Progress Or Politics

Progress Or Politics

By Ron Allen

 

 

The USPA annual spring meeting in Florida is about to get underway and many observers are wondering if they plan to continue to play politics or will they step up and fix what has been broken for several years. Many of these people are well intended but get blindsided by a handful of self-appointed ‘power brokers’ who have had their way for too long. Transparency needs to become a priority. The PDI Director is gone and it’s a big secret. That’s not how real corporations behave. Especially since they are a $19 million dollar a year 501 C6 – Not For Profit.

 

We have questions: Why do they mistakenly believe it’s constitutionally legal to threaten members with expulsion for speaking out? They intentionally removed member contact information from the Blue Book. Is Rule 4-10, C for privacy or political purposes?

 

Where’s the fiscal responsibility? The $4 million dollar a year PDI budget includes Team USPA, which was originally supposed to be Americas six best young players. It has skyrocketed to 50 players and 25% of them don’t even a horse.

 

No media savvy: The Polo Network has 8 employees with an annual budget of $600,000. They only have a few hundred watching. Plus the additional cost of one game a year on national TV that is not exposing the sport to a new audience. What happened to the ‘major motion picture’ that was supposed to be released five months ago?

 

5 of the 6 teams in the Open this year will be playing in the WPL next year. The biggest patrons in American high goal just abandoned the USPA. ‘Money Ball’ will not get them back. The meetings need to end with real accomplishments. Is that possible with 32 employees, 29 members of the Board of Governors and over 100 volunteers?

 

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