Sweeping Funds under the Rug?

The second of September marked a surprising addition to a rather uninspiring repertoire of start-of-term publications by the Daily Illini. The article focuses on a small section of a large FOIA documents surrounding the role of the skunk, BJ White, with regards to funds spent to renovate and furnish the University of ILL’s presidential house.

Given the copious amounts of clout, scandal, Worsty Awards, spending, etc. at UI, it is only natural that the general public, students, and concerned alumni would question the necessity of such expenses and (especially if BJ White is involved) any ethics issues related. Based upon the story, there seems little, if anything, objectionable or illegal; certainly nothing to compare to the clout scandal.

Enter the Serial Obfuscator: Tom Hardy.

The electronic equivalent of barking and frothing at the mouth, Tom Hardy posted a rabid harangue on the comment board shortly after 1p.m. the same day, turning it into a mad house, because his bosses reputations may well be in the dog house, all over the costs of the penthouse, while it was the White house, who belongs in the Big House.

Accusing the DI of exploiting a “Gotcha” moment, and launching into several name-calling tirades such as “amateurish” “half-baked” and in violation of fair, objective journalism the post is rather extraordinary since there was little to castigate in the DI’s originally article. Nowhere in that article appears any conclusion or insinuation of wrongdoing warranting the accusation of a “Gotcha” moment that Hardy insulates in his Palpatinian out lashing. Indeed, the DI reported the renovations, attached the price to the rug, and includes the relevant documents. In the second and third paragraphs, the DI identifies the go-between, and the source of the funding. Nowhere in either does the publication insinuate or identify any improprieties-a hallmark nonetheless characteristic of the White regime.

The second to last paragraph merely is a statement of record, concerning White’s fate regarding the admission scandal. Nothing contained therein reported is false-White did resign. He was replaced by Ikenberry and ultimately succeeded by appointment of Michael Hogan. Or would Hardy dare to challenge these facts? Hmmm?

Finally a promise to follow up on the story. If, if we can bear to take Hardy’s word, there are 1200 more pages worth, this hardly seems unrealistic. Needless to say, hardly anything worthy of the boorishly delivered monikers of “half-baked” or unprincipled.

Hardy’s tirade, in which he attempts to take the moral high ground with claims about “friendly’ facts and a lack of secrets, becomes even more incredible when one bears in mind that, in addition to being called out by the IPA for "thumbing its collective nose" at the FOIA request regarding the cost of presidential searches, he and the university currently face a push for a state ruling by the News-Gazette for failing to adhere to the recommendations of the IL Public Access Counselor. Nor shall we forget that this man previously (in an equally brazenly hypocritical, snide, albeit less hot-headed manner) chastised the DI’s editorial picture for calling into question BJ White’s actions during the admission scandal. The context was the revelation that White (which he testified to) used his position on behalf of a member of his own family, which Hardy bizarrely omitted, in his letter to the DI, ever happened. Hardy's description of White handing himself over to "private" life also causes some scratches to the head (for us behind the ears), given that White is now a golden-parachute faculty member, teaching of all things ethics(!). Given Hardy’s brazen need to completely whitewash White of anything, no one would be surprised if tomorrow Hardy started to insist White’s urine was, in fact, wine (if only “half-baked.”)

Perhaps this was a non-story, and we shall wait to see if it was. But Hardy’s expose of bureaucratic indignation over some fiscal transparency and accountability has replaced it. Regardless of the journalistic merit of White’s unsurprising largess (a topic that has been, and will likely continue to be analyzed, but as Tolkien would say, does not enter into this tail). Tom Hardy IS now the story. We know the DI well. We are forced to read it everyday (this Hound in particular!) This can be a chore. As anyone who reads us knows we have been adamant since the start of the fall term concerning the DI’s failure to update or retract a false rape allegation that it has previously reported. And we know full well, ’amateurish” ’half-baked’ and in violation of “every principle of fair, objective expository journalism “ are accurate, well labeled appellations of the Daily Illini’s journalist apparatus on most days.

But not today. And we challenge Hardy to show specifically where it is otherwise.

Posted by Hound No. 9

***Update 9-2-2010 5:31 P.M.***

The Daily Illini has posted an update regarding the rationale for the publication of this story. Though not by name, it is certainly a rebuke of Hardy's accusations. The Daily Illini's explanation echoes No. 9's post and our own defense of the publication.

Posted by Alpha Hound

The incoming leader of the University of ILL, Michael Hogan has handily set himself in to the system and repertoire of the institution. Only a month into his tenure, he has managed to lead the institution into a discrimination case for one of his adjunct professors, and he has raised eyebrows about the cost of his services in a time where the state faces record budget deficits, a clear result of fiscal mismanagement, overspending, and conspicuous consumption concerning higher and primary education. An unquestionable benefit resulting from the whole situation is the ever-more stringent scrutiny over university finances, and its disposal of taxpayer monies from the ever-constant shakedowns political allies in the state government undertake on its behalf. Several local news outlets including the News-Gazette and the TASSers at the DI have filed FOIA regarding the costs and identities the U of ILL’s presidential search. While the amount spent on the searches is a story in of itself, there is another result which is even more telling...

Described in a News-Gazette, the U’s reaction is, at least, doubtlessly consistent. All the pertinent names of the candidates and institutions had been blacked out. And airports they may have flown from. And travel agencies. And other expenses

This, in spite of Public Access Counselor Cara Smith's maxim, " the disclosure of this information [said expenses], in and of itself, does not constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy."

So the university, like so many other institutions, sees fit to rationalize and hide behind FIOA privacy clauses, as well as the misapplied FERPA exemption, in order to protect its own inconvenient truths.

Despite all of Hardy' claims about how we need to protect the privacy of candidates fielded for the leadership positions, he never answers the most fundamental question that arises: why do we need to protect the identities and privacy of the applicants? Should not the shareholders of the university, as the IPA's Craven asserts, be privy to exactly what type of candidates are fielded, especially in a plus-$300k deal? Considering the growling and hissing about how Professor Howell was employed through the Newman Center, why should not the rest of the professtocracy and administrators be held to the same amount of transparency? Hardy obviously subscribes to a much different type of transparency: the B.J. White kind. If, as said, that sunlight is the best disinfectant, the U of ILL could quite easily rival the the brilliance of say, Minakami Village.


Hardy may speak more accurately than he realizes when he challenges the view of the Illinois Press Association counsel, that the U of ILL thumbed it’s nose at the public. A more accurate assessment would be to say it lifted its leg on the public.

Posted by Hound No. 6

Rather disappointing that the ordinarily well-informed News-Gazette would not make any allusions to DeBrock, Ikenberry, or Ghosh and the EMBA scholarship muzzle job. It is ever more pathetic when one sees that the News-Gazette published an 0p-ed only two days before rightfully criticizing White on his lack of transparency with university audits and FIOA requests.

As usual, White's servile flatterers at the DI simply roll over and play dead on the subject printing only a few complaints by Robin Kaler, a finer TASSer specimen one could hardly find.

Note: As was posted by we the Hounds earlier this week, the DI has conveniently made it impossible to view the story at the link above due to its change in format for its online site.

Posted by Hound No. 9