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BILL GOICHBERG'S CAMPAIGN STATEMENT - USCF EB
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Anonymous Wrote:
Dear USCF member:
It has been my privilege to serve as your President since August 2005.
The Executive Board will select a new President this August, as there
is a four year term limit.
USCF has seen many changes since 2005. Our website now has interesting
chess news and games, not just ratings and technical info. Chess Life
has been modernized and upgraded, and a scholastic magazine again
offered (Chess Life for Kids, better than the old School Mates.) Adult
dues have been lowered, new national events initiated, tournament
memberships restored to encourage rated activity after a 15 year
lapse, and low cost insurance offered to chess clubs. We are
fortunate to have outstanding sponsors including the Saint Louis Chess
Club (U.S. Championship, U.S. Women’s), Kasparov Chess Foundation
(Olympiads), and World Chess Live (Grand Prix, Junior Grand Prix,
College Tournament of Champions). And we are the only nation to have
both our overall and women’s Olympiad teams win medals in Dresden!
For many years, USCF’s most persistent problem was declining Adult
membership. Beginning with 1995 when dues rose from $30 to $40, we
lost at least 400 Adult members each year, an average of over 1,000
per year, for 11 consecutive years. Senior membership also declined
steadily. This type of deterioration tends to be a vicious spiral, as
fewer members means fewer clubs and tournaments, which in turn hurts
membership, etc.
This trend was not unique to USCF, as similar organizations such as
the American Contract Bridge League and Chess Federation of Canada
also had large declines, the latter being even more severe than USCF
and resulting in elimination of their printed magazine.
During the past three years, this destructive deterioration was
finally halted, as our age 20 & older member total increased slightly.
Under 20 numbers were not as good, as overall membership declined by
1,481, but this was still much better than the previous three years,
in which we lost 13,145 members.
Financial losses were also once a persistent USCF problem, especially
in fiscal 1997-2003 when money was lost each year and the Federation
almost went bankrupt. 2004 and 2005 had surpluses, but since then,
breaking even has been difficult as expected relocation savings did
not materialize, though Executive Director Bill Hall has held expenses
down. We are paying off an extra $100,000 of our mortgage this year,
and putting $50,000 into starting a new Olympiad Fund which will seek
donations and allow 10% of the fund's value to be used each two years
to support our Olympiad teams.
A new membership structure including online-only magazine options is
off to a good start, but will be of far more benefit in fiscal 2010.
It was essential that we increase revenue somehow, and we selected a
far better method than what was done in 2003, when dues were raised
and we lost 3000 adults that year and 5000 members overall, after
gaining 4900 members in 2002.
The 2006-2009 fiscal period should end at roughly breakeven, with
unusual negative and positive events approximately balancing each
other out:
Negative: 1) High legal fees due to improper behavior by two board
members and USCF being sued by a board member (see http://www.uschess.org/legalupdates),
2) Auditing fees and funding issues regarding past handling of the
1999-2002 employee profit sharing plan, 3) 2006 began with over
$100,000 in unrealistic accounts receivable which had to be written
off. Positive: the $350,000 bequest from Phil LeCornu.
We can do better. These achievements have come despite the expense,
distraction and damaging publicity caused by two Executive Board
members who I believe have little concern for the interests of the
organization they have a duty to serve.
An Executive Board member, Susan Polgar, has sued USCF for $25 million
(later reduced to $10 million), an action that in my opinion is
without merit, possibly filed to make its withdrawal a bargaining
chip. Board members have a fiduciary duty to work for their
organization, and I find this lawsuit outrageous.
Polgar has strenuously attempted to place the federation in a bad
light. For example, as of today (May 14), her blog trumpets, “The USCF
lost $419,968 in the first 7 months of this fiscal year“ and “change
is needed.” This was posted Feb. 2 and has remained on her homepage
ever since, however the actual loss after 7 months was only $45,743,
and she has failed to report subsequent monthly updates, including 10
month numbers emailed to the board on April 15 showing a surplus. The
11 month numbers will again show a five figure loss, but far less than
$419,968. Had Polgar not sued USCF, there would still be a surplus
for the year. One of the Executive Board candidates, Blas Lugo,
quotes Polgar's fictitious numbers in his May Chess Life statement.
