Only one week left to send in your ballots for the USCF Executive Board Election. Please be sure to vote.
These are my take on some qualified candidates:
– Susan Polgar: You already know about me and the countless successes I have in positively changing the culture of chess. Here is my vision for the USCF.
– Mikhail Korenman: He is one of the key components for a successful USCF as an organization. Very few people in the USCF can successfully work with scholastic, college, adult, professional and Internet chess. Mikhail not only can work and bridge all these membership groups; he has one of the most impressive records of success. Many chess membership groups do not understand each other and cannot work together. Mikhail can change this. He can also help raise the membership level which means more revenues for our federation. This is why I ask you to please vote for him.
– Paul Truong: As you all know, Paul is by far one of the most successful persons in chess marketing, promotion and PR in US chess history. He has a unique combination that few possess. He was a chess prodigy and competed at a very high level. But he gave up chess to pursue an incredibly successful professional career. Therefore, he understands the mentality of chess players and he understands how businesses operate. This is why he is able to combine them and make some of the most spectacular deals for chess while no one else can even come close to this. Without his guidance and lead in this area, the USCF will go nowhere. Anyone who spends 5 minutes talking to him will understand that he is in a different league than the rest of the field in these areas.
– Randy Bauer: How often do you have a person with Randy’s experience? He was the budget director of the state of Iowa, dealing with multi-billion dollar budgets. Randy is also a chess master and supporter. He served on the USCF EB one year and helped this federation achieve a remarkable turn around. He is a finance guy. His skills and experience in finance is crucial for this federation.
What is your take on the USCF and the importance of this election?
Guys and girls, make sure you tell all your friends to vote. This is a very important election.
The USCF has been on the decline for too long in the hands of this board and the last few. It’s time for change.
Fellow posters and followers of Susan’s Blog. How about we listen to Susan about being better than the opposition and not playing the political games at their level. Susan and Paul, I know its not easy to fight back when called all kind of names, but lets please moderate in a way that shows you mean what you say about taking the High Road. Lets prove that we are more professional and take down the derogatory postings addressed at individuals. We can do without the hate. If we can’t, we don’t deserve to win.
I agree with Mark. Let’s not behave the same way as some other people. Let’s show everyone the proper respect. Thank you!
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
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I disagree Mark. We the members of the USCF need to know the names of the people who are perpetuating the slander. It does not help matters to not hold them accountable for their actions.
They act the way they act and now they are going to be held responsible for their actions.
You can not say these things on USCF Forums. The moderators and the entire staff is totally against Susan and Paul. This is the only place where people can say the truth.
Mark why dont you contact ABC news and CCN and CBS and BBC and all the other TV stations and tell them to stop talking the way they do about Osama ben Laden and Al Queda. Let us all be sweet and nice to people who blow up innocent people.
Forget it Mark. These people are what they are. Now lets throw them all out of the USCF. Get rid of the entire useless bunch of them.
Notice how restrained I have been. I have not used any particularity inflamitory words.
These people control the entire uscf forums, the foc the moderators and the uscf itself. It is time to clean up the mess. I have no sympathy for any of them. I relish the thoughts that they will be dealt justice.
I love chess and these people try to destroy chess. forget it Mark. NO WAY.
Mark,
I do not have the time to review each post. There are simply too many of them and I am not always at my computer. I will ask my moderators to be more careful with which post they allow through.
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
Thanks Susan,
It does look like we have zealots on both sides who occasionally want to trash somebody. Note anonymous above. Hope this can be moderated.
I truly believe it is good for chess in the long run.
To US Life Member
I guess I would say there is a high road we can choose or we can wallow with those who choose the low road. I’m sorry, but it is beginning to be as bad here as in the USCF forums.
I would say the biggest problem might be that those on the other side complain about, especially when we attempt to have a moderated forum on USCF is that this forum isn’t moderated. Well, we can choose to fight or perhaps we can make change for the better.
Mark instead of trying to get Susan to hide all the dirty politics and the dirty truth about these people. Why dont you go to the USCF Forums and tell them to clean up their mess. Those forums are a terrible mess of slander on every page. It is so bad over there that most people refuse to post. And if any posts are favorable to Susan they delete the posts.
