Chess politics - Did Tenn. architect join USCF in anticipation of contract?

Author

Did Tenn. architect join USCF in anticipation of contract?

Miriling

2004-12-25, 12:45 am

I raise the following question: Did the architect hired by the USCF to design a
building in Crossville join the federation last year in anticipation of
procuring the job contract?
It seems that Philip D. Elmore [ID No. 12910560], the Crossville architect, did
join the USCF in either July or August 2003 - not ostensibly for the purpose of
playing rated chess immediately [since he has neither a regular rating, a quick
rating or a correspondence rating] - but let his membership lapse at the end of
August of this year.
News of Crossville becoming the site of the USCF HQ was published in an article
on July 29, 2003 in the Crossville Chronicle - "Chamber celebrates eve of
becoming U.S. chess capital" - in which Crossville attorney Harry Sabine was
honored by the local chamber of commerce as playing a key role in landing the
national headquarters of the USCF in Crossville.
The Crossville architect must have figured that the USCF-Crossville deal was a
"done deal" and may have seen the wisdom of becoming a USCF member last year
following the publication of the news in the local press.
Now that the architect has landed the lucrative $ 60,000 design job, he
probably sees no need to continue his USCF membership. Why waste a $ 49 renewal
or a $ 45 renewal through the Cumberland County Chess Club, when he has already
secured his big prize - and that without playing a single game of chess!

George Mirijanian

Mike Nolan

2004-12-25, 12:45 am

miriling@aol.com (Miriling) writes:

quote:

>I raise the following question: Did the architect hired by the USCF to design a
>building in Crossville join the federation last year in anticipation of
>procuring the job contract?

Well, since USCF's records indicate that his membership payment was dated
August 8th, which was well after after he had come to an agreement with
then-ED Frank Niro (and only a few days before Frank sent in his
resignation), it seems like your premise is flawed.

It seems more likely that he thought being a USCF member might give him
some useful information to help him in his task. Or maybe he just wanted
to be able to clip out whatever appeared in Chess Life about the move to
Crossville and add that to his scrapbook?
--
Mike Nolan

Miriling

2004-12-25, 9:45 am

>Subject: Re: Did Tenn. architect join USCF in anticipation of contract?

quote:

>On 24 December 2004 nolan@gw.tssi.com (Mike Nolan) replied in
>Message-id: <cqirsu$mpf$1@gw.tssi.com>
>
>
>Well, since USCF's records indicate that his membership payment was dated
>August 8th, which was well after after he had come to an agreement with
>then-ED Frank Niro (and only a few days before Frank sent in his
>resignation), it seems like your premise is flawed.
>
>-snipped-

quote:

>Mike Nolan
>
>
>Do you know the exact date that he came to an "agreement" with then-ED Frank

Niro? Was there a signed contract or was the "agreement" verbal? Was this
information made known to the delegates at the 2003 Delegates Meeting? There is
a lot of information which the delegates are not privy to. You, as an insider,
should be aware of that.

George Mirijanian

quote:

>
>
>

Tom Martinak

2004-12-25, 9:45 am

>>Do you know the exact date that he came

quote:

[vbcol=seagreen]
>Niro? Was there a signed contract or was
>the "agreement" verbal? Was this
>information made known to the delegates
>at the 2003 Delegates Meeting? There is a
>lot of information which the delegates are
>not privy to. You, as an insider, should be
>aware of that.

You should probably ask Don Schultz. The first details that I saw was
in a post by him on Dec 17:

"Very disappointed in Frank Niro - open letter to Frank"
....
Why in the world did you agree to pay
$60,000 for an architect to design the
Crossville USCF building and why wasn't
that in any of the Crossville/PBG/Miami
comparisons.
....

- Tom Martinak

Parrthenon

2004-12-25, 5:45 pm

INSIDERS DON'T SIGN THEIR NAME

< Why in the world did you agree to pay
$60,000 for an architect to design the
Crossville USCF building and why wasn't
that in any of the Crossville/PBG/Miami
comparisons.> -- Tom Martinak

More questions that this phony insider posing as anonymouse Gloom & Doom
Dave will tell us "have already been answered."