This member’s husband, Paul Truong, is also a Board member, has been
accused of making many anonymous and defamatory internet posts, and
has refused to deny these charges under oath. In the 2007 election, he
claimed “senior management” business experience “turning around”
multibillion dollar companies, a boast unsupported by evidence. He
also filed for bankruptcy during the campaign, swearing that he was
unemployed and his wife’s monthly income was $830. This bankruptcy
filing came over a month after a Texas Tech news release said that
both were being hired by the college, for annual salaries later
learned to total $200,000.
Both failed to inform USCF voters in their Chess Life statements that
they were married to each other. It's not a violation of the bylaws
for a married couple to serve on the board, but the voters should have
been informed about this (one family controlling half the votes needed
to pass a board motion), so they could make up their own minds
regarding the issue. It has been disappointing to find that
candidates who ran on a platform of "respectability, integrity,
credibility, professionalism" have shown quite different qualities as
Executive Board members.
The federal judge presiding over a current legal case has written of
them, “Husband and wife should not be on the board, so one of them
ought to resign.” I believe that they both should resign. If they do
not, and two of the candidates they support are elected this year, one
of them could become USCF President. Imagine having the President of
the USCF engaged in a $10 million lawsuit against his or her own
organization!?
A candidate in this year’s election, Sam Sloan, has sued USCF twice in
recent years, and is currently appealing the dismissal of his $20
million lawsuit against the Federation. We need Executive Board
members who are committed to work for USCF, not against it! For
information on current lawsuits, see http://www.uschess.org/legalupdates.
I have been a loyal supporter of USCF for more than 40 years,
enrolling tens of thousands of members. I have claimed no travel
expenses since being elected in 2005, will do the same in the future,
have made donations to USCF projects including $1000 to help create
the Tournament of College Champions, and am a USCF Benefactor Life
Member. I will always fight for USCF’s interests.
My chess credentials include the following:
* USCF Original Life Master and FIDE Master
* Professional chess organizer (founded Continental Chess Association
1968)
* National Tournament Director
* International Arbiter
* USCF Office Manager 11/03-1/04
* USCF Executive Director 1/04-12/04
* USCF Rating Statistician 1964-67
* Co-Editor Chess Life 1966-67
* Member, USCF Policy Board 1975-78, 1989-92, 1996-99.
* President, New York State Chess Association
* USCF President 2005-09
* First to run USCF-rated scholastics (1966), Quads (1969), non-
smoking tournaments (1973)
* Originated National HS Championship (1969), National JHS (1973),
World Open (1973), National Elementary (1976), USCF Grand Prix (1979),
National K-12 Grade Championships (1991), Junior Grand Prix (2008),
Tournament of College Champions (2008)
* Organized tournaments in 27 states including many internationals
* Captain, World Champion US Olympiad Team (1976)
* Co-editor Official Rules of Chess (1993); added much new material.
* While Office Manager and Executive Director, USCF improved from
approximately $400,000 debt to $200,000 surplus, not counting building
sale, with record profits in fiscal 2003-04 and 2004-05 after seven
consecutive years of losses.
Please watch this site for further developments, and thanks for any
support you can provide!
I hope you Vote: GOICHBERG - ATKINS - HARING - BERRY
MY ANALYSIS OF ALL THE CANDIDATES:
http://www.checkmate.us/candidates09.htm
Bill Goichberg
http://www.checkmate.us/statement.htm
CheckMate.US
http://www.CheckMate.US
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On Sat, 6 Jun 2009 13:09:36 -0700 (PDT), samsloan <...@gmail.com
It is amazing what a rosy picture Bill Goichberg paints, when in
reality the USCF is on the verge of collapse, due primarily to the
actions of Bill Goichberg.
Sam Sloan
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Anonymous Wrote:
Deja vu all over again. The Sloon has proclaimed the USCF "on the
verge of collapse" every year that I can recall. Doesn't mean it won't
happen -- but it does mean Sloony has all the credibility of a
sidewalk bum screaming that the end is near.
Vote the sanity ticket. Vote no on Sloan.
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On Sat, 6 Jun 2009 22:09:14 -0700 (PDT), samsloan <...@gmail.com
Not true. I have never previously stated that the USCF was on the
verge of total collapse.