The USCF forums are the most terrible place on the internet. Go clean up yourself Mark and mind your own business. Tell them to clean up first. I never saw you supporting Susan much on the forums.
This is the place where the truth can be told without censor. You and your buddies argue for free speech but now you want to muzzle the truth. Too bad your uscf forums is so bad. you will not fix the forums by suppressing the truth here at Susan’s.
You really make me angry Mark. Go do something useful. Make the uscf a better place. Susan is doing everything possible to help clean up the uscf. the first step is to make known the truth about what has been happening there and the people who are the big problem.
NO MARK.
We want Susan’s blog just the way it is now. Clean up the forums first.
Mark stop judging Susan’s Blog. This place is perfect. There is nothing needed to change here. This place takes the honest approach. We do not lie here. We tell the truth.
I am insulted that you claim it is getting bad here. It is not bad here. We simply tell the truth here.
now go away and mind your own business. Go clean up the uscf forums.
Susan’s Blog does not need any cleaning up. You are insulting saying that this Blog needs moderation. It is doing just fine. The forums complain there is too much moderation here. now you say there is none.
You are confused Mark. MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS.
Anonymous, I have done this and a very interesting discussion is taking place on the forum as we speak. If nothing else, this would show who has decided to try to take the high road.
I have been directed to this blog by my friend Mark Nibbelin. I find it interesting that I have been put in with the lot of anti-Susan and anti-Paul people.
Yes, I did ask hard questions and did not back off when I did not get an answer. However, I also asked the hard questions of Jim Berry, Sam Sloan and others when necessary.
I also did start threads for each Paul and Susan on the USCF Forum that was positive to them. The one I started for Paul and his candidacy is where I voiced a couple of questions that I thought, at that time, were softball type of questions.
I am not running for any office or anything, but I do value my reputation. I was not and am not currently biased against either Susan or Paul.
Mark,
I personally deleted the posts which attacked various individuals. I have also asked my moderators to be more careful in the future.
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
Ron, I disagree with you. You’re not in the middle. But that’s just my take.
Mark, Susan did what you asked. Let’s see how long before there’s another insult toward Susan and Paul.
Thank you very much Susan, I honestly believe this is the first step in seeing the USCF forum participants and the moderators and FOC to moderate themselves.
I do think some disagreement is going to happen, but I believe if we keep it civil as much as possible, it will show that you are the professional I believe you are. Somebody must take the first step and I believe you have.
Folks lets please help Susan, and I believe the best way to get folks to listen to her message is by shaking hands and getting a chance to tell the story of what she wants to see happen.
Here is at least a start…
Note Brenan on the USCF forum.
Brenan has not been particularly positive toward Susan in the past, although I think he did vote for her.
At one point I believe he may have called his vote a mistake. Anyway, here’s Brenan
Brenan 12548274
Joined: 31 May 2007
Posts: 199
New postPost:60149 Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:56 pm Post subject: Reply with quote
I think it was Barry Goldwater who said that he thought we should take moderation in moderation. Laughing
I am willing to give Susan a chance. I think she has earned it, if nothing else than by being a candidate and being willing to subject herself to criticism.
She might not have liked it, and she might, given her druthers, prefer to silence it.
But who among us would stand in her place?
I think that all the candidates deserve our thanks for being willing to serve us.
My apologies for my own stupidity…
I have not been able to find the USCF forums once I’ve logged in to the web site. Can someone direct me to them?
-Mike
Mike, the issues forum on USCF web site requires you to register and be a USCF member to participate.
http://www.uschess.org/forums/index.php
Once again, Susan shows everyone that she’s a classy person. That’s why I’m glad I voted for her and her team.
Yes, very classy!!!
Now, lets all do everything we can this week at our local clubs and contact every USCF member we know and convince them to send in their votes for the team.
When I coached basketball and now with my K-1 graders, I tell them good things happen to good people. You have to believe it.
