Video of all speakers (approx. 20 minutes):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhW6J9O5xSQ&feature=player_detailpage&list=PL6ehXt-qkfJinlXYj2AWglMGIusdJmXvS
____________________________________________
Full text of my comment:
"Senator Yudichak is in the process of developing legislative action to reform the Penn State Board. According to his memorandum, Yudichak seeks to create an "accountable" governance board.
When we use the word "accountable", it implies an accountability by someone - to someone .in this case, accountability on the part of the Penn State Trustees to the Stakeholders of the University.
Any properly functioning governance board derives its authority from its accountability to - and its authorization from - the stakeholders.
His actions are prompted by the fact that - here at Penn State - we have a group of trustees that are entirely and utterly UNACCOUNTABLE ..Even if the overwhelming majority of the stakeholders find them to be UN-trustworthy ..WE - who NEVER elected them - have no recourse to remove them.
How important is accountability? And do we have such Untrustworthy trustees currently entrenched at Penn State?
Perhaps we could consider a situation where a given Trustee:
Working professionally in the real estate and construction business - had defaulted on his debt ..leading to the bankruptcy of that business?
Would this ALONE cause us to question that individuals qualifications? Maybe not.
But what if that individual - and his businesses - had been found guilty in dozens of civil actions .and ordered to make settlements of hundreds of thousands of dollars to various plaintiffs?
What if - along with a business associate - the individual was a co-defendant in a Federal Antitrust Suit stemming from his business practices ..and if, on top of that, the associate had since been convicted of fraud for submitting fake invoices in a plot to steal from a condominium construction project in Philadelphia?
And what if ..that now-defunct company, that had been convicted of fraud for submitting fake invoices . had also previously received contracts from Penn State for construction projects?
Is THAT someone that the stakeholders of Penn State might NOT want to have representing them on the Board?.............IF on the Board might the stakeholders be EXTREMELY concerned if THAT individual was involved in the allocation of HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of dollars of PENN STATE'S construction funds?
One might think so .and yet, Mark Dambly - THAT individual, who also is well documented as suffering from "Incarceration Amnesia" (not being able to recall his prior criminal conviction) - [/I]sits, not only on the Penn State BOARD, but as the Chairperson of the Committee on Finance and Capital Planning. AND THERE IS NOT A DAMN THING WE - AS STAKEHOLDERS - CAN DO ABOUT IT ..
Because Dambly "serves" as a Governor Appointee.
(Even though he was actually put forward for his position on the Board by another former co-defendant .disgraced former Senate leader Dominic Pileggi)
Hopefully Gov Wolf is LISTENING and will soon determine whether or not he wishes to allow THIS trustee to continue to serve under HIS name. This is Governor Wolf's first PSU BOT meeting as Governor. I assume Mr Hanger is here with us today. If Gov. Wolf was not previously aware of the nature of the folks "serving" under his banner .he is now.
Sadly, this is but one of MANY similar narratives that could be discussed regarding our UNACCOUNTABLE trustees.
In fairness to Dambly, we should discuss ALL of the Un-trustworthy trustees ..but time restraints prohibit a comprehensive discussion.
By now, we should all know that the genesis of so many of the issues we face lies with this unaccountable Board. And now .we need to decide ..
It is appropriate that we are gathered here today at Hershey Medical Center - the location where the efforts of hundreds, if not thousands, of Penn Staters are dedicated to the eradication of pediatric cancers because here, in this room, lies the cancer that afflicts Penn State. These unaccountable, unelected, self-serving trustees.
From time to time the names and faces may change ..we say goodbye to Surma ..and Peetz ..and Frazier:
And in their place we "welcome" Dandrea ..and Rucci ..and Lubert - welcome back, Ira. And, in the end, we are in the same place. The disease is systemic, and unless and until the system is purged there is no cure.
Penn Staters need to work with as much diligence, as much energy, as much passion to eradicate THIS cancer ..as those kids up in University Park put forward every year at THON.
As Penn Staters, we need to decide ..Are we going to be PACIFIED by such things as chanting "409" at our football tailgates? Pacified like You hoped we would be.
Or are we smarter than that
Now is the time for all true Penn Staters to DEMAND accountability
To DEMAND reform of OUR Board of Trustees. .
To DEMAND that OUR Alma Mater be RELEASED from the clutches of these unauthorized pirates.
This University .our University which has given SO MUCH to all of us .
Now is in HER greatest hour of need.
Do we stand up for Her .or ..do we join the LONG list of those who have failed her? Many of whom are in this room.
Let us not fail her.
Let us prove to EVERYONE.. especially the folks up the road in Harrisburg that WE ARE .. NOT pacified not until we have a Board of Trustees that is ACCOUNTABLE to the stakeholders of the University A board that is engaged and that will honor their FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY - and NOT "serve" only their own self interests.
It is up to us. Unless we change the way this Board is composed ..we will all have failed.
