keep pushing/corruption

Date: May 21, 2004

keep pushing/corruption

Date: May 21, 2004

and while I'm at it--and sorry if I'm repeating a known fact--has anyone else heard Jill Beineke (Pileum) connected with WorldCom? Is she in fact under indictment in that situation, or somehow implicated in it?

NO QUARTER.
Anne Wallace

Date: May 21, 2004

Good points.

It's easy for an outsider like me to offer advice, but this is what I am doing. (Be warned, this involves partisan politics, so if you consider that to be "divisive" stop reading now.)

<BACKGROUND>
Roy Klumb is a politician. He is the worst sort, too -- the kind that isn't brave enough to stand for election but rather purchases authority through political contributions. More specifically, Roy Klumb is a declared Republican, appointed by Kirk Fordice. Klumb loves to parrot the old "run government like a business" clichés that Fordice loved so much. Klumb considers himself to be a "good Republican" & certainly his IHL appointment reflects that he contributed early & often to his party.
</BACKGROUND>

<STRATEGY>

MARGINALIZE KLUMB WITH HIS OWN POLITICAL PARTY. Engage Republicans, rank-and-file party members & elected officials alike, with a simple question: Is Roy Klumb a loose cannon, or does he represent an unstated plank in the party platform? If you happen to be a "good Republican" yourself, this can be even more effective. Hit those elected officials all the way to the county & local level. Make Republicans (or your fellow Republicans) aware that Klumb is doing VERY STUPID THINGS™ regarding the future of higher education in Mississippi. Remind "good Republicans" that Klumb either represents the position of the party or he is a liability to the party.
MARGINALIZE KLUMB WITH OTHER IHL BOARD MEMBERS Either face-to-face or by mail, ask IHL members whether Roy Klumb's plan for progressive demolition of the University of Southern Mississippi represents some unwritten board policy or if Klumb is a loose cannon. Remind them that, as board president, Klumb either represents the position of the board or he is a liability to the board. Remind them that when Roy Klumb runs his mouth, he is speaking for each member of the board by virtue of his office this year.

Date: May 21, 2004

Excellent, Invictus. He's certainly marginalized with this Republican. This is exactly why I started the football thread. I would like to know how his actions are playing out in Starkville.

Date: May 21, 2004

Invictus,

I think your suggested strategy is very good and not divisive at all. No intelligent Republican would want to be represented by Roy Klumb. I urge all Republicans on the board to contact local and state party officials and urge them to dissociate themselves from Klumb. I have posted, on some other threads, the email addresses of legislators and local officials, many of whom are Republicans. Klumb is an embarrassment to any group with which he is affiliated.

Date: May 21, 2004

For you guys looking to audit something, the things he had his "employees/students" in the lab do for him would certainly be questionable. For instance, one employee was asked to drive Shelby's truck to CO and meet Shelby and his son at the Denver airport for them to go on a hunting trip. While Shelby was hunting the employee would remain at a hotel in Denver and drive the truck back. All while being paid by the (USM) State (the employee refused to do this because it crossed the line). University equipment and employees were routinely used for his personal projects during regular ours such as recoating his four wheeler racks, family photos, etc. Look guys, Shelby feels entitled and he acted accordingly. For heavens sake, he had some one meet him every morning at the Poly Sci build to park his car.

There is also another thing that has always bothered me. How did Shelby's shortcourses work? I mean, he holds them at USM and presumably everything that is used is USM equipment. I am not saying this is illegite, but what's the arrangement.

I guess my point is that I am sure Shelby has a history of misuse of USM's property beyond that of his present position, and any audit, if done correctly should start with how Thames' Research Group is or has been run. I am not sure what federal/state grants allow one to do with the money, but this doesn't seem right. if you guys are serious, go for the jugular.

Date: May 21, 2004

I have just posted, on a new thread, the names and addresses of state Republican leaders. We may want to send them copies of the article featuring Bobby Chain's comments about SFT.

Date: May 21, 2004

Has anyone sent Bobby Chain's comments about the Trent Lott Center fundraising roadblocks to Trent Lott?

Date: May 21, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Nashvillians Against Thames
"Has anyone sent Bobby Chain's comments about the Trent Lott Center fundraising roadblocks to Trent Lott? "

Yes.

Date: May 21, 2004

To my earlier answer, I should have added: "But the more letters he receives, the more likely he is to take them seriously."

Date: May 21, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Concerned Alumnus
"For you guys looking to audit something, the things he had his "employees/students" in the lab do for him would certainly be questionable. For instance, one employee was asked to drive Shelby's truck to CO and meet Shelby and his son at the Denver airport for them to go on a hunting trip. While Shelby was hunting the employee would remain at a hotel in Denver and drive the truck back. All while being paid by the (USM) State (the employee refused to do this because it crossed the line)."