And so it goes.

-- Larry Parr

________________________________________________________________
"FIDE has made its decision. Players who refuse to be drug tested will not be
able to play chess." -- Dr. Press, co-founder of the FIDE Medical Commission.

Tom Martinak

2004-12-25, 5:45 pm

>More questions that this phony insider posing as anonymouse Gloom &
Doom Dave will tell us "have already been answered."

quote:

>And so it goes.

quote:

> -- Larry Parr

Well he would be correct about the current board which has essentially
answered that question - "because Niro had already made the deal". The
question is now to Niro, why did you make that deal.

I'm also interested in why I haven't seen your condemnation of the
payment to Bill Goichberg? Did I miss it? It seems like virtually an
identical situation to what you are claiming will happen with Beatriz
(although we currently have no evidence about what will happen in her
case). If you consider it to be wrong if it should happen in the
future with Beatriz, shouldn't you be proclaiming even louder the
incorrectness of the already done deal for Goichberg?

- Tom Martinak

Parrthenon

2004-12-25, 5:45 pm

YES, TOM, YOU MISSED IT

<I'm also interested in why I haven't seen your condemnation of the payment to
Bill Goichberg? Did I miss it? > -- Tom Martinak

If you check Google you will find that I already said that Bill Goichberg
should be given nothing more than his expenses and gas for his unpaid service
as EB. Yes, I oppose the $25,000 ex-post-facto payment.

Note that our friend Gloom & Doom Dave, who still refuses to reveal his
identity, claims the board is not obligated to publish any of the pertinent
documents pertaining to the move to Crossville either here or on its website.
The guy's just another phony.

Stan Booz -- even though he has been reduced to snarling one-liners -- at
least has the courage to sign his name.

-- Larry Parr

________________________________________________________________
"FIDE has made its decision. Players who refuse to be drug tested will not be
able to play chess." -- Dr. Press, co-founder of the FIDE Medical Commission.

StanB

2004-12-25, 5:45 pm

"Parrthenon" <parrthenon@cs.com> wrote in message
news:20041225123017.06621.00002292@mb-m15.news.cs.com...

quote:

> <I'm also interested in why I haven't seen your condemnation of the
> payment to
> Bill Goichberg? Did I miss it? > -- Tom Martinak
>
> If you check Google you will find that I already said that Bill
> Goichberg
> should be given nothing more than his expenses and gas for his unpaid
> service
> as EB. Yes, I oppose the $25,000 ex-post-facto payment.

One measly post? Countless posts on the necessity to post a contract on the
USCF website. Yet never once demanding that the guy at the helm should post
it. Why are you covering up for Bill G.?

Mike Nolan

2004-12-25, 5:45 pm

miriling@aol.com (Miriling) writes:

quote:

>Niro? Was there a signed contract or was the "agreement" verbal? Was this
>information made known to the delegates at the 2003 Delegates Meeting? There is
>a lot of information which the delegates are not privy to. You, as an insider,
>should be aware of that.

I don't recall exactly when I first learned of the agreement between the
USCF and Phil Elmore, signed by Frank Niro, and I don't have a copy of
it to see when it was dated. Probably some time in July, Frank Niro
spent several days in Crossville then.

I definitely learned about that agreement AFTER the Delegates Meeting,
probably on the Wednesday after the US Open when I went to New Windsor
and reviewed a stack of documents that Frank had left on his desk deaing
with the move to Crossville, selling the building, etc.

So when you ask were the 2003 Delegates told of that agreement, I guess I
have to ask, who was there who would have been able to tell them about it?
Not I.

George, you weren't at the 2003 US Open in LA, so perhaps you're not as
aware of the chaos that we had there:

First, Frank Niro never showed up, though on several occasions we were told
to expect him soon, ie, tomorrow.

