Should Bill Hall be fired over the latest Beatriz Marinello affair?

It has come out in the last 48 hours that USCF Executive Director Bill
Hall paid money to Board Member-at-Large Beatriz Marinello to attend
the coming FIDE Congress in Turin, Italy. Beatriz herself let this
slip out in an Internet posting on Monday, May 22, 2006, when she
wrote:

"I am willing to dedicate time, money and energy to this
organization as a volunteer. Board members are elected officials.
Therefore, I can simply reimburse the USCF for my travel expenses."

Prior to this letter, it had been assumed that Beatriz was following
the long standing USCF Board practice of going to meetings at her own
expense and then submitting an accounting and applying for
re-imbursement. Since she has not yet left for Italy, several people
wondered why she was already speaking of re-imbursement.

One or two days later, it came out that Bill Hall had already given
Beatriz the money to pay for her trip to Italy. Neither Beatriz
Marinello nor Bill Hall had informed the USCF Board about this
payment. We still have not been informed when the payment was made or
how much money was involved. However, it appears that the payment was
made months ago and the amount of money involved was several thousand
dollars.

Yesterday, Beatriz Marinello wrote that she was making out a check and
mailing it to the USCF in full re-imbursement of the money she
received to go to Italy. We are happy to hear that the USCF has been
made good or is being made good in this matter (although we wonder if
the check is going to be good, as we are aware that Beatriz Marinello
is unemployed, with no known source of income).

However, there is a serious question as to why Bill Hall paid her this
money in the first place without informing the President or the Board
of this.

It is well known that Beatriz Marinello is unemployed, with no job and
no known source of income and is very seriously ill. We all sympathize
with her unfortunate condition. However, the question is whether USCF
membership dues-money should be expended to support her in this
difficult time.

There have been long standing rules and procedures in place to prevent
this sort of thing from happening. These rules have been ignored by
Bill Hall.

One rule is that all expense money paid to any board member must be
signed off by the President, except that expenses paid to the
president must be signed off by the VP of Finance. This was not done.
Bill Goichberg, the President, had no idea that Bill Hall had given
money to Beatriz Marinello. The first time Bill Goichberg ever knew
about it was when the rest of us found out about it, when it was
posted on the Internet yesterday

Another rule is that all expense money or money of any kind paid to
any board member must be reported in the BINFOS and in the newsletter.
No such report has appeared in either publication.

It is to be recalled that I tremendous ruckus was raised by Tom Dorsch
in 1997 when Don Schultz was reimbursed for a $90 limo ride to the
airport. Surely, a payment of several thousand dollars to Beatriz
Marinello should have been reported to the board and to the
membership.

We understand that Bill Hall was hired to his present position by
Beatriz Marinello. However, this is even more reason why he should be
careful about giving her any money and why the rest of the board
should be informed and watch this situation closely.

Bill Hall has done some problematic things before this. For example,
only ten days before the term of Beatriz Marinello as President
expired, Bill Hall signed a document stating that an emergency existed
and, because of this emergency, the USCF needed to start constructing
a new headquarters building in Crossville Tennessee.

This statement, signed by Bill Hall, was not true. The only emergency
was that the votes had been counted, all of the candidates supported
by Beatriz Marinello had lost the election and the newly elected board
did not want to build the building. Therefore Bill Hall and Beatriz
Marinello knew that if construction did not start before ten days was
up, the new board would take over and the building would never be
built.

Therefore, Bill Hall signed the documents committing the USCF to pay
back a $500,000 loan while the lame duck board was still in office.

I am prepared to forgive Bill Hall for that because we know that if he
refused to sign the documents, Beatriz Marinello was going to fire
him. He had a right to do what it took to keep his job.

As a result, we now have a building for which we must pay $500,000
more above what we have already paid and which we can never sell. We
can never sell the building because Harry Sabine put in a zoning
restriction that the building can only be owned as the headquarters
for a national not-for-profit organization recognized by an
international sporting organization. In other words, only the USCF can
ever own this building unless some other national not-for-profit
organization can be found stupid enough to move their headquarters to
Crossville Tennessee. Also, we do not have clear title to the land
under the building.

In the period from January to March, 2005, before Bill Hall was hired,
Beatriz Marinello who was then president, paid herself $11,000 in
non-accountable expense money, because she had appointed herself to be
Chief Operating Officer. We know about this $11,000 because it has
been reported.

