This is according to the USCF website:
All told, ballots will have been sent to 39,880 voting members, including 2163 ballots in the supplemental mailing that will go out via first class mail around June 8th. Voting members who have not received a ballot by June 25th should contact Pat Knight (pknight@uschess.org) at the USCF office to request a replacement ballot.
The ballots will be counted in July. The ballot counting will commence at the USCF offices in Crossville TN on Wednesday, July 25th, under the supervision of the Chief Teller, Frank Camaratta. Any USCF member is welcome to observe the ballot counting. Preliminary results will be released by the USCF office by the 12 USCF regions as those regions are completed.
Therefore, please be sure to vote and mail back your ballots ASAP. You are allowed to vote for UP TO 4 candidates. If you vote for more than 4 candidates, your ballot will not be counted. You can vote for less than 4 candidates.
Here are some of my goals for the USCF if my team and I are elected:
– Restore respectability, integrity, credibility and professionalism to the USCF.
– Reestablish a sound and balanced budget and create strong a strong foundation to substantially increase revenues and sponsorships.
– Develop strong cooperation and support for adult, scholastic, collegiate, correspondence and military chess.
– Establish a strong professional marketing and PR system.
– End the petty and destructive politics.
I would also like to advocate for less micro-managing by the board. The staff in Crossville is working hard to serve 83,000+ members. They should not be taking calls all day long from the board and chess politicians about frivolous issues. They are not the board’s personal assistants. They are there to serve the USCF members. Some of the members of this board are clearly abusing their powers and they are making things much more tense and difficult for the USCF staff to function optimally.
The ED and Scholastic Director should be allowed to do their jobs and not having to fear when they will be fired by this board. No one can productively work this way. It’s unprofessional. Scholastic Director Jerry Nash is doing a good job and he needs more help and support from the board to better serve the scholastic community. He is doing the job of 3 people right now.
The USCF website is still very hard to navigate and the information is virtually impossible to find unless you are very familiar with it. There is nothing in the front page about the USCF election or clear instruction for the USCF voters. This is after the board authorized to spent tons on money to improve the website. The problem is none of the board members have experience in this area. Another big mistake and tens and thousands of dollars are once again wasted without the proper results while revenues are scarce!
What is this board doing besides sending out malicious post cards and emails will full of lies and innuendos to fool the USCF voters while covering their failures? Is this what they are elected to do while the USCF lost money in 9 of the last 11 years and there are still tons of problems that need to be fixed and improved on? If they are not capable of doing the job, why not let the new professional candidates to come in and do the job the right way instead of making this federation worse? There are at least 6 very qualified candidates that can do that.
The USCF has long been operating in a very unprofessional manner due to chess politics. I hope to change that as well as many other issues stated above. Let’s work together for the best interest of chess and let’s speak up, speak out, against the destructive chess politics!
We need to elect professional people with experience, professional expertise and energy to help chess and the USCF! We should not accept the attitude that this is the best that we can do. We can do better and we must do better if we want the USCF to survive and prosper.
Thank you for your support and please remember to vote!
I agree with you. This board has now become completely political. They like to brag about small accomplishments while hiding the massive failure and problems. I find USCF President Goichberg’s email and post card disgusting and completely inappropriate. It’s a complete conflict of interest for President Goichberg to run his for profit big money Continental Chess company while running the non-profit USCF. I won’t renew my membership again if things stay the same. That’s why he’s made decisions that are good for his company and events while disregarding the best interest of the USCF and its members.
I’m voting for you and your team when I get my ballot. I’m sick of the same old things by chess politicians.
This was posted by Sr. Don Schultz this morning:
I note this comment from an anonymus source appearing on Susan Polgar’s website:
“. . . .the sad part is people who Goichberg endorsed such as . . . Don Schultz can’t speak up against Goichberg. So what will happen if they get elected? They will do what Goichberg tell them to do. None of them have any ideas of what to do.”
How unfair and untrue. Bill Goichber and I have strong disagreements on a great deal and we fight tooth and nail for our positions (in meetings, on the phone and via email). But we concentrate on the issues, to his credit Bill supports me anyway.
For example, on events like the US championship Bill favors a swiss and the use of qualifiers, I favor knock-outs or round-robins though agree with qualifier concept in priinciple. Bill is, it seems to me, more willing to accept complications to increase income,
Bill is a more bird-in-the-hand man than I am.
I favor a defending national champion approach , he accepts it in certain situations dpending on the circumstances.