Then, we didn't have ANY financial statements, not even a complete budget
from the ED. (Frank was supposed to be bringing both the financial
statements and the final budget with him.) Frank Camaratta had to call
the auditors to request them to send us something.

On Thursday we get a fedex from the auditors with a copy of the
preliminary audit that they had given Frank that shows a much larger
loss than anyone had been led to expect and we also get Frank Niro's
letter of resignation.

This led to a series of meetings and a lengthy phone call involving the
Board, several members of the Finance Committee and Mark Levy, the person
in charge of the audit. The Finance Workshop, as often has been the case,
led to the formation of an ad hoc committee to revise the budget, but I
doubt there has ever been such a committee with as big a task facing it
as the one we had in LA.

The final figures for the 2003-04 fiscal year were much better than
that proposed budget, something which seemed an unlikely possibility at
the time and was only achieved through very hard work and many painful
decisions.

The very nature of a representative form of government is that the
representatives know more about what's going on than those whom they
represent. That's true of the Delegates compared to the average
USCF member, and it's even more true of the Executive Board compared
to the Delegates.

In 2003 that representative process broke down, as we kept learning of
more things that Frank Niro hadn't told anyone, and few of them were positive.
--
Mike Nolan

Tom Martinak

2004-12-25, 5:45 pm

>If you check Google you will find that I already said that Bill
Goichberg should be given nothing more than his expenses and gas for
his unpaid service as EB. Yes, I oppose the $25,000 ex-post-facto
payment.

I'm glad to hear that. I did search Google before my post and again
afterwards and I still can't find the relevant quote from you. Could
you please give me what keywords will produce that reference.

quote:

>Note that our friend Gloom & Doom Dave, who still refuses to reveal

his identity, claims the board is not obligated to publish any of the
pertinent documents pertaining to the move to Crossville either here or
on its website. The guy's just another phony.

I agree that he should reveal his identity. But similarly, you should
be willing to provide the names of your annonymous sources for the many
claims that you have made.

quote:

>Larry Parr

Thank you,
Tom Martinak

WPraeder

2004-12-25, 5:45 pm

quote:

>INSIDERS DON'T SIGN THEIR NAME

quote:

> More questions that this phony insider posing as anonymouse Gloom & Doom
>Dave will tell us "have already been answered."
>
> And so it goes.
>
> -- Larry Parr

Larry,

We understand the federation history of preemption, retaliation, and vendetta.
However, are you insinuating there is a problem with people who don't sign
their real names? If so would you be in favor of having all who post here to
sign their real name?

Regards,
Wayne Praeder

Parrthenon

2004-12-26, 12:45 am

<>If you check Google you will find that I already said that Bill Goichberg
should be given nothing more than his expenses and gas for his unpaid service
as EB. Yes, I oppose the $25,000 ex-post-facto payment.> -- Larry Parr

<I'm glad to hear that. I did search Google before my post and again afterwards
and I still can't find the relevant quote from you. Could you please give me
what keywords will produce that reference.> -- Tom Martinek

I found this post, and there are others along the same line. Here are just two
of many examples -- one I posted on December 2004 and one posted on December
2003

Newsgroups: rec.games.chess.politics
From: parrthe...@cs.com (Parrthenon) -
Date: 21 Dec 2004 04:25:13 GMT
Subject: Re: Schultz goes on the record

The purpose of this interview was to elicit instant information. As everyone
knows, GM Larry Evans can throw hard balls if and when the time comes.

We learned that Beatriz Marinello will be a volunteer, just as Bill Goichberg
was. I don't think Bill should receive anything other than gas money and some
meals unavoidably taken in local restaurants. Beatriz's volunteer service must
also not result in anything other than remuneration for basic expenses,
especially since she remains on the Board.

Newsgroups: rec.games.chess.politics
From: parrthe...@cs.com (Parrthenon)
Date: 25 Dec 2003 16:49:01 GMT
Subject: Re: The Ironic Silence of the Goich.
GOICH NEEDS TO GO SOON

By Larry Parr

I am not one of the anti-Goichberg crusaders, though I think it fair to say I
was among those who helped defeat his USCF presidential bid in 1993.

