Dilworth and Donald Alperstein (USFA lawyer-in-chief) promised to deliver the 2007 independent audit which is a legal requirement of all 501(C) 3 corporations ASAP after the 900M+ deficit was revealed at the JOs; eleven months after the '07 fiscal year has ended, this report is still not public - if it exists at all.
Actually, this is quite interesting that it has not yet been made public, since I just heard last weekend from a foreign source (highly placed person in another country's NGB) that the actual number is more in the range of 3 times that ammount.
Since the USOC is the primary revenue source for the USFA,
Curious then how they don't cover the cost of international programs, let along the equal expenditure for domestic fencing. I think you underestimate membership dues and entry fees.
So, my main issue with this article is that it is VERY focused in its spin, and COMPLETELY ignores the fact that the USFA is voluntarily changing itself. ...
"Spin" or no, the writer did fail to mention efforts or plans already under way since the recent revelation. It that sense, yes, the article was incomplete.
Since NACs have been running at a deficit for years, our exorbitant entry fees don't impact on general revenues.
Unfortunately, I can't show you the line items on a USFA budget which would support my statement, because, well, none of them seem to be posted on the USFA website, or were made available to me when I recently contacted the Secretary.
Unless the great and powerful Audit/Budget & Finance Committee produce hard numbers for us lowly members, our contentions will remain conjecture.
Anyway it's way past my bedtime, here in purgatory, so I'm done for today.
hmmmm... I certainly understand the plight of our Olympic athletes, and I wholeheartedly want them to be paid the money they are owed, but what about those of us who have been, refereeing, er, I mean volunteering for the past year?
I'm glad Ed's getting his money, and I'm really, really happy that Sada received some of her cash because she and her family are truly wonderful people, and I certainly HOPE that Mariel and Becca get the funds that are owed to them, but what about the rest of us?
Sounds like a. I'm glad I didn't choose the lifetime membership, and b. that chunk of money I was holding my breath hoping to maybe, quite possibly get as a Christmas bonus this year (as opposed to compensation for services rendered) is just going to be considered chump change in the grand scheme of this financial debacle. Will we ever be paid? 'Cause the chances of me becoming eligible for this high profile-type reimbursement are slim-to-none...
Curious then how they don't cover the cost of international programs, let along the equal expenditure for domestic fencing. I think you underestimate membership dues and entry fees.
Actually, the USOC gives funds to the USFA for international programs and elite fencers. Apparently, the USOC started investigating the USFA because apparently, accordingly to the SI acrticle, our top elite fencers have not been receiving their funds. So, the USOC is now deciding to give our elite fencers their funds directly, because apparently, the USFA has not been capable of doing so.
So, the USOC is now looking at controlling the USFA because apparently, the USFA is not capable of adminstering these funds correctly and appropriately as they have ben designated. As far as the USOC is concerned, the USFA is not doing the job that a NGB is designated to do.
Location: the Salle(I no longer have a home address)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nahouw
Actually, the USOC gives funds to the USFA for international programs and elite fencers. Apparently, the USOC started investigating the USFA because apparently, accordingly to the SI acrticle, our top elite fencers have not been receiving their funds. So, the USOC is now deciding to give our elite fencers their funds directly, because apparently, the USFA has not been capable of doing so.
And that makes a lot of sense under the circumstances. Recollect the election thread that covered Paul Levy's refusal to fund raise anymore because the money he obtained wasn't going to the Veterans' program.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nahouw
So, the USOC is now looking at controlling the USFA because apparently, the USFA is not capable of adminstering these funds correctly and appropriately as they have been designated. As far as the USOC is concerned, the USFA is not doing the job that a NGB is designated to do.
Now this is an interesting point. The USOC can choose to withhold money that it gives the USFA if is so wishes. But can it control the USFA? It could choose to refuse the USFA a place at the OTC in Colorado Springs and refuse to back certain programs such as coaches college which use the OTC. But the USFA owns its own offices and is legal entity - non-profit corporation I assume. So what could the USOC do really? Set up a separate organization to be the NGB. How would that affect the USFA's relationship with the FIE? Could the USFA limp along without being the NGB? And if the US fencers have a decent showing in Beijing what would the USOC choose to do?
May you live in interesting times - old curse attributed to the Chinese.
Truth be told Eric was right then, and is right now. The recall may not have saved us in the short term, but at the very least, would have softened the blow. Despite ample warnings most of us sat back and did nothing. Some of you including the victims who opposed the recall are still in denial---how pathetic.
Location: the Salle(I no longer have a home address)
Posts: 1,360
Quote:
Originally Posted by tchwojko
I thought the discussions were fairly issue oriented. Can you point to the examples of vitriol, please? I don't recall anything beyond the norms of civil debate. There were certainly strong opinions, but I wouldn't say vitriol.
Why go there? He said she said. If you are really curious look.
So what could the USOC do really? Set up a separate organization to be the NGB. How would that affect the USFA's relationship with the FIE?
§220522. Eligibility requirements
(a) GENERAL.—An amateur sports organization is eligible to be recognized, or to continue to be recognized, as a national governing body only if it—
[...]
