Veteran's Day

It is veterans day today where we honor those who take of the uniform of defenders of our freedom. Today, that comes from an unlikely source-the Daily Illini with no less than three articles espousing the importance of our service men and women.

In one such article is the revelation of the U of ILL's hostility to making veterans collegiate experience an adequate one. No news here, as the UI has a long history of laying veterans on the sidelines. Yet, if the TASSers in the DI had done their job properly in the past, the University of ILL's poor standings in the Best for Vets list would come as no revelation.

No doubt the sycophantic praise of veterans and pro-veteran policies-both of which the DI has abhorred since 2001, is the result of verbal, and (if its copious advertising for the Global Campus fiasco is of any indication) a very likely monetary directive.

Yet the DI all but ignored the revelations back in 2007 when the University of ILL conspired to revoke and remove its promised MBA scholarships to veterans in the College of Business. Championed by Rob Van der Hooning with support of Pat Quinn and Rahm Emanuel, the scholarship program was removed by administrator's including BJ White, Herman, Ghosh, DeBrock, and Ikenberry (David). White later used his position and via then-Chancellor Sylvia Manning to weed out Van der Hooning. When he objected to the railroading of the veterans who were promised, not to mention the unethical actions by we have all come to expect now by the clout-filled crowd, he was illegally fired.

We could go on, but for a much better summary, read it at Marathon Pundit.

Ghosh's rationale that there were "too many jar heads" and his attempt to run them out of the program by bumping up deadline dates without informing the applicants, besides being underhanded, strikes us as pandering as well. After seeing the racist and hate-filled harangues concerning veterans coming from the likes of employees such 9/11 "Truther" David Green (who now has sunk to a new low accusing veterans of enlisting just because "they think it's cool to blow people away) , or even DI employees such as Chelsea Fiddyment or Amy Allen, we are left with no doubt exactly who the administrators concerned are pandering to.

More telling is the status of those involved: the ethically-challenged BJ White is now continuing to extort the taxpayers behind a near-invincible fortress of tenure. Ghosh is imperator now of economic development, not to mention clout appointments of state senators' spouses. DeBrock now is dean of the College of Business, and one of the clout masters.

Meanwhile the DI only printed a few words from Van der Hooning, and an entire accusation from Robin Kaler. The TASSers at the DI spout their false praise for the day, knee deep in their own complicity.

Posted by Hound No. 9

Herman too

Herman's long-overdue resignation came this week, marking the fall (or pithy demotion, as it were) of another conspirator of the admission scandal.

Naturally Herman blames all but himself, and his toads in the faculty and money brokers are quick to remind us of his "accomplishments' as chancellor and provost. Such as providing incentives to low-income student applicants. Of course, Herman has done nothing to make college more affordable to anyone, much less the less-fortunate. Indeed for someone who get paid almost a half-million dollar income a year plus severance and compensation, yet constantly screams on the hardships facing higher-ed, we have to wonder what exactly the kind of help he has brought. Considering that tuition is now roughly 6.5% in advance, what possible justification could Herman's devoted sycophants have to tout his contribution to improving the lives of any member of the university other than his own cabal?

Ironic that according to University press release, Herman will join the College of Education. There he will join another disgraced criminal administrator-turned teacher, Gene Amberg. Not to mention the rest of the golden-parachute faculty including:

Avijit Ghosh
Heidi Hurd
Larry DeBrock
B.J. White

Posted by Hound No. 6

After delay and much skepticism, the UI Faculty-Student (in that order) Senate voted 98-55 (almost a 2-1) margin on a resolution to remove White and Herman from the University.

White's defense was that he was only responsible because he was the superior administrator. Never once did White make any mention that he had testified at the Mikva inquiries that he was using his position to admit extended family members.

Though non-binding, this vote surely will put significant pressure on the new Board of Trustees.

However, this resolution leaves some noticeable gaps, especially the involvement of people such as Ghosh, DeBrock, Hurd, Hardy, and Kaler.

Posted by Hound No. 9

Future of UI, Black?

Is the future of the University of Illinois black? Perhaps there will be a Black in its future, as state representative Bill Black has requested to be named as a Board of Trustee member since the fallout of the Admissions scandal.

We believe that Bill Black has been a well-established voice of the community in downstate ILL and believe as a result he will be an excellent voice on the board. Given too, his proximity to his constituency (and hence, the university) we would support him.