This year, in spite of receiving a windfall of a $350,000 bequest,
they are still losing money, and it is entirely due to incompetence
and mismanagement.
They have never been so close to the brink before.
Another four years of Goichberg might be the end.
Sam Sloan
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Anonymous Wrote:
Having more mental problems again, Sam? During the course of your
earlier nut case (attempting to prevent the move to Crossville), you
asserted that if the Crossville move were allowed to take place, the
USCF would be out of business within a year. How's that working out?
In spite of wasting tons of money on lawsuits for which you were one
the main causes, the USCF is close to breaking even this year. That
doesn't assure that next year will be better (Polgar and Truong are
still dragging us down), but we can /slightly/ improve the odds by
returning you to the trash heap where you belong.
Vote the sanity ticket. No more Sloon.
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On Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:35:34 -0700 (PDT), billbrock <...@gmail.com
[...]
If you really believe that, Mr. Truong, then why didn't you simply
admit your authorship?
Yes, Sloan is a child molesting felon etc.; no, he's far from the only
one to blame.
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Anonymous Wrote:
On Jun 9, 11:23 pm, "Cynthia Beloff (Mrs)" <...@uni-hossbach.dewrote:
so this very odd corres continues, here with 'Cynthia' declaring
publicly she is (Mrs.) a woman! as if ... as if blokes were also
called Cynthia, &c
but what 'she' says, this Cynthia, who amazes us by insisting she is a
woman, is that the Sloan is the major cause of all the lawsuits, not
some minor factor in them.
in this she seems aright. the sloan's sorry trail is all of lawsuits,
nothing much achieved at USCF nor before, except issuing motions, one
of which was adopted at USCF being praise for a volunteer of the month
- that is the only motion adopted, and that was all he officially got
noticed officially during his year on the board.
that is his actual level of performance - a sort of 'Joe did good'
resolution - one of them, tacked on to the end of a meeting
all else he has said is of no effect, which is to escape the fact that
$600,000 dollars of legal suits over the past 2 years, being member's
monies, seem to have something to do with him, according to our woman
poster Cynthia
and I note that even his most stalwart supporters faint away over this
actual fact, that this being his /actual/ record -
naturally his supporters will favor principal as they see it, because
other people's money is being spent supporting, or opposing legal
suits?
Russian rules, start to finish. The thing of that is, when you see the
white chalk mark with the thumbtack, and when you don't. A yellow
chalk mark don't do.
[with apologies to John Le Carre]
Phil Innes
Vermont
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On Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:49:15 -0700 (PDT), billbrock <...@gmail.com
"[A]nd"?? So voting (say) for Haring, Nietman, and two of the three
you name makes a voter "one of the above"?
You are destroying your wife's career. An election victory would be
Pyrrhic. (I personally guarantee that.)
If you want to salvage something out of this, I would be happy to help
you do so. You have my contact information.
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On Thu, 11 Jun 2009 05:12:39 -0700 (PDT), jkh001 <...@aim.com
I suspect that you're one of Truong's sockpuppets, but I'll give you
the benefit fo the doubt and respond anyway. Sloan is /one/ of the
causes of the current mess, in that his repugnant actions undoubtedly
provoked Truong's Fake postings. I even have some sympathy for him.
But then he lied about it, and refused to carry out the duties which
went with the office he ran for by assisting in the defense against
the Sloan and Parker suits. That makes him a contributor to the
problem. Then Polgar either directed or made use of the hacking of
several e-mail accounts, after which she filed an abusive lawsuit
against the USCF and a bunch of her personal enemies. Again, I have a
tiny bit of sympathy for her, but not nearly enough to justify her
abusing the legal system and her position on the Board.
For the benefit of anyone who misses the point: Polgar's lawsuit was
"abusive" not only because she was suing the USCF while serving as an
elected Board member, but also because she knew perfectly well that
she was not going to collect 25 million, or even ten million, from any
of the defendants or all of them put together. This wasn't an request
for equitable relief; it was using the law as a club, to beat off
people who wanted to recall Truong or herself.
