM Randy Bauer writes in RGCP: "As Susan should know, the USCF generally loses money in the first half of the fiscal year and does much better in the second half of the fiscal year. To claim that this number will increase substantially the rest of the fiscal year is unsupported by evidence or experience." Mike Nolan in the Issues thread cited above writes that February, March and April are typically the best months fiscally for membership revenue. Also, the big scholastic tournaments (SuperNationals, etc...) are held in the Spring of each year. Combined these usually pull the USCF at least close to budgeted numbers.

In RGCP Randy Bauer notes in closing, "I'm truly saddened by Susan's attacks. They do not help US Chess." Indeed. So why is she doing it?

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USCF Executive Board Candidates

The USCF has announced the list of candidates for the upcoming USCF Executive Board election.

11 sets of nominating petitions have been received for candidates in the 2009 EB election.

The filing fees for all of these candidates have been received and all of these individuals have either signed their own petition or otherwise indicated their willingness to be a candidate in the election. The office is still in the process of verifying that all of these petitions have the necessary number of valid signatures, that process should be completed tomorrow.

The candidates in alphabetical order are:

Mike Atkins
Jim Berry
Bill Goichberg
Ruth Haring
Eric Hecht
Mikhail Korenman
Brian Lafferty
Blas Lugo
Brian Mottershead
Mike Nietman
Sam Sloan

A few signed petitions were received for Beatriz Marinello and David Quinn. However, no filing fee or statement of intent to run from either of these individuals was received, so these individuals have not met the requirements for being certified as a candidate in the election.

Have any questions for the candidates? Send me an email and I'll ask those I'm able to contact. Surprisingly, some don't have email or contact info published.

Several bloggers have already had some interviews and/or written on the upcoming election. John Hillery at Western Chess gives his opinions on the candidates. He ranks Mike Atkins, Ruth Haring, and Jim Berry as acceptable or "mostly harmless." Elizabeth Vicary endorses and interviews Mike Atkins and promises interviews with Sam Sloan and Brian Mottershead.

Several candidates have addressed the members of the Issues Forum (Ruth Haring, Michael Atkins, Brian Lafferty in dedicated threads -- Brian Mottershead and Sam Sloan in various other threads). Sevan Muradian has offered to host and record a web conference for the candidates.

It is each voting member's responsiblity to inform themselves about the various candidates before voting. Please click on the graphic at the top of the post column to go to the Issues Forum and participate in the discussion. We thank Terry Vibbert for designing the graphic and pushing the concept for the initiative.

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LMA Chair Redman Proposes Paying Off USCF Mortgage with Bequest

Past President and current Life Membership Asset (LMA) committee chair Dr. Tim Redmond has announced that the LMA committee has proposed that the LMA, in conjunction with the a bequest received earlier this month, pay off the mortgage of the USCF's building and land in Crossville, Tennessee.

After a vote, the LMA Committee has proposed to the Executive Board that the Federation and the LMA jointly pay off the mortgage for the land and building in Crossville. The total amount owed is $412,000 as of March 1. The proposal is as follows:

1) The Executive Board will vote to pay $206,000 from the LeCornu bequest to pay down our Crossville mortgage. The Federation will then send a check to the mortgage holder. That will leave the Federation with about $144,000 from the LeCornu bequest as a cash reserve.

2) After that payment is received, the LMA Management Committee will pay $206,000 from funds in the Oberweis account, currently earning about 1.17% (I may have to check this number), to completely pay off the building and land in Crossville. This action will save the Federation about $50,000 a year in operating expenses. At the same time, it will leave the LMA with about $280,000 in reserves.

A bequest of $350,000 was provided by USCF member Phil LeCornu in his will. Mr. LeCornu recently passed in Illinois. The bequest is under the control of the USCF Executive Board.

Discussion of the matter may be followed in the USCF Issues Forum.

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Next Chess Blog Carnival 2/15/09

The next Chess Blog Carnival will be posted at Chessvine. Submit at the submit link on the picture. Deadline is February 14.



The past edition is here.

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Chess Blog Carnival 1/09

The January 2009 edition of the Chess Blog Carnival is now activated. Click here:
http://www.jacklemoine.com/2009/01/chess-blog-carnival-109.html

(And yes, Chess USA was represented in it.)

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