In the coming months, I expect to be writing in more detail about the topic of the need for reform within government-run higher education. A group I would like to now briefly introduce to you is the Arizona-based League for Innovation. I expect to be writing more about the League for Innovation, commonly referred to as “the League,” a group that will likely be new to many readers.
From 2005 to 2009, I served as an elected Trustee of Johnson County Community College, a League “board member college.” I saw a tremendous amount of incompetence and corruption during my tenure. The theme of the current administration of President Terry Calaway can be described with the phrase, “The cover-up is worse than the crime,” with specific regard to Calaway’s violation of the Kansas Open Meetings Act (KOMA). KOMA violations by local governments are common enough where I’ll compare one to a 100-mph speeding ticket: it’s not good for a government official to get caught with one, but it’s by no means the “end of the world” when it occurs. But when caught, Calaway and the two elected board officials reacted as if it were Watergate.
In recent weeks, the following groups have joined my battle against the unrepentant, illegal behavior by JCCC’s Terry Calaway: the Kansas Press Association, the Kansas Association of Broadcasters, The Kansas City Star editorial board, the Kansas Sunshine Coalition for Open Government, and the editorial board for ABC affiliate KMBC channel 9. If you’re interested in reading more about this successful months-long fight for open government in Kansas, I’ll direct you to my Web site.
Calaway currently wastes taxpayer money giving a no-bid legal contract to Mark Ferguson, a partner in the law firm of Kansas Democratic Party Chairman Larry Gates. In what is perhaps the most ridiculous act I’ve ever witnessed, Calaway directed Ferguson in April 2009 to send me a “cease and desist” letter, threatening legal action if I would continue to talk about Calaway’s corruption; I called their bluff. My favorite story about attorney Mark Ferguson is this one — Ferguson once told a reporter for JCCC’s Campus Ledger (paraphrase): I won’t grant an open records request because I know you’re going to report about the information.
The League for Innovation is relevant to you because it plays a leadership role among America’s community colleges and because it receives millions of your tax dollars every year. In particular, the League is relevant to you if your state or local tax dollars go directly to one of the 19 community colleges, whose CEOs each serve as one of 19 directors of the board for the private entity that is the League for Innovation.
After the fold, I will list the 19 board member colleges and CEOs, and that will conclude this article. For now, I’ll point readers to the League’s Web site.
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Benjamin Hodge publishes the Web site KansasProgress.com, based in Johnson County, KS, in the Greater Kansas City area. Hodge is a delegate to the Kansas GOP, a former state representative, and a former trustee at Johnson County Community College. You can join Hodge’s efforts on Facebook, through his personal Web site, on Twitter, and through his PAC.
November 24th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
It’s headquartered in Phoenix, and Maricopa Community Colleges are on the board, so I’ll guess that MCC plays a pretty big role (as they would anyway — with about 130,000 students, they’re pretty big in the world of community colleges).
That doesn’t bode well, since MCC has a pretty shady history of mismanagement itself. Two of the presidents were forced out a few years back (2006?) in a scandal over foreign junketing, and the problems continue today.
November 24th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Bob,
Yes, I had become familiarized one other time with Rufus during the attempt to fire Professor Walter Kehowski. Links:
1. http://www.thefire.org/article/8074.html
2. http://thefire.org/index.php/article/8021.html
November 24th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
“Too bad the only people who know how to run the country are busy driving cabs and cutting hair.”
- George Burns
November 25th, 2009 at 9:23 am
““Too bad the only people who know how to run the country are busy driving cabs and cutting hair.””
Haha we once had a hair cutter on our city council.