A lot of us wanted to support Bill because we thought he would make a terrific
president, but he simply would not address the conflict of interest issues in
the definitive way that we wished.

For two years I defended him against a series of utterly preposterous charges
levelled by Bruce Draney in his battle against OMOV. Among other things, Mr.
Draney argued that Goichberg would organize enormous telephone banks manned by
hundreds of volunteers throughout the United States, spending countless tens of
thousands of dollars to get elected. What incredible bunk that was!

The exchanges between Mr. Draney and this writer may be found through a Google
search, and his charges are likely the most absurd ever levelled against anyone
in the entire history of USCF politics.

But my defense of Mr. Goichberg does not mean I want to adopt the same
standards as FIDE -- those standards accepted and defended by our FIDE "team."
The conflicts of interest are obvious. I think Bill is doing a fine job in New
Windsor, and I want to give him a rousing hand of applause when and IF he
leaves at the end of January.

But IF Bill Goichberg tries to hang on, then I would have to join a move to
replace him. I don't want to get involved in such an ugly battle where one of
the great figures in U.S. chess history would be the target.

I hope he leaves soon. Then a lot of us can stick sharpened pencils in the ears
of his critics.
________________________________________________________________
"FIDE has made its decision. Players who refuse to be drug tested will not be
able to play chess." -- Dr. Press, co-founder of the FIDE Medical Commission.

Tom Martinak

2004-12-26, 6:45 am

>We learned that Beatriz Marinello will be a volunteer, just as Bill

quote:

>Goichberg was. I don't think Bill should receive anything other than
>gasmoney and some meals unavoidably taken in local restaurants.
>Beatriz's volunteer service must also not result in anything other

than

quote:

>remuneration for basic expenses, especially since she remains on
>the Board.

Thanks. I had read that at the time it was written, but I had taken it
as an expression of your preference on how things should be done. I
hadn't realized that you meant as a condemnation of the board and
Goichberg for the action that was taken at the meeting.

- Tom Martinak

Parrthenon

2004-12-26, 9:45 am

JUST ANOTHER TROLL

< We understand the federation history of preemption, retaliation, and
vendetta.
However, are you insinuating there is a problem with people who don't sign
their real names? If so would you be in favor of having all who post here to
sign their real name? > -- Wayne Praeder

Dear Wayne,

Everyone knows that I am parrthenon. Everyone knows you are wpraeder
and that Jerry Bibuld is chessphoto. I see no reason to use real or full names
if the identity is obvious and no attempt is made to hide it. But so far as
anonymice are concerned, I discount their words unless they provide airtight
evidence on a disputed point.

And when some anonymouse claims the board answered all the questions
but, after it's pointed out this claim is blatantly false, says it's NONE OF
YOUR BUSINESS we can conclude it's just another troll.

And so it goes.
________________________________________________________________
"FIDE has made its decision. Players who refuse to be drug tested will not be
able to play chess." -- Dr. Press, co-founder of the FIDE Medical Commission.

Angelo DePalma

2004-12-26, 5:45 pm

Mike,

In this forum dates, facts, chronologies don't matter. All that matters is
one person's belief that USCF -- even USCF -- might award an architectural
contract based on the awardee's membership status. Come to think of it maybe
this architect has the world's largest collection of sharpened 28-cent
pencils.