There's plenty of blame to go around, and I could go into detail about
what the other side did wrong. (I have, elsewhere.) But the point of
your post seems to be to whitewash Polgar and Truong. That dog won't
hunt.
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On Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:55:42 -0700 (PDT), samsloan <...@gmail.com
Notice how Bill Goichberg spends a tremendous amount of time attacking
his election opponents without saying even one word about what he will
do if elected to another four years.
After spending at least ten years on the board, four years as
president, three years as vice president and at least three years as
member at large, he cannot show a single positive thing that he has
accomplished.
Then, he blames the financial losses on the only four years that he
was out of power, namely the period 1999-2003.
In reality, his four years as president is characterized by more huge
losses, including losses in the current year in spite of a windfall of
a $350,000 bequest.
When will Bill Goichberg start taking responsibility for his own
mistakes? Will he continue to act like a child who blames his
invisible twin on everything that goes wrong?
Sam Sloan
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On Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:10:53 -0700 (PDT), Javert <...@gmail.com
On Jun 11, 12:55 pm, samsloan <...@gmail.com
That's so rich in so many ways Sam.
I guess you'll love how a Polgar controlled board would run the USCF
and in particular, treat you.
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On Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:01:16 -0700 (PDT), samsloan <...@gmail.com
On Jun 11, 1:10 pm, Javert <...@gmail.com
This point is entirely valid. I too fear a Polgar Presidency. I would
much rather have Goichberg Presidency than to have Polgar Rule.
At the same time, I find it difficult to ignore Goichberg's constant
attacks on me, which are without any reason or basis.
Sam Sloan
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On Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:41:22 -0700, Mike Murray <...@despammed.com
On Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:01:16 -0700 (PDT), samsloan
<...@gmail.com
Sam, it's getting to the point that if you didn't exist, Polgar and
Truong would have to invent *you*.
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On Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:23:34 -0700 (PDT), samsloan <...@gmail.com
On Jun 11, 2:41 pm, Mike Murray <...@despammed.com
Again, a valid point.
If I had a choice and the power, the election would be won by myself
(of course) plus the three Goichberg candidates but not Goichberg..
Goichberg has a tendency to dominate and control any board he is on
and I am concerned that the Goichberg slate will be unable to act
independently of Goichberg.
I view the Goichberg presidency as an almost total disaster. The good
things that have happened, such as the new Chess Center in St. Louis,
were not because of Goichberg. The USCF would be better off with
Goichberg off the board, in my view.
That said, I would still rather have Goichberg in power than Polgar in
power.
Sam Sloan
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On Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:50:20 -0700 (PDT), jkh001 <...@aim.com
He wastes a lot of time replying to your lies and distortions. He
hasn't bothered to attack you lately because you're pretty much
irrelevant (latest line ~10,000-1 against you getting elected). All he
said about you on his campaign page (aside from a factual listing of
some of your inane antics) was "One point in Sloan's favor is that if
elected, he will not ally with Polgar; however there are far better
candidates who will also not do that." So would a ventriloquist's
dummy, and he'd probably ahve a higher IQ.
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On Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:38:15 -0700 (PDT), samsloan <...@gmail.com
On Jun 11, 9:50 pm, jkh001 <...@aim.com
Hey. I will take that bet.
I put up a dollar. You put up ten thousand dollars.
We will ask your friend Jerry Hanken to hold the cash.
Sam Sloan
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Anonymous Wrote:
BILL GOICHBERG'S CAMPAIGN STATEMENT - USCF EB
Dear USCF member:
It has been my privilege to serve as your President since August
2005.
The Executive Board will select a new President this August, as there
is a four year term limit.
USCF has seen many changes since 2005. Our website now has
interesting
chess news and games, not just ratings and technical info. Chess Life
has been modernized and upgraded, and a scholastic magazine again
offered (Chess Life for Kids, better than the old School Mates.)
Adult
dues have been lowered, new national events initiated, tournament
memberships restored to encourage rated activity after a 15 year
lapse, and low cost insurance offered to chess clubs. We are
fortunate to have outstanding sponsors including the Saint Louis
Chess
Club (U.S. Championship, U.S. Women’s), Kasparov Chess Foundation
(Olympiads), and World Chess Live (Grand Prix, Junior Grand Prix,
College Tournament of Champions). And we are the only nation to have
both our overall and women’s Olympiad teams win medals in Dresden!