However, there is a rule that all expense money paid to the President
must be signed off by the VP of Finance. At that point in time, the VP
of Finance had skipped town. Tim Hanke had announced at the end of
January 2005 that he had volunteered to go to Iraq and fight in the
war. Hanke has not been seen or heard from since, except that at the
USCF Delegates meeting in August 2005 Beatriz produced a letter signed
by Hanke with recent date resigning as VP of Finance. No document has
yet been produced signed by Hanke approving the payments totaling
$11,000 to Beatriz Marinello. Thus, it appears that Beatriz took the
money illegally.

What we do not know is how much money Beatriz Marinello has received
from the USCF since March 30, 2005. It has never been reported.

I personally like Bill Hall. He seems to be a good guy and a smart
guy. He is a graduate of MIT. He is an expert strength chess player,
which helps. I am willing to overlook his past misdeeds committed
while Beatriz Marinello was president, because I realize that she
hired him to his present job and he had no choice but to obey her
orders.

However, Bill Hall needs to come clean now. He needs to reveal the
full extent of the problem. He needs to disclose to us how much money
in total has been paid by the USCF to Beatriz Marinello.

Sam Sloan

On Thu, 25 May 2006 12:55:41 GMT, (Sam Sloan)
wrote:

...We
can never sell the building because Harry Sabine put in a zoning
restriction that the building can only be owned as the headquarters
for a national not-for-profit organization recognized by an
international sporting organization. In other words, only the USCF can
ever own this building unless some other national not-for-profit
organization can be found .... Also, we do not have clear title to the land
under the building.

I hadn't heard these two claims before. I thought we got clear title
once we built and moved in.

Mike Murray wrote:
On Thu, 25 May 2006 12:55:41 GMT, (Sam Sloan)
wrote:

...We
can never sell the building because Harry Sabine put in a zoning
restriction that the building can only be owned as the headquarters
for a national not-for-profit organization recognized by an
international sporting organization. In other words, only the USCF can
ever own this building unless some other national not-for-profit
organization can be found .... Also, we do not have clear title to the land
under the building.

I hadn't heard these two claims before. I thought we got clear title
once we built and moved in.

Mike,
You are correct.
Rob

HARRY SABINE'S VILLAINY

Rob Mitchell has verified Sam's claim about the zoning
restrictions? Is the building essentially a worthless
trap that will never appreciate meaningfully?

Harry Sabine is the Crossville county commissioner
who also tried to get a whopping $60,000 for the
local architect until I blew the whistle by reporting
it here.

How many more secret deals will emerge as we learn
more and more about the corrupt administration of
Beatriz Marinello? It would appear that her main motive
in rushing through the move to Cross-to-Bear was to
provide herself with an income by supervising the move.

Beatriz has been a one-woman wrecking ball of American
chess in more ways than one. Randy Bauer was on the
board while all this happened and never said peep.

Beatriz has been a one-woman wrecking ball of American
chess in more ways than one. Randy Bauer was on the board while all this
happened and never said peep.

It seems obvious that all the people that have been involved are either
unemployed or else they earn their money from the USCF or tournament
promotions.

The USCF is like a dog that is full of self-serving ticks. The directors
just make sure the USCF has enough money to pay its bills (and their
salaries) and the rest goes to themselves in sweetheart deals, kickbacks,
and "reimbursements."

Larry,

You're becoming too transparent--you're going to have
to try harder. When you ask (rhetorical) questions, or
use the big IF (as you did with Bauer and the fake
Polgar blog posting), one can be reasonably certain
you don't believe what you're saying and are just trying
to (dishonorably) make someone look bad.

The construction, "I thought X", responded to by
another, "Yes, that's right" indicates that the second
party agrees with X. I'm sure you comprehend this.
There is no confusion. Rob Mitchell has disputed,
not verified Sam's claim. Really, try harder next time.

K

PS This is not to say that I have confidence that
we have heard all the details of the transaction.
I continue to be severly disappointed with USCF''s
lack of transparency.

=======original Rob Mitchell post that Larry references==========
Mike Murray wrote:
On Thu, 25 May 2006 12:55:41 GMT, (Sam Sloan)
wrote:

...We
can never sell the building because Harry Sabine put in a zoning
restriction that the building can only be owned as the headquarters
for a national not-for-profit organization recognized by an
international sporting organization. In other words, only the USCF can
ever own this building unless some other national not-for-profit
organization can be found .... Also, we do not have clear title to the land
under the building.

I hadn't heard these two claims before. I thought we got clear title
once we built and moved in.

Mike,
You are correct.
Rob
================================================== ====

wrote:
HARRY SABINE'S VILLAINY

Rob Mitchell has verified Sam's claim about the zoning
restrictions? Is the building essentially a worthless
trap that will never appreciate meaningfully?