Angelo

"Mike Nolan" <nolan@gw.tssi.com> wrote in message
news:cqirsu$mpf$1@gw.tssi.com...

quote:

> miriling@aol.com (Miriling) writes:
>
>
> Well, since USCF's records indicate that his membership payment was dated
> August 8th, which was well after after he had come to an agreement with
> then-ED Frank Niro (and only a few days before Frank sent in his
> resignation), it seems like your premise is flawed.
>
> It seems more likely that he thought being a USCF member might give him
> some useful information to help him in his task. Or maybe he just wanted
> to be able to clip out whatever appeared in Chess Life about the move to
> Crossville and add that to his scrapbook?
> --
> Mike Nolan

Spam Scone

2004-12-27, 12:45 am

Angelo DePalma wrote:

quote:

> Mike,
>
> In this forum dates, facts, chronologies don't matter. All that

matters is

quote:

> one person's belief that USCF -- even USCF -- might award an

architectural

quote:

> contract based on the awardee's membership status. Come to think of

it maybe

quote:

> this architect has the world's largest collection of sharpened

28-cent

quote:

> pencils.
>
> Angelo

Angelo, I too think this debate over the architect's USCF membership is
strange. Almost as strange as the Innes posts a couple of years ago
alledging I was buttering up Niro for a paid USCF job.

Angelo DePalma

2004-12-27, 12:45 am

Spammy,

You can't blame people for thinking that you're on the take. I've seen
aerial photographs of your palatial estate. You had to get the $$ from
somewhere. Certainly not from writing that 36-volume compendium, "The Chesse
Historie of Downtowne Scrantowne," in which I found precisely 136 spelling
errors and no fewer than three dozen mis-translated passages from Virgil.
How many times do I have to tell you that "in" means "into" or "against"
when its object is in the accusative case?

Sheesh!

"Spam Scone" <Spamscone@yahoo.com> wrote

quote:

> Angelo, I too think this debate over the architect's USCF membership is
> strange. Almost as strange as the Innes posts a couple of years ago
> alledging I was buttering up Niro for a paid USCF job.
>

Mike Nolan

2004-12-27, 6:45 am

miriling@aol.com (Miriling) writes:

quote:

>I raise the following question: Did the architect hired by the USCF to design a
>building in Crossville join the federation last year in anticipation of
>procuring the job contract?

Tom Martinak

2004-12-27, 6:45 am

quote:

>Note that our friend Gloom & Doom Dave, who still refuses to reveal

quote:

>Larry Parr

Thank you,
Tom Martinak

Miriling

2004-12-28, 5:47 pm

>Subject: Re: Did Tenn. architect join USCF in anticipation of contract?

quote:

>On 24 December 2004 nolan@gw.tssi.com (Mike Nolan) replied in
>Message-id: <cqirsu$mpf$1@gw.tssi.com>
>
>
>Well, since USCF's records indicate that his membership payment was dated
>August 8th, which was well after after he had come to an agreement with
>then-ED Frank Niro (and only a few days before Frank sent in his
>resignation), it seems like your premise is flawed.
>
>-snipped-

quote:

>Mike Nolan
>
>
>Do you know the exact date that he came to an "agreement" with then-ED Frank

quote:

>
>
>

Tom Martinak

2004-12-28, 5:47 pm

>More questions that this phony insider posing as anonymouse Gloom &
Doom Dave will tell us "have already been answered."

quote:

>And so it goes.

quote:

> -- Larry Parr

Rob

2004-12-29, 12:45 am

Dear Group,
I would hope that someone could help me understand some things.

1. What does the E.B actually do? What is the extent of their power and
to whom do they answer?

2. Are there any measures of job performance of the E.B.? Are there
measures to remove a member of the board or to censure a member?

3. What is the job description of the E.D.? Does the E.D. have the
authority to set goals for the organization?

4. What are the limits of the E.D.s authority to allocat funds and
commit the organization to contracts? Where are they written down and
who enforces them?