For many years, USCF’s most persistent problem was declining Adult
membership. Beginning with 1995 when dues rose from $30 to $40, we
lost at least 400 Adult members each year, an average of over 1,000
per year, for 11 consecutive years. Senior membership also declined
steadily. This type of deterioration tends to be a vicious spiral, as
fewer members means fewer clubs and tournaments, which in turn hurts
membership, etc.
This trend was not unique to USCF, as similar organizations such as
the American Contract Bridge League and Chess Federation of Canada
also had large declines, the latter being even more severe than USCF
and resulting in elimination of their printed magazine.
During the past three years, this destructive deterioration was
finally halted, as our age 20 & older member total increased
slightly.
Under 20 numbers were not as good, as overall membership declined by
1,481, but this was still much better than the previous three years,
in which we lost 13,145 members.
Financial losses were also once a persistent USCF problem, especially
in fiscal 1997-2003 when money was lost each year and the Federation
almost went bankrupt. 2004 and 2005 had surpluses, but since then,
breaking even has been difficult as expected relocation savings did
not materialize, though Executive Director Bill Hall has held
expenses
down. We are paying off an extra $100,000 of our mortgage this year,
and putting $50,000 into starting a new Olympiad Fund which will seek
donations and allow 10% of the fund's value to be used each two years
to support our Olympiad teams.
A new membership structure including online-only magazine options is
off to a good start, but will be of far more benefit in fiscal 2010.
It was essential that we increase revenue somehow, and we selected a
far better method than what was done in 2003, when dues were raised
and we lost 3000 adults that year and 5000 members overall, after
gaining 4900 members in 2002.
The 2006-2009 fiscal period should end at roughly breakeven, with
unusual negative and positive events approximately balancing each
other out:
Negative: 1) High legal fees due to improper behavior by two board
members and USCF being sued by a board member (see http://www.uschess.org/legalupdates),
2) Auditing fees and funding issues regarding past handling of the
1999-2002 employee profit sharing plan, 3) 2006 began with over
$100,000 in unrealistic accounts receivable which had to be written
off. Positive: the $350,000 bequest from Phil LeCornu.
We can do better. These achievements have come despite the expense,
distraction and damaging publicity caused by two Executive Board
members who I believe have little concern for the interests of the
organization they have a duty to serve.
An Executive Board member, Susan Polgar, has sued USCF for $25
million
(later reduced to $10 million), an action that in my opinion is
without merit, possibly filed to make its withdrawal a bargaining
chip. Board members have a fiduciary duty to work for their
organization, and I find this lawsuit outrageous.
Polgar has strenuously attempted to place the federation in a bad
light. For example, as of today (May 14), her blog trumpets, “The
USCF
lost $419,968 in the first 7 months of this fiscal year“ and “change
is needed.” This was posted Feb. 2 and has remained on her homepage
ever since, however the actual loss after 7 months was only $45,743,
and she has failed to report subsequent monthly updates, including 10
month numbers emailed to the board on April 15 showing a surplus.
The
11 month numbers will again show a five figure loss, but far less
than
$419,968. Had Polgar not sued USCF, there would still be a surplus
for the year. One of the Executive Board candidates, Blas Lugo,
quotes Polgar's fictitious numbers in his May Chess Life statement.
This member’s husband, Paul Truong, is also a Board member, has been
accused of making many anonymous and defamatory internet posts, and
has refused to deny these charges under oath. In the 2007 election,
he
claimed “senior management” business experience “turning around”
multibillion dollar companies, a boast unsupported by evidence. He
also filed for bankruptcy during the campaign, swearing that he was
unemployed and his wife’s monthly income was $830. This bankruptcy
filing came over a month after a Texas Tech news release said that
both were being hired by the college, for annual salaries later
learned to total $200,000.
Both failed to inform USCF voters in their Chess Life statements that
they were married to each other. It's not a violation of the bylaws
for a married couple to serve on the board, but the voters should
have
been informed about this (one family controlling half the votes
needed
to pass a board motion), so they could make up their own minds
regarding the issue. It has been disappointing to find that
candidates who ran on a platform of "respectability, integrity,
credibility, professionalism" have shown quite different qualities as
Executive Board members.
