Working for STARFLEET?
I’m pretty happy to work for STARFLEET. I offer up web-space by the truckload, and ‘Thirty Days’ is doing a really good job of using that space to host copies of chapter handbooks, regional handbooks, chapter and marine unit newsletters and things like that. The ‘Thirty Days’ book project has sent out a huge pile of Trek books to STARFLEET chapters, and will continue to do so. Lots of good things are happening, and STARFLEET and its members benefit.
There’s an important thing to mention here: STARFLEET isn’t doing it. It’s not a STARFLEET project. It’s my little project that I’ve put together with the help of a lot of people. There is zero support for any of it from the STARFLEET administration in any capacity, and I’m grateful for that. Here’s why:
“Until my term ends or I get impeached, I’m not quitting STARFLEET and I’m not going to let the malcontents who lost the election make everyone else suffer.” — Sal Lizard
I lost the election — So did five other folks. Joost Ueffing, Dixie Halber, Wade Olson, Sandy Berenberg and Will Devine. Those were the names on the ballots, and from what I can tell none of us are making STARFLEET members suffer. I think Wade is still active with the SFMC, Joost is working as part of DTS; Will has recently taken over as the CO of the USS Accord. I’m still running the USS Blackheart in addition to all the ‘Thirty Days’ stuff.
I’ve recently been contacted to help on a STARFLEET project, and I have responded that I will not do so. I’m not willing to work for any department of this administration after that kind of unbelievable attack. I can’t bring myself to do it. I would like nothing more than to volunteer my time and effort working toward making things better from the core — If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have run for CS last year and I wouldn’t have applied for VCS this year.
I don’t mean to come off as overbearingly arrogant, but I think we’ve done more with ‘Thirty Days’ in the past few weeks than STARFLEET’s been able to put together since last January. Since we’ve been very careful about money, we’ve been able to send out hundreds of ‘Star Trek’ books to chapters and troops overseas for less than 5% of what STARFLEET has spent on attorneys. We’ve got a ton of bandwidth — Enough to give every member of STARFLEET over 50M of webspace for a decade — And it cost us less than 8% of what STARFLEET has spent on attorneys.
We’re getting things done. STARFLEET seems unable to do so, and to make things worse the administration takes a point-of-view that encourages talented and capable people to run screaming. It’s a really bad situation, and I don’t know the solution.
(13 votes, average: 3.31 out of 5)
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November 7th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
“Until my term ends or I get impeached, I’m not quitting STARFLEET and I’m not going to let the malcontents who lost the election make everyone else suffer.” — Sal Lizard
I do not recognize this. Where did he write that?
November 7th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
The AB list.
November 7th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
I do not get the AB list. I was hoping it was someplace public to see if the context of his entire piece was as it sounds in your post.
If his entire piece sounded like that I would respect your views, but if he wrote after or before the comment something like “I do not blame everyone who ran…”
I do not agree or condone what Sal wrote period. But without knowing the entire piece I cannot agree with your not wanting to help because of one sentence.
I agree though - one can do a lot without ever working directly with the EC or the AB and for that - I thank you Emmett.
November 7th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Here is the entirety of his post:
–
From: FADM Sal Lizard
To: Ab-l@sfi.org
Sent: Monday, October 13, 2008 7:22 PM
Subject: Re: [Ab-L] SFI-L
Dave,
Now let *me* vent!
What have I said that was incorrect? Does the truth hurt? I am criticised for the SFI-L and members there are asking me to do something to keep the peace there. There is lots of misinformation and assumptions that need to be clarified.
On a daily basis, I get more letters of support from members of STARFLEET than I get letters of complaint (unless you count the too numerous to count emails from a few who seem determined to keep things stirred up.
You have accused me of extremism and yet, I’ve only done what previous CS’s have done, ran the EC, paid the bills, and promote members. Neither I nor my EC have kicked anyone out of STARFLEET, demoted anyone, or even pushed for needed changes in the Constitution — yet. But you paint me as this terrible person who has the sole responsibility to heal STARFLEET. You know, I have offered an olive brance to the “opposition” on several occassions but there come a time when the tree starts to die from loosing its branches. I have turned the other cheeck so many time my jaws hurt.
As I’ve said before, when I was elected, I was told that if I Cooperated with the “political machine” of STARFLEET, I could have an easy tenure as CS. Now you tell me that STARFLEET needs a moderate in charge. You are also a candidate for the VCS position so i should assume that if you take that spot you’ll constantly be trying to get me to step down so you can be the CS?
