eepmeep (John Fernandez) wrote in message ...
Subject: USCF Doomed?...
From: (Larry S. Tamarkin)
Date: 8/21/2003 11:42 PM Eastern Daylight Time
Message-id:

After reading about the near 40% staff cut, it seems to me that the
USCF is truly doomed...

There is no way that they can maintain old members, get new members,
while at the same time trying to manage a difficult transference of
responsibilities to a smaller staff, much less an almost totally new
staff across the country, when they move to Crossville.

I am a member since 1973, but I do not think I want to support an
organization in this much disarray any longer...

Larry S. Tamarkin
Original USCF Life Master

Funny, but I think the huge staff cut is the most optimistic piece of news I've
heard since I became a USCF member in 1995.

John Fernandez

Optimistic? Absolutely necessary for survival, but "optimistic"?

There are two sides to the decision to cut staff. There is the cost
side and the benefit side. On the benefit side, there will be a major
depressurization of the cash flow crunch. On the cost side, it is
impossible for me to see how the office can function better with 60%
of its former staff?

There's a PR campaign going on right now to assure us that things
are going to be great, but if you're gullible enough to believe that,
you need to have your head examined. We need to give the new
leadership about 30 days here to see if things are holding steady or
if they're seriously deteriorating due to the layoffs?

Another major issue is how will anyone know? It appears that Stan
and Grant want no one from the office talking to this newsgroup about
anything going on in New Windsor. The implication in a post by Stan
is that anyone caught posting here that is an office employee will be
fired. If all information going out must be cleared through Mr.
Truong, one wonders whether we'll be fed spun information or only
information that suggests things are turning around?

One cannot hide the sound of rushing water by playing violins more
loudly. If USCF is going to do a great job with 23 employees, one has
to wonder why we needed those 17 we just let go for so long?

I am no longer particularly impressed by optimistic talk. I'll give
the new leaders a reasonable chance here to demonstrate progress, but
I don't think they deserve 6 months before they start getting
criticized if things are still tanking.

I'm currently waiting to see if Beatriz has the guts to raise fees
on Scholastics. I have given up hope that USCF will ever lower adult
dues, and it has been my experience that scholastics always get their
way if they bitch loud enough and rattle their sabres.

If USCF cannot face down the scholastic lobby, then it deserves
whatever happens to it.

I personally see very little difference between McCrary's, "send us
your $4.00" theme from last year and Paul T, and Ralph B's theme of
"let's all pitch in to save USCF" from this year. Perhaps if Ralph
and the Scholastics had been willing to take a dues hike instead of
bitching until the $9.00 increase went on adults last year, we
wouldn't be in such dire straits. In my opinion, USCF has been
treating adult regular members like dirt under their feet for years,
and I see no evidence that they are going to lighten their load now.
Instead an appeal is made to EVERYONE to pitch in to help USCF. I
want to see the Life Members go first, then the scholastics, and then
just maybe, then, the regular adults might consider also helping USCF,
even though USCF has done nothing to help them for at least 6 years.

Best Regards,

Bruce