(2) has the managerial and financial capability to plan and execute its obligations;
§220521. Recognition of amateur sports organizations as national governing bodies
[...]
(c) RECOMMENDATION TO INTERNATIONAL SPORTS FEDERATION.—Within 61 days after recognizing an organization as a national governing body, the corporation shall recommend and support in any appropriate manner the national governing body to the appropriate international sports federation as the representative of the United States for that sport.
(d) REVIEW OF RECOGNITION.—The corporation may review all matters related to the continued recognition of an organization as a national governing body and may take action it considers appropriate, including placing conditions on the continued recognition.
Truth be told Eric was right then, and is right now. The recall may not have saved us in the short term, but at the very least, would have softened the blow. Despite ample warnings most of us sat back and did nothing. Some of you including the victims who opposed the recall are still in denial---how pathetic.
Whenever the bottom feeders are stirring up muck, it's refreshing to know that Wingate is always available to wriggle over and add some fishy flatulence to the mix.
One of the main weaknesses some of us perceived in the recall effort was the unending refrain of NancyNancyNancy, when it seemed obvious there were much deeper problems and more directly accountable people accusatory fingers should have been pointed at.
So Nancy e-mailed cat pix. Michael had 280 spinning budget plates balanced on poles, and only he knew what was written on top of them. The Board wasn't doing its oversight job. The accounting people weren't doing their jobs. None of that was being adequately addressed in the recall effort.
Many of the people agitating for the recall either desired to get back into power, or anticipated the expanded gravy train coming from the USOC during the last half of the Quad, and wanted to be the ones in control of how much gravy went into whose bowl. Do you think, with that motivation, the accounting process would have been any more transparent?
Here's a question for the "I told you so!" crowd: with the 6 weapon squads, what were their budgets for the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 seasons? What were the expenses submitted by the squads/National Coaches/Team Managers for each season? How close did they stay on budget?
There is plenty of blame to go around. For all her hits and misses, Nancy is not the universal answer...back then or now.
__________________
"Fraud is the creation of trust. And then: its betrayal."
William Black, Ph.D.
Last edited by Capt. Slo-mo; 06-26-2008 at 03:43 AM..
So you are just going to throw out Summer Nationals? Fine to have someone to help out with the Olympics. (snip)
I agree it is probably for the best for him to move on at the end of the season. But let's not make another mistake and kick Michael out the door when we have the busiest time of the year, and the quadrennium, so soon.
At this point, only a few days before the start of Summer Nationals...exactly what do you think he's going to be doing? Running pool sheets? Getting coffee for the Tournament Committee?
He may have some incredibly important function at Summer NAts, but I'm hard-pressed to think of something that couldn't be delegated, at this point in the game.
Especially if, as reported, his ability to make decisions and approve expenditures has been severely curtailed by the USOC.
__________________
"Fraud is the creation of trust. And then: its betrayal."
William Black, Ph.D.
To "momster:” I find it odd that Andrea Lagan provided funding for one of the WS fencers on such a timely basis when so many other top fencers had to beg for scraps for years. Is there a correlation between the fact that said fencer used to attend her club? Maybe we should ask Jed Dupree, whose entry to a critical Pan Am foil qualification event was not sent in by Andrea; is there a correlation between the fact that one of his rival contenders for the foil team was a member of her club? She sure didn't forget to send in that fencers entry.
Jim Page sat in the USFA office for over one year as “Director of High Performance” and had the opportunity to see Massik in action. How is it possible he had no knowledge of the mismanagement and reimbursement problems with the coaches and athletes (other than Andrea's buddies)?
.
The reason Andrea helped my kid is because someone had to do it. The National Team coach and National Team Manager are concerned with only one fencer, she is not my daughter.
They do everything for her and as little as possible for my daughter.
Andrea leveled the playing field for her just a bit and tried to make the situation more tolerable for us.
Her efforts have allowed my daughter to travel safely.
We are completely fed up with the Team coach. He is not bothering to hide his disdain for my daughter. I am not going to get into all this on the board but please do not suggest that Andrea only takes care of us. She does a lot for a lot of people. She has made a huge difference for the folks that have to travel.
Don't even try to sully her name or the job she has done. Ask the parents that travel a lot how things used to be and how they are now. They can all tell you about it.
We are still waiting for reimbursement. Have been for quite some time. She doesn't hand over money to us, she facilitates our getting tickets and matching itineraries for us to travel with my daughter.
The Momster
The Momster
__________________ A friend will bail you out of jail,
a true friend will help you hide the body...: )
An intercession from the USOC was inevitable and will be announced on Wednesday. In addition to conducting a widespread independent audit of the USFA and overseeing funding for athletes, the USOC will essentially run the association's high performance group leading up to the Beijing Olympics. Beyond that the committee will make sure a board is in place that will run transparently and be accountable to its membership. "We absolutely want to make sure athletes have the full support they need to reach their potential in Beijing," says USOC spokesperson Darryl Seibel. "Going forward, we will start to identify where changes may need to be made within the organization."
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