What are they hiding in the Stairs v. PSU case?
http://www.abc23.com/News/NewsDetails.asp?NewsID=18553
http://www.abc23.com/News/NewsDetails.asp?NewsID=18553
Just another example of the broken "transparency" promise by PSU
- Thread starter jhsmith409
- Start date
It is un-f^cking real.
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Remember the book/movie "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"?
Where the abused woman gets even with her abuser.....and tattoos his body with something like "I am a pig and a rapist" ....something like that.
Every GD member of these cabal of Scoundrels should have "I am hiding something" tattooed onto their freaking foreheads.
Years ago, I wrote to the BOT office....simply asking for a list of those "Agricultural Societies" that were vetted and cast votes in the Ag "Elections". Simple, right? Why in the world would that information NOT be publically available?.....it is CERTAINLY information which is REQUIRED to be documented. Not even asking for HOW they voted, or what the vote TOTALS were....nothing like that......just a roster of which so-called Ag Societies were actually authorized in the caucus.
After several attempts, the BOT Director finally responded with a "F You.....we don't need to tell anyone anything" response.
Had I known years ago what I have come to know over the past 4 years about the leadership and inner workings of this University, I would have walked away from Penn State then and never looked back. I realize some of this goes on at all major universities, but to me this is beyond the pale.
Food for thought, if this sort of "leadership" happens at Penn State, how many other similar entities are also headed by corruption and greed? In other words, is a large institution such as ours the perfect front for illegitimate, back-door deals?
I'm not trying to paint other universities negatively with a "what are they hiding?" or "I'll bet shit happens there too" argument. Just wondering out loud if our sort of dirty politics happen elsewhere because all the right ingredients exist for such?
I'm not trying to paint other universities negatively with a "what are they hiding?" or "I'll bet shit happens there too" argument. Just wondering out loud if our sort of dirty politics happen elsewhere because all the right ingredients exist for such?
I believe it goes on, to a greater or lesser degree, at all large institutions..... corporations, unions, government, universities. I think the conditions were more favorable here, and what's worse is, despite the exposure, it continues. At some places, when things come out, the winds of change blow in. Here, as more is exposed, it seems like our leadership becomes even more determined to hide the truth. It is appalling.
In that same vein, Pa is probably no more corrupt than most other states. Just hasn't been brought to light like it has in Pa.
I don't think it's a matter of hiding anything as much as it is maintaining the power structure within certain Ag societies that want to run things. Look at the how many of the trustees have ties with the Farm Bureau. Shaffer was a past president. Look who the board appoints as a trustee - Julia Potts. She's from the Farm Bureau.
Stairs was trying to oust Huber, I believe. She's with the Grange. Both organizations are statewide, and offer a pretty powerful voting bloc. There is probably one representative from each county.
If the university is stonewalling, then go to another outlet. Your local extension service or even Grange hall will probably give you better information. They're removed from the power structure by a couple of levels. Do you want to talk to someone in charge or someone who knows what's going on?
Stairs was trying to oust Huber, I believe. She's with the Grange. Both organizations are statewide, and offer a pretty powerful voting bloc. There is probably one representative from each county.
If the university is stonewalling, then go to another outlet. Your local extension service or even Grange hall will probably give you better information. They're removed from the power structure by a couple of levels. Do you want to talk to someone in charge or someone who knows what's going on?
The PSU BOT vets and selects those "Ag Societies" who are authorized to vote (at least the bylaws require them to).
NO ONE else has the ability to select the voting "Ag Societies", and unless PSU BOT makes that information public, NO ONE else has access to that information.
So.......where do you go??
TTBOMK....even sitting members of the BOT have asked for, and been denied access to, that information.
That is positively STUNNING!
Maybe this lawsuit, if it ever reaches any resolution, will shed some light on that one aspect.......but the bottom line - IMHO - is:
Unless and until there is MANDATED reform of the PSU BOT......most likely via the Yudichak proposal, which is currently being barricaded by special interests in the PA Senate (ie Corman and the PSU Scoundrels' Bag-Men, like Mike DiRaimo).....these Scoundrels will continue to give the big FU to anyone and everyone who has the audacity to expect accountability from the PSU Governance Board.
AMAZING!
Pennsylvania is usually one of the top ranked states for corruption. In 2014 Fortune had PA as 5th most corrupt. So we are definitely holding our own.
SB 800 is stuck in committee. The Chair of that committee is State Senator Folmer. To get it out of committee, call Senator Folmer 's office at (717) 787-5708 to demand a public hearing.
It is "stuck in committee".
The STATE GOVERNEMENT COMITTEE is the relevant group.
It is chaired by Mike Folmer (from down around Harrisburg)
and the vice-chair is (folks who have been following along will love this one):
Dominic Pillegi. Dominic, of course, is Mark Dambly's con-man buddy from down in Chester .....soon to be appointed to a "Judgeship" (I kid you not.......a guy with a "rap sheet" as long as your arm, in line for an appointment to the Bench)
Unless Folmer allows it to come up for a vote.....the things wilts and dies on the vine....EVEN THOUGH OVER 60% of the Senate members have already signed on as co-sponsors.
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What needs to happen, is 1 - the bill is allowed to come up for a vote out of committee, and 2 - the bill is allowed to come up for a vote on the Senate floor.
To come up for a vote on the Senate floor, Corman has to allow it.
Unbelievably (except that this is - indeed - Pennsylvania), no matter how much support a bill has, if the Majority Leader (Corman) simply does not bring the bill up for a vote....there is nothing that can be done to move the bill forward (this change to the "rules of the Senate" was established just a few years back).
