Problems with Frank Niro

I am a strong supporter of Frank Niro. I especially appreciate the way
he has straightened out the financial mess the USCF was in, even
though a financial statement for the year 2002 has still not come out
yet. I certainly hope that he continues in his job.

However, I wish to warn Frank Niro and provide him with a wake-up
call, that he is in danger of being fired by the newly elected board.
One reason I know this is because I had discussions with the other
candidates while I was running for election, and I am familiar with
their opinions on this issue.

Here are a list of problems. I wish to clearly state that I have no
personal knowledge of these facts and I have no idea of the truth or
falsity of these allegations. I am just reporting what I have over
heard.

1. Frank Niro recently signed a three-year contract with Games Parlor.
The board was not informed of this. The board was told that it was
only for one year. President John McCrary knew it was for three years
but he did not inform the other board members. This is one reason why
McCrary will likely be voted out as President next month.

Many board members are opposed with any deal with Games Parlor at all.
It is said that Joe Wagner was the one who discovered that Frank Niro
had signed a three year contract. An important fact in the background
is that still nobody has explained why in 1999 the USCF cancelled the
deal with ICC where ICC paid money to the USCF and replaced it with a
deal where the USCF paid money to Games Parlor for inferior service.
It has even been suggested that Games Parlor must have paid bribes to
USCF officials to accomplish this. For this reason, any new deal with
Gamer Parlor must be considered with care.

2. There have been very serious problems with the TLAs, or Tournament
Life Announcements. Often tournaments have been announced for the
wrong dates. This has led to players traveling long distances and
showing up to play in tournaments which did not exist. The most
important instance of this was the announcements for the US Masters in
Delaware. Most of the dates were wrong and the tournament had to be
cancelled, after some players had purchased non-refundable air
tickets.

The problem with the TLAs began with the firing of Debby Sherry. As
long as she was doing the TLAs, there were no mistakes. After she was
fired, large numbers of mistakes started appearing. Frank Niro has
been asked and pressured to take her back, but refuses to do so.

3. Problems with Chess Life. At the World Open this subject was
discussed. The magazine is filled with mistakes. This problem is
placed with Peter Kurzdorfer, the Chess Life Editor. He does not come
to the office. Instead, he works in his home in Buffalo, 400 miles
away. It is being said that the Chess Life Editor must come into work
like every other employee.

It is being said that the real editor of Chess Life is now Jami Anson,
the Art Director. Peter Kurzdorfer just sits at home and collects his
pay check.

I will make a firm prediction he Peter Kurzdorfer will be fired as
Chess Life Editor very soon, possibly at the meetings in Los Angeles.
Glenn Petersen has been tentatively offered his old job back, but says
that he cannot do this to Peter.

The problems with Chess Life may have cost me the Election, because
they published the wrong candidates statement for me in the July
issue. The statement they were supposed to publish is on the bottom of
my website at http://www.samsloan.com/electionresults.htm . Because of
the wrong statement appearing in the July issue, Jim Eade wrote a hit
letter attacking me and Bill Goichberg posted a website attacking me,
which cost me votes. They claim that the wrong statement was published
because I sent it in late. However, I do not believe that was the
reason. I believe that they simply mixed them up, just as they have
mixed up many other things lately.

This is only the beginning. There are many related problems, including
awarding the Delaware organizer the title of Organizer of the Year
when the only tournament he organized collapsed and is not being held.

I personally do not believe that Frank Niro will be fired, for the
simple reason that there is nobody to replace him and he is much
better than the Executive Directors the USCF has had in the past.
Nevertheless these problems above are serious and he needs to attend
to them.

Sam Sloan

"Sam Sloan" wrote in message
...

I personally do not believe that Frank Niro will be fired, for the
simple reason that there is nobody to replace him and he is much
better than the Executive Directors the USCF has had in the past.

That's not the reason. To fire him you have to catch him in the office.
Easier said then done.

StanB