It would be interesting to know if in this instance Thames filed a Travel Voucher to recoup the mileage for the use of a personal vehicle. According to the University's travel website, the mileage to Denver (one way) is 1275 miles. At the current reimbursement rate of 37.5 cents per mile, the reimbursement would be $956.25.

Date: May 21, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Invictus
"MARGINALIZE KLUMB WITH HIS OWN POLITICAL PARTY. Engage Republicans, rank-and-file party members & elected officials alike, with a simple question: Is Roy Klumb a loose cannon, or does he represent an unstated plank in the party platform? If you happen to be a "good Republican" yourself, this can be even more effective. Hit those elected officials all the way to the county & local level. Make Republicans (or your fellow Republicans) aware that Klumb is doing VERY STUPID THINGS™ regarding the future of higher education in Mississippi. Remind "good Republicans" that Klumb either represents the position of the party or he is a liability to the party."

I believe Bobby Chain is a "good Republican." He will do his part to spread the word.

Date: May 21, 2004

Shelby always flies first class. A former secretary got chewed out big time when she was only ably to get him on business class for a trip at the last minute. She never made that mistake again!

She also left the university shortly afterwards.

Does Shelby pay the difference between coach and first class? What do you think.

Date: May 21, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Googler
"It would be interesting to know if in this instance Thames filed a Travel Voucher to recoup the mileage for the use of a personal vehicle. According to the University's travel website, the mileage to Denver (one way) is 1275 miles. At the current reimbursement rate of 37.5 cents per mile, the reimbursement would be $956.25. "

I should add this is the state reimbursement policy. I don't know if grants are subject to the same policy.

Date: May 21, 2004

Usually corruption issues come into play after the Board (Over Sight Authority) has lost confidence in the person. Since the corruption being discussed implicates, by association, the Board Office and the Board in addition to others who aided and abetted the activities, it is used as a lever to get the person to go quietly and the corruption is covered up. Given the signals being sent, I agree that this is the time to push the issue.

Another issue that should be pursued is the obvious inequity issue between how USM is being handled and how Ole Miss and Mississippi State would be handled in similar circumstances. Fortunately, Klumb has made that comparison easier with his clumsy attempt to get the athletic director at Mississippi State fired. Responsible boards of higher education do not micro manage universities, particularly at the level of athletic director. They do have the responsibility to insure that university presidents are not destroying the university. If the leadership style of SFT is what is needed in the State Universities, then the presidents at Ole Miss and Mississippi State are, by implication, doing a bad job. Either SFT should be removed, or other presidents should be put on notice that they should change and be more like SFT.

Date: May 22, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Cossack
"Either SFT should be removed, or other presidents should be put on notice that they should change and be more like SFT.
"

Or more likely, the board has a radically different long-range vision for USM compared with what it obviously views as the bona fide universities. SFT is doing exactly what he was hired to do -- lower USM's status relative to MSU & Ole Myth. IHL does not now nor has it ever viewed USM as a "real" university. Don't kid yourself.

Date: May 22, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Cossack
"If the leadership style of SFT is what is needed in the State Universities, then the presidents at Ole Miss and Mississippi State are, by implication, doing a bad job. Either SFT should be removed, or other presidents should be put on notice that they should change and be more like SFT. "

Cossack,

I agree with Invictus that the Board has totally different plans in mind for USM than it does for Ole Miss and Miss State.

But there is no harm in making the point you are making in public statements. It's a great way to keep pressure on the Board. The Board is unlikely to be successful in demolishing USM unless it can keep its goals secret. If Roy Klumb were to come out in public to the effect that USM was not a real university and Thames was put in to make sure it can't compete with real universities, Klumb and his allies on the Board would lose a significant chunk of their political support.

Robert Campbell

Date: May 22, 2004

http://chronicle.com/temp/email.php?id=xyehp2dsnceo88s2spiwpgvenh6nr3u9

Did anyone see the latest issue of the Chronicle? Tennessee State president gets the ax and for what? Football tickets?

Date: May 22, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Amy Young
"http://chronicle.com/temp/email.php?id=xyehp2dsnceo88s2spiwpgvenh6nr3u9 Did anyone see the latest issue of the Chronicle? Tennessee State president gets the ax and for what? Football tickets? "

I already posted about this yesterday. It was about more than football tickets, but that was the breaking point (and he accepted them from ARAMARK, no less! Isn't that the company that SFT is bringing into USM??). The larger issue for this president was MONEY (shoddy financial accounting)! This is where SFT will go down, too, if only someone can find the *real* smoking gun.

Follow the money, guys!

Date: May 24, 2004

Follow the money.

No Quarter