I’m a big fan of Robert Heinlein and his fictional character Lazarus Long reminds me of one of my greatest hearoes and mentors in my formative years when they both said, more or less, “Moderation is for monks, take big bites in life.” I am not a moderate, and I never ran as one.
Moderate attitudes have gotten this organization where it is. STARFLEET has been bad-mouthed by its members and other groups long before I took over as CS. Moderation is what allowed members to hurt each other and get away with it. moderation is what allows members to post internal, confidential STARFLEET information on public websites, moderation is what allows a former corporate officer to break the confidence of his position. Moderation is what’s hurting this organization!
Damn it! Somebody needs to make a stand! How did STARFLEET ever survive without the Interenet?!? I’ll tell you how, the members focused more on their chapters and regions. Most of our contact in STARFLEET was with other members in our own immediate (or drivable) area and when we heard from HQ it was in the Communique or from our regional coordinator. The Constitution hasn’t changed and yet you and “the online social club” expect me to meet you on your terms or get out of office?!
I was elected as the CS amidst complaints from the online community that I wouldn’t “hang out” with them. But I still won more than twice as many votes as my closest “moderate” competitor! What about my rights as the CS? I don’t recall ever giving them up. And what would happen if the regions started acting like the online community and demanding that I attend *their* functions? You can argue that it costs me money to travel on the national highways but not the cyber highway but if i have to take time away from my livelihood to answer all of the questions that some online members like to barrage me with, then I still pay.
And if I’m hurting STARFLEET so much, why isn’t a member who sits in the chat areas bad-mouthing STARFLEET while building up his own organization?
Yeah, I’m gonna step down — NOT!! I promised my supporters that I would work for the good of the whole STARFLEET, not cover and crawl away because some small, but very loud, individuals call for it.
By the way, Dave, to date, yours is the only email I’ve received asking me to step down. All the rest were directed at inciting members.
For you that don’t like the tone of my message, I’m sorry. But I’m pissed off and it’s about time I quit being the gentle Santa and start acting like I promised during the election. Which i won, by the way. A leader also has to stand up for himself aginst the opposition. Until my term ends or I get impeached, I’m not quitting STARFLEET and I’m not going to let the malcontents who lost the election make everyone else suffer. People may resist change but change is inevitable. If this organization doesn’t change, or won’t change, it will suffer and die.
We are the leaders and it’s up to all of us to help those changes occur not retard them. If I’m going to communicate, I’m going to communicate honestly. I’m not going to “pussy-foot around” just because the truth might hurt somebody’s feelings. This STARFLEET is not in sync with the needs of the membership because it is so slow to change. During my campaign, I spoke about how slowly change comes to STARFLEET and that I would bring about those changes more quickly. Some members ask when I’m going to quit dragging my feet.
I also hear members talk about how other groups are growing. They say that we need to talk to other organizations to see what they are doing right. well, I’ve talked to leaders of the 501st and Starfleet Command and the very first thing they told me was that they felt STARFLEET was doomed because of all of the crap we put up with — “We get rid of troublemakers in our organization” was more or less the answer from both of these leaders.
Now, can I still count on my ability to be honest, and sometimes blunt with this body or should I wonder which of you will now post this one, or leak it to a public anti-STARFLEET blog?
Sal Lizard,
CS@SFI.Org
November 7th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Two points:
- If they’re leaders, they need to start leading.
- If Sal has the ability to be honest, why has he been dishonest about things?
November 7th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Enough said. Without blinders one can see he is trying to get people to put up or shut up. He types things with honesty - sadly he does not type with any air of motivation.
I said it before and have gotten pushed out for working as I believe it should be - Sal needs to stop fighting with who he perceives as “enemies” and start working for STARFLEET.
November 7th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
I wish that Sal was willing to put as much time into communicating with the membership that he does bitching to the AB about his “enemies.” Not a shred of responsibility being taken here, you’ll notice; It’s all about other people and how bad they are — People like me, who have been hauling ass to try and make things better. That’s why I can’t work for this administration.
November 7th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Trying to find the boundary between doing things I consider fun and recreational — and where those things might be beneficial to people beyond my own chapter — is not easy.
So I can wait for two years until the administration changes
November 7th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Wow. Sal really *is* Sadaam Hussein al-Tikriti. I guess that makes me right about his mouthpiece too
November 7th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
I agree with Tony. Wow.