The cancer that afflicts Penn State is here in this room."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhW6J9O5xSQ&feature=player_detailpage&list=PL6ehXt-qkfJinlXYj2AWglMGIusdJmXvS
____________________________________________
Full text of my comment:
"Senator Yudichak is in the process of developing legislative action to reform the Penn State Board. According to his memorandum, Yudichak seeks to create an "accountable" governance board.
When we use the word "accountable", it implies an accountability by someone - to someone .in this case, accountability on the part of the Penn State Trustees to the Stakeholders of the University.
Any properly functioning governance board derives its authority from its accountability to - and its authorization from - the stakeholders.
His actions are prompted by the fact that - here at Penn State - we have a group of trustees that are entirely and utterly UNACCOUNTABLE ..Even if the overwhelming majority of the stakeholders find them to be UN-trustworthy ..WE - who NEVER elected them - have no recourse to remove them.
How important is accountability? And do we have such Untrustworthy trustees currently entrenched at Penn State?
Perhaps we could consider a situation where a given Trustee:
Working professionally in the real estate and construction business - had defaulted on his debt ..leading to the bankruptcy of that business?
Would this ALONE cause us to question that individuals qualifications? Maybe not.
But what if that individual - and his businesses - had been found guilty in dozens of civil actions .and ordered to make settlements of hundreds of thousands of dollars to various plaintiffs?
What if - along with a business associate - the individual was a co-defendant in a Federal Antitrust Suit stemming from his business practices ..and if, on top of that, the associate had since been convicted of fraud for submitting fake invoices in a plot to steal from a condominium construction project in Philadelphia?
And what if ..that now-defunct company, that had been convicted of fraud for submitting fake invoices . had also previously received contracts from Penn State for construction projects?
Is THAT someone that the stakeholders of Penn State might NOT want to have representing them on the Board?.............IF on the Board might the stakeholders be EXTREMELY concerned if THAT individual was involved in the allocation of HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of dollars of PENN STATE'S construction funds?
One might think so .and yet, Mark Dambly - THAT individual, who also is well documented as suffering from "Incarceration Amnesia" (not being able to recall his prior criminal conviction) - [/I]sits, not only on the Penn State BOARD, but as the Chairperson of the Committee on Finance and Capital Planning. AND THERE IS NOT A DAMN THING WE - AS STAKEHOLDERS - CAN DO ABOUT IT ..
Because Dambly "serves" as a Governor Appointee.
(Even though he was actually put forward for his position on the Board by another former co-defendant .disgraced former Senate leader Dominic Pileggi)
Hopefully Gov Wolf is LISTENING and will soon determine whether or not he wishes to allow THIS trustee to continue to serve under HIS name. This is Governor Wolf's first PSU BOT meeting as Governor. I assume Mr Hanger is here with us today. If Gov. Wolf was not previously aware of the nature of the folks "serving" under his banner .he is now.
Sadly, this is but one of MANY similar narratives that could be discussed regarding our UNACCOUNTABLE trustees.
In fairness to Dambly, we should discuss ALL of the Un-trustworthy trustees ..but time restraints prohibit a comprehensive discussion.
By now, we should all know that the genesis of so many of the issues we face lies with this unaccountable Board. And now .we need to decide ..
It is appropriate that we are gathered here today at Hershey Medical Center - the location where the efforts of hundreds, if not thousands, of Penn Staters are dedicated to the eradication of pediatric cancers because here, in this room, lies the cancer that afflicts Penn State. These unaccountable, unelected, self-serving trustees.
From time to time the names and faces may change ..we say goodbye to Surma ..and Peetz ..and Frazier:
And in their place we "welcome" Dandrea ..and Rucci ..and Lubert - welcome back, Ira. And, in the end, we are in the same place. The disease is systemic, and unless and until the system is purged there is no cure.
Penn Staters need to work with as much diligence, as much energy, as much passion to eradicate THIS cancer ..as those kids up in University Park put forward every year at THON.
As Penn Staters, we need to decide ..Are we going to be PACIFIED by such things as chanting "409" at our football tailgates? Pacified like You hoped we would be.
Or are we smarter than that
Now is the time for all true Penn Staters to DEMAND accountability
To DEMAND reform of OUR Board of Trustees. .
To DEMAND that OUR Alma Mater be RELEASED from the clutches of these unauthorized pirates.
This University .our University which has given SO MUCH to all of us .
Now is in HER greatest hour of need.
Do we stand up for Her .or ..do we join the LONG list of those who have failed her? Many of whom are in this room.
Let us not fail her.
Let us prove to EVERYONE.. especially the folks up the road in Harrisburg that WE ARE .. NOT pacified not until we have a Board of Trustees that is ACCOUNTABLE to the stakeholders of the University A board that is engaged and that will honor their FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY - and NOT "serve" only their own self interests.
It is up to us. Unless we change the way this Board is composed ..we will all have failed.
The cancer that afflicts Penn State is here in this room."