The federal judge presiding over a current legal case has written of
them, “Husband and wife should not be on the board, so one of them
ought to resign.” I believe that they both should resign. If they do
not, and two of the candidates they support are elected this year,
one
of them could become USCF President. Imagine having the President of
the USCF engaged in a $10 million lawsuit against his or her own
organization!?
A candidate in this year’s election, Sam Sloan, has sued USCF twice
in
recent years, and is currently appealing the dismissal of his $20
million lawsuit against the Federation. We need Executive Board
members who are committed to work for USCF, not against it! For
information on current lawsuits, see http://www.uschess.org/legalupdates.
I have been a loyal supporter of USCF for more than 40 years,
enrolling tens of thousands of members. I have claimed no travel
expenses since being elected in 2005, will do the same in the future,
have made donations to USCF projects including $1000 to help create
the Tournament of College Champions, and am a USCF Benefactor Life
Member. I will always fight for USCF’s interests.
My chess credentials include the following:
* USCF Original Life Master and FIDE Master
* Professional chess organizer (founded Continental Chess Association
1968)
* National Tournament Director
* International Arbiter
* USCF Office Manager 11/03-1/04
* USCF Executive Director 1/04-12/04
* USCF Rating Statistician 1964-67
* Co-Editor Chess Life 1966-67
* Member, USCF Policy Board 1975-78, 1989-92, 1996-99.
* President, New York State Chess Association
* USCF President 2005-09
* First to run USCF-rated scholastics (1966), Quads (1969), non-
smoking tournaments (1973)
* Originated National HS Championship (1969), National JHS (1973),
World Open (1973), National Elementary (1976), USCF Grand Prix
(1979),
National K-12 Grade Championships (1991), Junior Grand Prix (2008),
Tournament of College Champions (2008)
* Organized tournaments in 27 states including many internationals
* Captain, World Champion US Olympiad Team (1976)
* Co-editor Official Rules of Chess (1993); added much new material.
* While Office Manager and Executive Director, USCF improved from
approximately $400,000 debt to $200,000 surplus, not counting
building
sale, with record profits in fiscal 2003-04 and 2004-05 after seven
consecutive years of losses.
Please watch this site for further developments, and thanks for any
support you can provide!
I hope you Vote: GOICHBERG - ATKINS - HARING - BERRY
MY ANALYSIS OF ALL THE CANDIDATES:
http://www.checkmate.us/candidates09.htm
Bill Goichberg
http://www.checkmate.us/statement.htm
CheckMate.US
http://www.CheckMate.US
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Anonymous Wrote:
May 29, 2009
Dear USCF member:
The June Chess Life or TLA Bulletin contains your ballot for the 2009
Executive Board election. Even if you have not voted in past USCF
elections, please consider making an exception this year, as never
before has so much been at stake. The threat to the Federation is so
great that leaders who have often disagreed in the past, such as Leroy
Dubeck and myself, are now working together to protect our
organization. I am grateful to Dr. Dubeck for his support and also
welcome the endorsement of past Presidents Steve Doyle, Beatriz
Marinello, and Tim Redman.
I am a candidate for re-election to the Executive Board, though due to
term limits I will step down as President this August. Please see my
chess resume (enclosed), and statements in Chess Life and http://www.checkmate.us.
We are fortunate to have some excellent, experienced candidates who
can be counted on to support USCF, and I recommend that you also vote
for Jim Berry, Mike Atkins, and Ruth Haring (see http://www.checkmate.us/candidates09.htm).
Executive Board members have a fiduciary duty to support and protect
the organization they were elected to lead, but a current Board
member, Susan Polgar, has filed a $25 million lawsuit against USCF and
others, later reduced to $10 million. If successful, this action for
libel, slander and defamation would bankrupt the Federation! Even if
ultimately dismissed as is likely if not settled, this and other legal
issues involving Susan Polgar and her husband, Board member Paul
Truong, have already cost USCF several hundred thousand dollars!
I believe that Polgar’s lawsuit is outrageous and totally without
merit, filed to intimidate, to set up its withdrawal as a bargaining
chip, and to confuse the public regarding charges of improper behavior
by Polgar and Truong. Polgar has long insisted that the USCF
investigation of misconduct by Truong be dropped and threatened a
lawsuit should this not happen, and finally carried out her threat.
