THANK YOU!
In the 2009 USCF Executive Board election, the voters spoke loud and clear. Their message as I read it: IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR AN EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER TO SUE THE USCF FOR PERSONAL GAIN. They were not fooled by Susan Polgar's web posts claiming she was "fighting to protect and save the USCF," her false financial numbers which ignored several hundred thousand dollars of income, or her despicable "bribery" charges backed by nothing but empty rhetoric.
Never before in the history of the Federation have those who were elected obtained such a huge margin- more than 3 to 1 over all other candidates. And two of the three Polgar candidates received less than one quarter of the vote of the most of the winners. This election was an important step in the effort to fight back against the lawsuits and begin to repair the financial damage done to USCF.
The election also demonstrated what those who support USCF can accomplish if they work together. So many people contributed to this victory that I can't begin to thank them all, but special thanks are due to former USCF President Leroy Dubeck, who campaigned vigorously against me in many past USCF elections, but recognized that this time the existence of the Federation was at stake and we had to unite against the threat. I am also grateful to former presidents Beatriz Marinello, Steve Doyle and Tim Redman for endorsing my candidacy, and am optimistic that though I may disagree with some of these past presidents on some issues, we will work together constructively in the future.
Thanks also to Brian Lafferty for putting the interests of the federation ahead of his candidacy and withdrawing in favor of those who appeared to have a better chance. Even though announcing his withdrawal, Brian did not finish last, and no doubt would have placed higher had he remained an active candidate.
Thanks also to all who voted for me, and the many who sent emails, letters, and postcards voicing support. I have tried to answer all the emails, but am sorry that I haven't found time to respond to many of the letters and postcards.
Congratulations to Jim Berry, who polled the largest vote total in this election, beating me out by 16 votes! Many players throughout the country are aware of the great work Jim has long done for chess, and along with Randy Bauer and Randy Hough, Jim stood firm against various attempts at intimidation from the Polgar camp and defended the interests of USCF. I am proud to have served with Jim, Randy and Randy for the past two years and hope it is recognized how easy it would have been for our Board to have yielded under pressure, leading to a situation in which USCF would be in far worse trouble, facing lawsuits from those defamed by the "Fake Sloan" claiming that we ignored the evidence and "whitewashed" improper conduct by a board member.
Congratulations also to Ruth Haring and Mike Atkins, who I believe will be excellent board members. I look forward to their input regarding the many issues faced by USCF and hope the board will soon be able to focus on these issues without so much distraction caused by our legal problems.
If you will be at the US Open in Indianapolis, please attend the Legal Affairs Workshop, Thursday, Aug 6 between 1 pm and 4 pm. It is open to all USCF members, and is expected to discuss the options available to the federation in trying to resolve the various lawsuits. A USCF attorney will be present to answer questions.
Bill Goichberg