Policy Update (cont.)

Addendum:

Although difficult with the breaking news of the Admissions Scandal, this week is also a scheduled update week for the Dogs of Blog. We apologize in advance for any disruption and peripheral effects this may have.

Posted by Alpha Hound

Policy Update

Because of the scope of the bull from the UI as of late, we Hounds are on the hunt. One could even calls us snoopy. However, as much as they can be lauded, this work is too great for No. 9 and No. 3, who have had to divide their time from their concurrent charges.

Therefore, we have let loose Hound No. 6, who will handle the primary posts concerning the scandal.

Posted by Alpha Hound

A Klass Act

Professor Gary Klass over at ISU in a letter to the editor at the DI wrote quite aptly that "White gives inadequate explanation of admissions scandal"

As we mentioned in our previous post immediately after the scandal was broken at UIUC, White's own testimony follows on the ludicrous premise that because the unethical behavior is minor, it is irrelevant.

Klass' last paragraph, an excerpt:

"...if the category I acceptance rate were 61%, White would claim that 13 students were actually denied admission to the university by virtue of their political connections."

And his conclusion:

"One can only wonder how White himself was ever admitted to a university."

We assume the Professor was "wondering" rhetorically. If he is not (or for the benefit of those who may not see clearly), then the answer to the wonderment was his previous sentence.

Professor Klass, you are one classy guy.

Posted by Hound No. 9

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

Don't forget, part of the reason we have this worm in office is because of Dick the Dick Durbin...


Posted by Hound No. 3

Roland along down the gutter

Just when it seemed that things could not become even more pitiful in IL, after the revelations of conceiving pay-for-play deals between Burris and Blago in Judge-ordered tapes, Burris believes that his withholding of the conversation was justifiable!

Burris rationalizes his ridiculous assertion in this manner:

You're being asked questions and one thing you don't do is to try to
volunteer information that wasn't asked. There was no obligation
there."

Really. How pragmatic of him, not to mention thoughtful for him to be so concerned about insulting Robert Blagojevich rather than insulting the IL population. If Burris is, as he says, "as straightforward and honest as I can be," then we truly grieve for all the good people (and Hounds of course) in our backyard.

Posted by Alpha Hound

Teacher caught parking in Park Ridge

Another teacher-on-student legal action in the works in suburban IL. According to the Chicago Sun-Times

Jennifer Espinosa, 38, of Park Ridge, was charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse as a result of an eight-month relationship with a former
student, according to a Cook County Sheriff’s office release.

The police found the car parked with the pungency of pot coming from the car. Epinosa apparently felt that after the boy was expelled, her sexual abuse of him did somehow not qualify as statutory rape, and that she was legally exempt.

Questions that need to be asked:

1. Who at the school was aware of the relationship?

2. What is/are the Union(s) that Espinosa belongs to?

3. What amount has said Union(s) provided to her legal fees?

All these are important to consider. Thinking back to earlier this year, where Gene Amberg and Janice Bradley were found guilty of witholding mandatory reporting under state law suspected sexual abuse by teachers, it is of vital importance to grill school officials and faculty concerning any suspicions they might have had. Considering as well unions rules for tenured members, we need to ask how much of their money is moving in the case. The NEA's website, for example, gives guidelines for teachers on how to undermine the credibility of children and avoid prosecution, making it look more like an on-line banner for NAMBLA, rather than an "education resource" as they ludicrously claim.

Posted by Hound No. 4