Corman, as Senate majority leader (both Folmer and Pillegi are also "Republicans", since as the majority party they control the committee chair posts) has this bill in his hands.
Of course, we all know that Jake is PSU's white knight.....and he will expend all efforts to see that the bill is processed in the best interests of his "constituents".
Agree with all that. The BoT doubles down and triples down on all their questionable decisions. I originally thought it was because they were simply incompetent but have come to realize they really are trying to hide some shady back room deals regarding real estate transactions, construction contracts, etc. Some BoT members/families have likely made a small personal fortune off the back of the university. Others were cozy with TSM and don't want the extent of their involvement known even if said involvement had nothing to do with what Sandusky did. TSM was a political slush fund but no politician in the state has admitted to being involved.
I'll give the BoT and the politicians the benefit of the doubt and concede none of them knew the extent of what Sandusky was up to. (I won't give that same benefit to some at TSM.) The problem for them was Sandusky caused a light to be shone on how the university is run. Some BoT members were thrilled to have it labelled nationally as a "football problem" because it took the heat off them.
I'd love to hear PSU's rationale for why the voting must be kept secret. It's not like we're electing the freaking Pope here....why the need for such secrecy? Just like the freeh report, if everything was legit then open the damned books, documents, etc. and get these lawsuits over with. The only reason to hide something is if it wasn't legit.
And yet the media continues to slumber through all of these issues and not ask any tough questions of the PSU BOT cabal....smh.
And yet the media continues to slumber through all of these issues and not ask any tough questions of the PSU BOT cabal....smh.
Barry, thanks.It is "stuck in committee".
The STATE GOVERNEMENT COMITTEE is the relevant group.
It is chaired by Mike Folmer (from down around Harrisburg)
and the vice-chair is (folks who have been following along will love this one):
Dominic Pillegi. Dominic, of course, is Mark Dambly's con-man buddy from down in Chester .....soon to be appointed to a "Judgeship" (I kid you not.......a guy with a "rap sheet" as long as your arm, in line for an appointment to the Bench)
Unless Folmer allows it to come up for a vote.....the things wilts and dies on the vine....EVEN THOUGH OVER 60% of the Senate members have already signed on as co-sponsors.
______________________________________
What needs to happen, is 1 - the bill is allowed to come up for a vote out of committee, and 2 - the bill is allowed to come up for a vote on the Senate floor.
To come up for a vote on the Senate floor, Corman has to allow it.
Unbelievably (except that this is - indeed - Pennsylvania), no matter how much support a bill has, if the Majority Leader (Corman) simply does not bring the bill up for a vote....there is nothing that can be done to move the bill forward (this change to the "rules of the Senate" was established just a few years back).
Corman, as Senate majority leader (both Folmer and Pillegi are also "Republicans", since as the majority party they control the committee chair posts) has this bill in his hands.
Of course, we all know that Jake is PSU's white knight.....and he will expend all efforts to see that the bill is processed in the best interests of his "constituents".
Any ideas how we as PA citizens can help move this forward? Can anyone think of an organization large enough to apply the appropriate pressure to help move this forward that we could persuade?
Would it be worth getting Mike Stack involved? He is the Lt. Governor and the President of the State Senate.
When I called Sen. Yudichak's office on this issue, they clearly placed the blame for the delays on Sen. Folmer. So calling his office at (717) 787-5708 is one place to start as an individual. As far as more influential groups (as you suggest), that would be great but I don't know enough about PA politics to suggest what group that would be.
Perhaps an association of Penn State Alumni that was INDEPENDENT of the University and represented the wishes of its members would be influential enough to make that happen.
Those are some short questions, with very long and complex answers.
Off the top of my head:
For now, I can just say that the idea of a PAC - focused on supporting good governance at PSU - has been kicked around for a while.....but, as far as I know, has never really gotten off the ground. One solid Angel, with enough seed money to get things initiated, would probably be a big step in the right direction.
The $$$$ sufficient to at least make one state lawmaker take notice (I would suppose $1 million or less would be enough) could really get the ball rolling. If a "PSU PAC" could show that they could exert enough influence to effect the outcome of even one State Senate/House election.....it could get ALL OF THEM to take notice (above all else, all of these guys want to stay in power).
I've tried to kick up this idea from time to time.....but I certainly don't have the juice/influence/$$$ to get it up and running.
Other than that......I do think we have seen what an organized, committed group of Penn Staters can do......with regard to influencing statewide elections for AG and Governor.
IF the "people" can be properly motivated and organized, I think a lot could be accomplished.
The forces working AGAINST accountability and transparency at PSU are well-funded, well-established, and very motivated.....and, quite frankly, pretty damn sneaky and covert.
It is a lot to overcome.....but never underestimate the power of being the group on the righteous side of an issue.
Could it be a cabal within a cabal, or would that be a coterie within a cabal? Damn, I'm no good at keeping up with evil organizational theory. Is there a course on that somewhere?
You are most definitely trying to paint other universities in a negative light. All of your posts seem to be about deflection. Let's try to focus on Penn State and what we can do to be better instead of always worrying about OSU, Michigan, or Pitt...
Kenny, is that you? You sly dog!!!
Hot damn...heaven forbid I ask a rhetorical question. Considering how we're "buds" and all, let me ask you a similar question - who the hell voted you moderator? Unless you speak for Tom, let's NOT focus on what YOU tell us to, and instead respect each other's freedom of virtual speech on this board! See, that way we can just, ya know, decide for ourselves what might be on our minds, okay?