I have seen no clear answer to these questions in previous posts. Did
Mr. Niro have the authority to commit the organization to funds without
board approval? If he did not, then the officers professional liability
policy(asuming that there is one) might be used to cover legal fees
associated with any breach in contract that may arise. These policies
are common place and are purchased to cover unintentional errors as
well as deliberate actions that are damaging to the organization.(
They cover things like theft, misfeasance, malfeasance errors and
ommissions in the commission of thier duties.)

thanks,
Rob Mitchell
Mike Nolan wrote:

quote:

> miriling@aol.com (Miriling) writes:
>
then-ED Frank[vbcol=seagreen]
this[vbcol=seagreen]
Meeting? There is[vbcol=seagreen]
an insider,[vbcol=seagreen]
>
> I don't recall exactly when I first learned of the agreement between

the

quote:

> USCF and Phil Elmore, signed by Frank Niro, and I don't have a copy

quote:

> it to see when it was dated. Probably some time in July, Frank Niro
> spent several days in Crossville then.
>
> I definitely learned about that agreement AFTER the Delegates

Meeting,

quote:

> probably on the Wednesday after the US Open when I went to New

Windsor

quote:

> and reviewed a stack of documents that Frank had left on his desk

deaing

quote:

> with the move to Crossville, selling the building, etc.
>
> So when you ask were the 2003 Delegates told of that agreement, I

guess I

quote:

> have to ask, who was there who would have been able to tell them

about it?

quote:

> Not I.
>
> George, you weren't at the 2003 US Open in LA, so perhaps you're not

quote:

> aware of the chaos that we had there:
>
> First, Frank Niro never showed up, though on several occasions we

were told

quote:

> to expect him soon, ie, tomorrow.
>
> Then, we didn't have ANY financial statements, not even a complete

budget

quote:

> from the ED. (Frank was supposed to be bringing both the financial
> statements and the final budget with him.) Frank Camaratta had to

call

quote:

> the auditors to request them to send us something.
>
> On Thursday we get a fedex from the auditors with a copy of the
> preliminary audit that they had given Frank that shows a much larger
> loss than anyone had been led to expect and we also get Frank Niro's
> letter of resignation.
>
> This led to a series of meetings and a lengthy phone call involving

the

quote:

> Board, several members of the Finance Committee and Mark Levy, the

person

quote:

> in charge of the audit. The Finance Workshop, as often has been the

case,

quote:

> led to the formation of an ad hoc committee to revise the budget, but

quote:

> doubt there has ever been such a committee with as big a task facing

quote:

> as the one we had in LA.
>
> The final figures for the 2003-04 fiscal year were much better than
> that proposed budget, something which seemed an unlikely possibility

quote:

> the time and was only achieved through very hard work and many

painful

quote:

> decisions.
>
> The very nature of a representative form of government is that the
> representatives know more about what's going on than those whom they
> represent. That's true of the Delegates compared to the average
> USCF member, and it's even more true of the Executive Board compared
> to the Delegates.
>
> In 2003 that representative process broke down, as we kept learning

quote:

> more things that Frank Niro hadn't told anyone, and few of them were

positive.

quote:

> --
> Mike Nolan

Tom Martinak

2004-12-29, 5:46 pm

>>Do you know the exact date that he came

quote:

[vbcol=seagreen]
>Niro? Was there a signed contract or was
>the "agreement" verbal? Was this
>information made known to the delegates
>at the 2003 Delegates Meeting? There is a
>lot of information which the delegates are
>not privy to. You, as an insider, should be
>aware of that.

Parrthenon

2004-12-30, 6:45 am

Mike Nolan

2004-12-30, 6:45 am

miriling@aol.com (Miriling) writes:

quote:

>Niro? Was there a signed contract or was the "agreement" verbal? Was this
>information made known to the delegates at the 2003 Delegates Meeting? There is
>a lot of information which the delegates are not privy to. You, as an insider,
>should be aware of that.

Tom Martinak

2004-12-30, 6:45 am

quote:

>Note that our friend Gloom & Doom Dave, who still refuses to reveal

quote:

>Larry Parr

Thank you,
Tom Martinak

WPraeder

2005-01-01, 12:46 am

quote:

>INSIDERS DON'T SIGN THEIR NAME

quote:

> More questions that this phony insider posing as anonymouse Gloom & Doom
>Dave will tell us "have already been answered."
>
> And so it goes.
>
> -- Larry Parr