Harry Sabine is the Crossville county commissioner
who also tried to get a whopping $60,000 for the
local architect until I blew the whistle by reporting
it here.

How many more secret deals will emerge as we learn
more and more about the corrupt administration of
Beatriz Marinello? It would appear that her main motive
in rushing through the move to Cross-to-Bear was to
provide herself with an income by supervising the move.

Beatriz has been a one-woman wrecking ball of American
chess in more ways than one. Randy Bauer was on the
board while all this happened and never said peep.

On 25 May 2006 07:28:05 -0700, "Rob" wrote:


Mike Murray wrote:
On Thu, 25 May 2006 12:55:41 GMT, (Sam Sloan)
wrote:

...We
can never sell the building because Harry Sabine put in a zoning
restriction that the building can only be owned as the headquarters
for a national not-for-profit organization recognized by an
international sporting organization. In other words, only the USCF can
ever own this building unless some other national not-for-profit
organization can be found .... Also, we do not have clear title to the land
under the building.

I hadn't heard these two claims before. I thought we got clear title
once we built and moved in.

Mike,
You are correct.
Rob

Rob,

I'm assuming you're answering the question of clear title. Are you
also addressing the zoning issue?

Mike Murray wrote:
On 25 May 2006 07:28:05 -0700, "Rob" wrote:


Mike Murray wrote:
On Thu, 25 May 2006 12:55:41 GMT, (Sam Sloan)
wrote:

...We
can never sell the building because Harry Sabine put in a zoning
restriction that the building can only be owned as the headquarters
for a national not-for-profit organization recognized by an
international sporting organization. In other words, only the USCF can
ever own this building unless some other national not-for-profit
organization can be found .... Also, we do not have clear title to the land
under the building.

I hadn't heard these two claims before. I thought we got clear title
once we built and moved in.

Mike,
You are correct.
Rob

Rob,

I'm assuming you're answering the question of clear title. Are you
also addressing the zoning issue?
Mike,
I was referring to clear title. As I understand it, once they build
the land is theirs.
Land values around Crossville are exploding pricewise. Depending on
what the economy does, I magine they could roll the property in a few
years if needed and make a tidy profit.

There is a portion of the property that had drainage issues. It was not
in a position to adversely effect construction or require the purchase
of flood insurance. I would , however advise that flood insurance would
be prudent as ground water encroachment is not a covered peril under
property policies. They are a seperate policy entirely.
Rob

*Beatriz has been a one-woman wrecking ball of American
chess in more ways than one.* (Parr)

Nice.

Rob wrote:
Mike Murray wrote:
On 25 May 2006 07:28:05 -0700, "Rob" wrote:


Mike Murray wrote:
On Thu, 25 May 2006 12:55:41 GMT, (Sam Sloan)
wrote:

...We
can never sell the building because Harry Sabine put in a zoning
restriction that the building can only be owned as the headquarters
for a national not-for-profit organization recognized by an
international sporting organization. In other words, only the USCF can
ever own this building unless some other national not-for-profit
organization can be found .... Also, we do not have clear title to the land
under the building.

I hadn't heard these two claims before. I thought we got clear title
once we built and moved in.

Mike,
You are correct.
Rob

Rob,

I'm assuming you're answering the question of clear title. Are you
also addressing the zoning issue?
Mike,
I was referring to clear title. As I understand it, once they build
the land is theirs.
Land values around Crossville are exploding pricewise. Depending on
what the economy does, I magine they could roll the property in a few
years if needed and make a tidy profit.

There is a portion of the property that had drainage issues. It was not
in a position to adversely effect construction or require the purchase
of flood insurance. I would , however advise that flood insurance would
be prudent as ground water encroachment is not a covered peril under
property policies. They are a seperate policy entirely.
Rob

Again, Rob, stop changing the subject headers. If you want to start a
new discussion, please go right ahead. I will welcome it.

However, the discussion here pertains to improper payments made by Bill
Hall to Beatriz Marinello and to zoning restrictions which make it
impossible for us to sell the building in Crossville. You claimed above
that the information I provided was incorrect. When asked to explain
your statement, you instead started wrinting about drainage issues,
insurance and other matters which have nothing to do with the topic
here.

So, it seems that you have no idea what you are writing about because
your statement above, "As I understand it", when you are not privy to
the situation demonstrates that you know nothing about it.

When you are completely ignorant about a subject you should be quiet
and wait to see what others who know more than you have to say.

Sam Sloan