Bill favors more tournament result detail in CL than I.
We both are uncompromising in our strong opposition to Ilyumzhinov and favor a greater role of Bessel Kok in FIDE.
So to those who think,because of our friendship and mutual overall support that I am a vote a rubber stamp vote for Bill Goichberg, they are dead wrong and should listen to the tapes of our meetings before making such a conclusion.
Don Schultz
—–
What a joke! I didn’t hear anything from Sr. Schultz about Sr. Goichberg’s email and post card. Does it mean that he agrees with Sr. Goichberg that GM Polgar is on the same level with Sr. Sloan? If not, will he ask for Sr. Goichberg’s resignation since he voted for him to be the President? I doubt that Sr. Schultz will speak up against Sr. Goichberg.
Susan, what do you think of Mr. Jones?
Susan, can you please tell us which 3 other people you would most like to work with on the board if you are elected. Thanks!
Matt, I made my recommendations. I believe that there are some very good candidates but I recommended Dr. Korenman, Mr. Bauer and Truong because of their specific expertise.
I just met Mr. Jones and he seems to be a nice man. I know Jim Berry and he can also help.
Mr. Schultz has often been kind to me but I just think that the USCF needs a new direction. However, he would be a very good advisor and the USCF is better served with a direction.
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
I sent my ballot back. I voted for you, Mr. Truong, Mr. Korenman and Mr. Jones.
The USCF is hopeless with the same people in charge.
Grandmaster,
I voted for your entire ticket, but I must be honest when I say that I found your overall campaign to be a tad on the negative side. Your major campaign points are also completely vague and general, and the same things that can be said by anyone (and indeed are, pretty much).
However, you seem completely genuine in wanting to improve, promote, and help chess in the United States; and indeed, I think you have already been effective in doing this, very effective. But I am most immediately concerned about your point about the “sound and balanced budget”. As a paying member of the United States Chess Federation, I desire – no, demand – that they stop these outrageous payments to staff members who work at these scholastic events. The money is large and dips right into their pockets. This, along with the costly, numerous perks to USCF officials and employees is where the money is going. It must stop, but so far, no one will dare to touch it, it seems to be the third rail of USCF politics.
My message is direct and even a bit disrespectful, and I sincerely apologise. I can only offer in my defence that my anger and frustration is genuine and I don’t want to water it down by picking more friendly words. I’m not trying to target you personally with my anger, which is directed toward the organisation itself, but simply to convey it to you openly and honestly.
I think Mr. Schultz would be a great board member with his experience. Unfortunately, I’m leaning toward not voting for him because of his link to Bill Goichberg. He should make a statement about Mr. Goichberg distasteful post card and email. That would say a lot in my opinion about his independence and fighting for what is right.
Could anyone tell me what are the qualifications of Joe Lux to be a productive board member? Thanks in advance.
Joe Lux is a TD and a chess teacher. He has no experience in management, marketing, promotion, business or anything of sort. He’s also a front man for Bill Goichberg and is on Bill’s payroll for a long time.
I’m on the same page with one of the posters above. Don should have spoken out about Goichberg when he maliciously attacked Susan. To place Susan in the same level as Sloan is unthinkable. This gives me doubt about his sanity and ability to lead the USCF.
Joe Lux has not qualifications. He works for Goichberg and is a Goichberg Puppet. He has no regular job. He teaches chess and works as a TD for Goichberg. He is very dependent on the income. He is a terrible attacker of everything Susan stands for. He is against Scholastic chess because they do not have votes.
Jones is hand picked by Bogner and he too is very negative and attacks Susan. He has no administrative or organizational experience in chess. He has played chess. He is actually somewhat a problem if he decides to sue the USCF. He is a Bogner man along with Sloan and Goodall. People who attack. Remember lawyers are trained to attack not to get along with people. We do not need someone who will try to stop every project on legal arguments. He is going to be there to try to destroy Susan. I would never vote for this guy.
I will vote the straight Polgar ticket. Hope they win and then hold them responsible for doing a good job.
I am not going to micro manage the EB. I will install the best possible EB and then hold them responsible for doing a good job.
My vote goes for Susan and Paul, Randy and Mikhail. Go guys we need you.
Don Schultz is the longest entrenched politician at USCF. He has done nothing to help. He has only sat there while everyone ran sacked the treasury. I am sure he took his share.
As someone above noted. He is correct. The USCF passes out the money to friends. Like Goichberg passes it to Lux for little jobs. This has to stop.