Now Mottorshead is attacking and insulting Susan. Mark, good try but these people won’t change.
And insults now by Lafferty.
http://www.uschess.org/forums/viewforum.php?f=5
is the USCF ISSUES Forum.
You need to be a member to get there.
The USCF web site is almost impossible to get around.
My opinion of what I have read of the posts by Ron is that Ron Suarez has been extremely anti Polgar.
This is my observation from the USCF forums. Lafferty is quite dishonest with his conducts on the forums. All he has contributed so far is legal threats, insults and attacks. The USCF allows it because it’s convenient to the people in charge. This is quite obvious.
I have read 2 posts now by the person named “Anonymous”. First I would like to point out that there is a real cowardice by not putting your name to a post. With that said, I would like to invite Anonymous to communicate with me personally.
I certainly am not anti-Polgar. Yes, I have made some statements pointing out discrepancies and have disagreed with people publically and have not nor will not back down on my position. However, I have not attacked anyone. Also, I have stated in MY POSTINGS on the USCF Forum positive things about Susan and Paul.
So Mr. Anonymous, Private Message (PM) me on the USCF Forum and I will be happy to provide exact details showing my positiveness for all and my established neutrality in the war of the politicians. By the way, if you have read my posts, you are a member of the forum and certainly can PM me.
No offense to you Mr. Suarez but I trust you as much as I trust Lafferty or Bogner. The problem is you don’t see your own bias and I can’t help you. Either you get it or you don’t. I’m sure you’re a nice guy but you’ve lost touch with reality.
Thanks for the evaluation Anonymous, even if it’s wrong.
But, that really matters not anyway. I am totally prepared for any of the candidates to be on the board. I hope you all are as well.
Best Regards,
Ron Suarez
For your information Mr. Suarez, I didn’t vote for all 4 members of Susan’s recommended team. As an outsider, I don’t see you as being neutral and in the middle. It doesn’t mean that you’re a bad guy. It just means that you’re bias based on the garbage that was posted by others.
Interesting, just because you did or did not not vote a certain way in no way stops you from being wrong in your evaluation of me. It’s OK, you can be wrong and still be a nice guy.
I am starting to see the reason you remain anonymous…
Anyway, my point is that we need to all be prepared for any combination of candidates to be seated on the board. With the ballots received being low, about 4000, the outcome is not so predictable.
The candidates, for the most part, all appear to be good people too. They all come from different walks of life and experiences. It will be interesting to see the make-up of the new board and how they can make the USCF a better organization to support and deliver chess.
Sam Sloan = INSTIGATOR
Looks like Sam doesn’t want any part of making peace. Why am I not surprised? Just 9 more days before we can have some REAL EB members on the USCF. The USCF will no longer be a laughing stock.
Here is a cut and paste from the REAL Sam Sloan on RGCP this afternoon:
It seems that the Polgar Group is on the verge of dividing into two
factions: The Polgarista Faction and the Polgarite Faction.
Mark Nibbelin is said to be the leading Polgarista whereas George
heads the Polgarite Group.
It is not clear what the differences are between them but it seems that the Polgaristas are willing to talk to the non-Polgar People but the Polgarites refuse to have any dealings with anybody who is not a follower of Susan Polgar.
Polgar herself has been trying to bring them back together to fight
against the common enemy but thus far has had limited success.
I will try to keep you informed of the ongoing developments in this
situation.
Sam Sloan
Folks, I would like to try and say a few words about Ron Suarez. Ron is a good guy trying to do a tough job. Ron does have some different opinions that I have of many topics including the amount of moderation the USCF forums should have, but he claims to be trying to improve things on that issue.
I really don’t think Ron is terribly anti-Susan and I wouldn’t say he is pro – Susan either. I just wouldn’t put him in the same category of anti-Susan folks as the more negative posters are. I honestly think in his heart, he believes he is trying to do the right thing.
So, lets take it a little easy on Ron, OK.
BTW, sometimes a couple of day of walking on the High Road is required before the opposition realizes that is where you are. Perhaps we could continue moderation for another couple of good days in good faith.