Who would have thought that my term “the Saliban” would ring so true? The man is delusional if he thinks that there are enemies at the gates looking to tear apart STARFLEET. If STARFLEET is being torn apart, the enemy is from within, starting with the top.
November 8th, 2008 at 3:44 am
And where did you get this post, Emmett. Last I knew, the AB list was a private e-mail list for the members of the AB, and approved observers. You are neither.
So, I guess that Sal is not allowed to speak freely with the members of the Board anymore, for fear that his words will show up here, and on other blogs, huh?
November 8th, 2008 at 4:47 am
So let me if I understand Mr. Hoover.
Mr. Lizard is not upset that his vileness is revealed because it shows him to be the hateful vindictive petty thug that he is. But he is upset because he got caught being a hateful vindictive petty thug.
He is afraid that the truth of what he says might get out to the public? Hmmmmm, say a lot.
We are now going to focus on witch hunts to find which member of the Board of Directors thought it more important to show that while Mr. Lizard couldn’t take the time to send a five line missive to fleet to know what was going on the previous week, he could write a hundred or so line tantrum to the Admiralty Board lambasting even the man he eventually asked to be Starfleet’s Vice Commander, Starfleet.
Witch Hunts….. Three Year long Investigations on members without ever informating them of the Investigation, Repeated Attempts to use Fabricated Charges to punish and or Expel Members.
Yes, this is What People are Looking for when the join a Star Trek Fan Club, and want to contribute.
Dan McGinnis is laughing his ass off Mr. Hoover, laughing it off indeed.
November 8th, 2008 at 4:58 am
I myself received copies of Sal’s rant from multiple people and have reposted it to FLEETWATCH for open discussion there.
November 8th, 2008 at 5:19 am
I wonder
When the time comes, will Jon Lane have the moral courage that Doug Glenn had?
I wonder indeed.
November 8th, 2008 at 5:24 am
One can only hope that one day the sleeper will awaken.
November 8th, 2008 at 7:05 am
Scott, I contemplated the possibility that Jon Lane would pull a Scott McClellan sometime within the next year. Then I realized that his overwhelming hubris would never let him admit that he was ever wrong.
It’s clear that, aside from what practical skills that Lane brings to the table, he was also brought on board to try to bring in (back?) people from beyond Sal’s “base”.
And so it’s the 1990’s redux, where I’ve lost (deliberately or otherwise) a lot of friendly acquaintances. But I can live with that. I’d be putting up with too many dealbreakers otherwise.
November 8th, 2008 at 9:35 am
So, I guess that Sal is not allowed to speak freely with the members of the Board anymore, for fear that his words will show up here, and on other blogs, huh?
I don’t think that anyone sitting as Commander, STARFLEET should malign hard-working and active members of the organization in any venue. If Sal fears that there’s a possibility that his vitriolic, divisive and untrue statements will be held against him, then I would suggest that he not make vitriolic, divisive and untrue statements.
November 8th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
wait, I’m sorry. I’m confused.
If Sal hates the membership so much that he’s spewing ‘vitriolic, divisive and flat out LIES’, why does he want the job so badly??
oh right. the POWER, the ability to strut around thinking he’s Lord On High of all Starfleet.
I flat out call BULLSHIT on his claim that he’s received more letters of support than complaints. Then again, he’s broken so many promises that I wouldn’t trust his statement that the world is round or that the sky is blue (generally speaking, local weather conditions need not apply :D)
ah, but if he only opens letters from his “pals”, then of course, he won’t see anything “negative”
must be nice living in Sal’s World. Oh wait, that’s SL, isn’t it?
November 8th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
While I agree Emmett should not have AB emails I must also agree Sal should not be saying anything anywhere that he does not have the guts to say publicly.
My point is:
Whether public or private, disrespect is disrespect and a man who claims Member’s Matter should not be disrespectful to any member.
November 8th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Ever hear of the United States–Vietnam Relations, 1945–1967: A Study Prepared by the Department of Defense aka Pentagon Papers?
November 11th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
I have, Scott, and I recall that there were those who called “treasonous” those who would publish such in the Fourth Estate.
November 11th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Nehemiah Scudder anyone?
November 11th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
I have to go back and reread “If This Goes On–” and other related stories in Heinlein’s Future History. I’ve long assumed that the stories were about self-important hypocrites who tried to impose on others a moral standard they couldn’t hold themselves and their cronies to, but I’m not certain.
So far I’m seeing the Lizardistas as winning. There’s no legal way to defeat them.