Black has previously said that "When I think they [the University administration] are wrong, I'm going to say so."

We hope so.

And yet, we have trepidations, since we feel Black will not send those responsible with their tails between their legs. His "no preconceived notions" of the culpability of White, Herman, etc. and his necessitating of examination in "and orderly fashion and with due process" worries us. The latter, no. The former yes.

It surpasses the bounds of belief that Black can have no preconceived notions of White nor Herman's unethical behavior. If the results of the Mikva report are not sufficient in its own right, then what? Perhaps White's admission of pushing for family member entrance via his official position (an obvious violation of UI ethics policy)? Or perhaps Herman's grudging acquiescence that Hurd's "facetious" nonsensical ramblings were indeed genuine ("Sometimes a plow is a plow," as Mikva himself observed)?

Black is up to the task of leading the university no question, but that cannot be seriously undertaken until the obstacles that prevent that are removed. Right now that is White, Herman, Hurd, Ghosh, DeBrock, Hardy, Kaler, et al. Unless the darkness that engulfs the Unversity now is disinfected with transparency and new light, there is no sense in adding more Black.

Posted by Hound No. 6

Update

The News Gazette now has the story with a link to the findings of the comission report.


As the story implies, blame goes around to several administrators including Herman (obviously), White (even more obvious), DeBrock (who we warned you all about several weeks ago), and Hurd (who's behavior has become even more guilt-ridden and erratic)

There will be a look at each player in the future now that the report is out.

Posted by Hound No. 6

Tribune Calls out Corruption at UofI Top

Originally, this space was to occupy some commentary on the poultry amount of level-headed leadership by the turkeys over at Liberty University. However, breaking (and breathtaking) news has erupted in our own back yard.

Just when all of us here in ILLinois thought that nothing could top the Blago-Burris scandal...

Brought to our attention by No. 9 and No. 3, the Chicago Tribune has broken the story that White, the BOT, Herman, and others have been less-than-honest (surprise) about selective admissions to the UI.

The Tribune story which was picked up, naturally, by the News-Gazette and reluctantly by the DI, says that relatives of Blago men, including a relative of Tony Rezko were admitted on White's recommendation. For a look the juicy emails, go here.

But the corruption does not end with the skunk White. Trustee Frances Carroll, who has previously used her position in attempts to violate freedom of speech as well as Cullerton who replaced (better yet, succeeded) the position and corrupt Chicago strong-arm of Emil Jones.

White has fired back with his own pithy statement on his supposed support of merit based admission. This statement is absurd and typical white wash:

"First and most important, all admissions to the University of Illinois should be based on merit. There will be many inquiries and expressions of support and interest for applicants, including from powerful people, but it is our job to manage a merit-based system and not
succumb to pressure."

Merit-based system? We shall give you all a friendly nip if you are not sure that this is reality. This is the same man who scoffed at and showed that he openly despised the democratic process and the people's right to vote in the state of Michigan after the ruling of unconstitutional admission practices at UM.

But let us pass upon the debatable and dubious usefulness of racial preference in admissions, as it is second in importance to White's statement. The important point is thatthe mere fact that he fanatically supports such preferences makes his claim to admit solely upon merit is an affront to the truth.

"Second, it is the case that we track inquiries and expressions of interest in particular applicants...this was the case at the University of Michigan, where I spent 25 years, and at Georgetown University, where I serve on the the board of directors."

Like some sort of naive junior high punk, White seems to think that to engage in illicit practices is cool and okay because everyone else is doing it. White cites in his defense both the before mentioned UM and Georgetown. What do these have in common with White? He just told us-himself. Apparently, White's argument is that any place that he breaks the law previously, it is justified somewhere else because he himself thinks it is.

"Third, the Tribune makes not assertion that unqualified individuals were admitted to the University."

We cannot respond to this. The only possible way that White can remotely attempt to make the assertion that the Tribune did NOT make the assertion, was to have either not read or ignored the story.

If we have a problem with inappropriate pressures for admission...numbers from the Tribune article suggest it is a small one which does not corrupt the admissions system..."

Outrageous. White (and Herman and Hardy as noted in the main articles in the Tribune, N-G, and DI) now having been finally caught in the scandal, rationalizes that little corruption is okay because it is little. Would any student, parent, alum, for example, expect the University to overlook any bill, donation, loan dollar that is not nailed down if it were a small amount compared to the larger? No, it is absurd to even ponder. Corruption and crime is corruption and crime. Even if White only illegally let one person into the university, the fact that it is one out of twenty-thousand makes it no less a crime.