Susan will stop it if she gets in with a team so she can vote for change.
Schultz is like the boss in the background. running the show through other people. He must go to see positive changes.
He will make a good advisor. He can advise Susan and the other EB members but not have the vote.
Right guys.
If you support Susan then support her 100% and put her in with her entire team so she can do the most good.
No sense in putting her in with no votes and helpless. This is a very difficult job of turning around the USCF. It will require enough votes to get the job done.
Susan, Paul, Mikhail, Randy.
Be careful and go slow as you vote to make sure you get the correct people voted for.
I appreciate that anon@11:49 was allowed to post his critique. I hope Mr. G. notices that not all well-reasoned dissent is filtered out of this page; not that it’s any of his business!
In general, I agree with 11:49’s sentiments. If you are as picky with your politicians as you are with your spouse, you’re bound to be disappointed, people.
Politics is a train. It won’t take you exactly where you want to go, but you choose the train that gets you as close as you can, and you can walk the rest of the way. I have issues with your team, but you’re the ones heading in the right direction
Two numbers to consider:
39880 – Number of ballots sent in 2007
3304 – Number of ballots received in 2006.
Given that adult membership is flat, let’s assume that there were about 40,000 ballots sent in 2006 – that equates to an 8% voter turnout last year.
I think there’s very little question that voter turnout will be higher this year. I also think that very few new voters will be voting for the old guard. That bodes well for Susan & team.
The lesson: watch out for apathy! A minority with a mission, and the will to mail in their ballots, can wreak havoc. Get out the vote, people! This time, and every time.
Susan
I got my ballot today. I marked it for
Susan
Paul
Mikhail
Randy
Good Luck. I hope I have 4 winners. No matter what happens, Susan, you are the best.
if only 8% vote then my vote is worth 12 memberships. Pretty good. I like that. My vote is worth 12. NOT just 1.
In case anyone is interested. There are a lot of votes not going to Susan and her team. So those who want to see Susan and her team make positive changes in chess had better vote. Last time everyone thought Sam Sloan had no chance of winning. Well he won. This time we better vote.
I note that the American hedges their bets and often votes for a “divided government.” What may be important is not only who gets elected, but how well those who get elected get along with each other.
-We had better all hang together or we shall surely hang separately.
-Ben Franklin (paraphrase)
I apologise for the anonymous posting at 11:49. I should append my name, as I never intend to be anonymous. I intended to do so before, but forgot. I assure everyone it was not my intention to hide my identity, as I stand by my words. I am
Joshua B. Lilly
USCF ID: 12822531
I do hope that, if elected, nobody will take revenge on me for my post here! 🙂
The USCF web site is so confusing – some pages are the old style, some are the new style, navagation is a train wreck.
Is this all done from Crossville? If so, I’ll happily take on a position there as web developer. Rich
Supposedly Hal Bogner has been hired to fix the website but who knows. I agree that it is a disaster at the moment. I can’t believe that we still have to go back and forth between the old site and the new site a year later. I guess the USCF leadership has better things to do with their time . . . I wonder what someone from another country where chess is held in esteem would make of the USCF issues forum. It’s increasingly like a bad reality show where a few mediocre chess players with an apparent abundance of leisure time lead discussions attacking people who have devoted years of their life to chess. Makes you want to change the channel.
web development at uscf is a terrible mess and they know it. There should be an opening. They keep farming out the work on contract and get nothing for the money.
Good Luck
Everyone will probably want to hire you. I do not know the correct person to contact. But I would contact Mike Nolan first. He seems to know what is happening on the web design or not happening. He seems to be a good person.
I don’t know Bogner but the folks at ICC don’t have too many good things to say about this chap. They said something about him extorting them for money. Was there anyone else interviewed for the job or was it an under the table deal by Goichberg and Schultz?
Susan, I just voted for you, Mr. Truong, Mr. Korenman and Mr. Bauer. I have some concern about one person counting for two (you and Mr. Truong are not independent) but I vote for you guys because your area of expertise is different and because we need more positive people in the USCF. The tone of discussion in USCF forums is just disgusting.
Susan: Nice seeing you in Las Vegas. When I get my magazine I am sending in my vote RETURN RECEIPT requested so there is no monkey business! I am paying for priority mail! Who is verifying our votes? Everyone I know in California is voting for you and I am sure this is the same countrywide. Thank you for everthing you are doing for chess.