I read Dan’s article a little while ago, and it fills me with disgust. It’s like a microcosm of the American government. We have a whole bunch of people, whom we elected, and are supposed to be representing us in the furtherance of our sport, and instead some of them are using their positions to further their own interests, and pissing away tens of thousands of dollars of our money while they do it.
Some time ago, Dan said that if things kept going the way they were with USAT, the federation would implode again. I wonder if this is what he was alluding to.
I have to wonder what makes these people willing to spend such vast amounts of money to maintain their positions. I don’t know what they do, or how much they make at their regular jobs, but if I was facing $10,000+ in legal fees, I’d have no choice but to turn tail and run.
If I could withdraw my membership, and still do my races, I would absolutely do so.
What do you think?
(Sorry this isn’t entirely coherent, I’m really pissed right now.)
I havn’t followed the controversy too closely because I think it’s a crock. If these guys who want to serve USAT were really trying to serve USAT, they’d come to a consesus outside of the courtroom. Clearly this court battle isn’t serving USAT at all - it’s hurting it, financially and otherwise. I think these guys are idiots and should be banned from the board for pissing away our membership dues.
It would piss you off even more to know that Dan and I proposed, on several occasions, an elegant and open-ended plan for a consensus solution to the dispute . . . but were rejected out-of-hand by the pain-in-the-butt attorney representing Gattis, Travis, and Girand. I even approached two individual members of the current board with an outline of the plan; they listened politely, but never took a step beyond that.
Maybe we should circulate a petition online (via Slowtwitch, TNO, etc) demanding that these hosers stop wasting USAT’s money, and possible endorsing your plan (if, of course, we liked it ;). This money wasting is just ridiculous.
The payoff is to not elect the offending parties to any more terms…to include campaigning against them, as much as possible!!!..In particular, the ones who voted (or voiced their opinions to such-for those recused from voting) to continue with this “screwed” up process even after legal opinions that this could/would happen…That would include these parties: Girand, Travis, Gattis, Fred Sommer, Tim Becker.
Fair question. I’ve been injured for the better part of two years (62-year-old hamstring). The last two races I did were the Blackwater Traverse Duathlon in the spring of 2002 (finished third and qualified for worlds), and then the 2002 worlds in Alpharetta (which was ugly). Since then, I’ve been able to swim, bike, and occasionally limp. I do some other things in the sport, however, including administering the 10-race Michigan Grand Prix Series and volunteering my time on the day before and the day of the two local races.
I don’t know you, Lew, and you don’t represent my region. But based on your presence here, which exposes you to the most critical scrutiny possible, what I have read of your posts, and the fact that you have(along with Dan) been trying to find a solution to these problems, I just want to thank you.
I don’t have a problem with you, Dan, or anyone else benefiting from being involved with USAT. I only have a problem when people put their own interests before those they have sworn to represent and whose interests they are supposed to be protecting. It’s worse when they go on to spend our money to defend themselves. Too bad we can’t get an injunction to prevent that.
Very well articulated! I would like to add my own “Thank you” to Lew and Dan. You can bet that I will be involved in the future; hopefully more will be based on this scandle.
I served on the running board of our local community for two years. It amazed me at how quick people were to can good to great ideas b/c they didn’t think of them, it threaten their pet project or part of it was tried in the past. a fair bit, you define the %, of people in gov’t, BODers etc have the best interest of everyone else in mind until that first meeting starts. Then it’s about them first and you second.
I’m starting to get cynical but let us not stop at USAT, which I agree needs something done, but we might as well go onto congress the senate etc.
When was the last time you saw a politician go against something good for their district but bad for the rest of the country. When was the last time this board looked at the best interest of the people paying the bills and said lets do what is best for them?
I’m off to improve my health and have a beer