Even if Polgar’s lawsuit had some factual basis, clearly a Board
member who sues her organization for personal gain should first resign
from the Board. Polgar has refused to do so, creating a glaring
conflict of interest.
Polgar and Truong have done little of a positive nature as Executive
Board members. They hardly even attend Board meetings, participating
only by phone at Tulsa 2008 and Nashville 2008, and not at all at
Saint Louis 2009. A federal judge has said of them, "It’s one of the
worst ideas in the world to have spouses on the same board... Husband
and wife should not be on the same board, so one of them ought to
resign." For the good of USCF, I think both should resign.
Polgar’s websites, which permit little criticism of her, feature
"anonymous" attacks on most of the Board and misinformation intended
to make USCF look bad. For example, since February, Polgar’s blog has
stated, "The USCF lost $419,968 in the first 7 months of this fiscal
year," but the actual loss for this period was $45,743! Executive
Board candidate Blas Lugo approvingly quotes Polgar’s deceptive "lost
$419,968" in his May and June Chess Life campaign statements.
Apparently, Polgar has decided that income from bequests is not really
income, so it’s OK for her to ignore bequest income and announce her
own financial numbers which differ radically from the official ones.
Her "lost $419,968" post fails to reveal this alteration, though in
May she put up a "lost almost $500,000" post which does, but only if
you click on the improper headline. Of course, she never points out
that were it not for legal fees resulting from Polgar and Truong being
on the Board, USCF would have a large surplus.
Truong has been charged in several credible reports with making a
large number of anonymous, defamatory internet posts. He has refused
to deny the charges under oath, or to ask his internet service
providers to cooperate with USCF’s investigation. And Polgar and her
webmaster have been charged with unlawful possession of confidential
emails sent to Board member Randy Hough, many of which were from
USCF’s lawyer and protected by attorney/client privilege.
For details of various legal cases involving Polgar, Truong, and USCF,
see http://www.checkmate.us or http://www.uschess.org/legalupdates.
This is a crucial election, as four Board positions are open, the
Board elects the President, and Polgar and Truong need only two more
supporters for a majority. Imagine what that could mean: a USCF
President who is engaged in a $10 million lawsuit against her own
organization!
The Executive Board can settle this and other lawsuits involving
Polgar and Truong on one side and USCF on the other side. Would you be
concerned that a Board controlled by Polgar and allies might
"negotiate" a settlement favorable for President Polgar and not
favorable for USCF? I sure would! If two Polgar endorsed candidates
are elected who support or tolerate the outrageous conduct of Polgar
and Truong, the Federation will be in great peril.
It is in the best interest of USCF that Polgar and Truong resign from
the Board and all parties to current disputes withdraw their legal
actions. Polgar has declined this obvious solution and instead pushed
an absurd idea: USCF admit guilt by paying her $1, she and Truong
remain on the Board, legal actions involving Polgar and USCF are
withdrawn, but her lawsuit against others continues. If USCF was
stupid enough to agree to this "settlement," it would not save money
as it would still have to defend its volunteers and Executive
Director, and this defense would be hampered by the false concession.
Polgar "supporters" on her websites, most of whom are anonymous, spin
this as a "generous" offer to let USCF off the hook "for only $1."
Another candidate in this year’s election, Sam Sloan, has sued USCF
twice in recent years. He is currently appealing the dismissal of his
$20 million lawsuit against the Federation. We need Executive Board
members who are committed to work for USCF, not against it!
If you have read this far, thank you for your interest in USCF, and
please vote! For my analysis of each candidate, see http://www.checkmate.us.
I hope you will vote for Bill Goichberg, Jim Berry, Mike Atkins, and
Ruth Haring.
Sincerely yours,
Bill Goichberg
I hope you Vote: GOICHBERG - ATKINS - HARING - BERRY
MY ANALYSIS OF ALL THE CANDIDATES:
http://www.checkmate.us/candidates09.htm
Bill Goichberg
http://www.checkmate.us/statement.htm
CheckMate.US
http://www.CheckMate.US
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