Readers should not be surprised (and based upon the DI article, they are not) that White should have Chicago corruption on his breath. As Trustee Schmidt (the ONE trustee who was voted democratically and has a legitimate claim to the BOT) says that "some must go down" White has certainly gone down on the laps (perhaps that is what the BJ stands for?) of Chicago patrons before to get what he wants. One most prominent example was to reward Jones, Blago, and others for the nifonging of the Chief by pay-for-playing them with tickets for 2007's post-season Rose Bowl tournament.

It comes as no surprise that everyone from lawmakers to students, to parents, to taxpayers of ILL are outraged.

White has continued to (now exposed quite literally) buy loyalty of BOT and others with misguided and deceitful assurances about his Global Campus failure, and of course let us never forget White's dedication to students and admissions when he helped Ghosh, Ikenberry, and DeBrock ruin the prospects of military applicants for the MBA program and ruined Van Der Hooning's reputation in the process. What goes around comes around, White. As we have also previously reported, the entire University has been mum on its continued employments of guilty accessories to child abuse and statutory rapes by clinical faculty, Gene Amberg.

As Hardy says, this is an easily manageable and correctable problem. We saw it with the ex-governor.

IT IS TIME TO WHITE-OUT WHITE. AND HERMAN. AND CARROLL. AND HARDY. AND EPPLEY. AND KALER. AND SHAH.

NOW.

Posted by Alpha Hound

The DI tells Global Campus to DIE?

Nothing could have prepared us for last week's editorial in the DI. Amidst the usual nonsensical, hate-filled screed of Paul Cruise, the DI launched a blistering critique of the Global Campus 2.0 (at least the zero seems appropriate). After taking a moment to purvey some of the statements of this article, it becomes twice as incredulous that the DI wrote this. For example:

"...the program has fallen flat on its face."

"Even President White said, 'What we ought to do is reset the approach we were taking and learn from the last couple of years what has worked. And let’s go with what has worked and eliminate what hasn’t.'
'Go with what has worked and eliminate what hasn’t'? What hasn’t worked has been the entire program. It’s time to face the truth"

"And what we pick and what we choose should be for the best of our University as a whole, and that
would not be Global Campus."

The DI, as we have posted previously, had been ardent shills of the skunk White and his machinations for quite a while. Indeed, the DI had advertising links to the office of GC until their new format. Also, White's less-than-honest manner in the killing of Chief Illiniwek gained him unconditional TASSer loyalty from the DI.

For other reasons as well, this long-overdue development is not nearly enough to reverse the DI sycophants' standings as TASSers. The revelation about DeBrock came several weeks too late after the News Gazette's, and naturally makes no mention of his shady past. It does mention Ghosh in the past tense, but nothing surrounding his quest to take care of the "too many jar heads" nor his suspicious departure.

Posted by Hound No. 9

Another Crock with DeBrock

The News-Gazette breaks the most alarming news that one of B.J. White's most prominent toads has been elevated to Dean of the College of Business. This is Larry DeBrock.

DeBrock gained less than adequate scrutiny back in 2007, when he, in concert with a cabal of other members of White's praetorian guard conspired to destroy Rob Van Der Hooning.

In brief, Van Der Hooning had blown the whistle on the College of Business for its administrators' attempts to renege on promised Veteran's Scholarships for the college's MBA program. Van Der Hooning has filed suit against the University of Illinois for wrongfully terminating him after he revealed DeBrock, Avijit Ghosh, and David Ikenberry had forced him to cut back on the awards because there were "too many jar heads" in the program. The Court of Claims in Illinois denied the UI's motion to dismiss and five of six claims can go forward. For a better run down of the scandal, readers should seek here.

In a further taciturn admission of guilt, the White administrations put Ghosh on leave without pay, ostensibly to let him seek positions elsewhere. Perhaps White was whitewashing himself?

So in the N-G article, where does the joyous chorals of praise and laud come that gives the (scant) credence for DeBrock's promotion?

From DeBrock's co-conspirator Ikenberry himself.

Ikenberry ludicrously states at the end, "I can't think of a constituenty on the losing end of this appointment."

We can.

Posted by Alpha Hound