WVU Board of Governors member Steve Farmer is Bob Huggins’ former roommate. He also represents Huggins, or at least has in the past. Does Farmer get a cut of Huggins’ new deal?
Sports agents usually take home somewhere between 4 and 10 percent of the deals they negotiate. Does the board have to approve Huggins’ big new contract?
In any event, Farmer’s role goes a long way toward explaining why the Huggins deal could be done so fast, with zero involvement by the athletic department — just in time to give Boss Garrison a boost. Who needs to go through the athletic director when the coach’s agent is on the Board of Governors? It sure as hell simplifies negotiations when the coach is one one side of the table and his lawyer is on the other.
Could this state get any more fucked up?
May 4, 2008 at 8:00 am
HK, I don’t want to take away from your advice to follow the money and relationships, because they are important. I hope that I will be indulged as I repeat my plea from yesterday to email members of the WVU Faculty Senate to urge them to vote for the motion that calls for Mike Garrison’s resignation. The names and email addresses of the Senators may be found at http://www.facultysenate.wvu.edu/07-08%20Senate.pdf
Will such a vote be enough to force his resignation? Probably not, but it will help accomplish that. And if the Senate only votes to censure, there is no chance of obtaining the needed resignation. That will be touted as evidence that faculty members do not believe this is bad enough that he needs to resign.
As I’ve read recent posts, I keep thinking of two things. The first is bread and circuses. The bread is the salary increases WVU employees will get. And don’t be fooled, it’s not a sudden influx of state dollars thanks to Mike Garrison’s leadership that makes those possible; it’s a 8% tuition increase and if the scandal affects enrollment, the planned increases may not occur. The circus is Bob Huggins’ $1.5M per year lifetime contract.
I also keep thinking of the song from the movie, “Best Little Whorehouse in Texas”. In the movie, Charles Durning as Governor sings a song about dancing a little sidestep to keep people distracted. We’ve got lots of sidesteps going on.
Please email Senators. Thanks.
May 4, 2008 at 8:39 am
Until very recently, more than a few WVU athletics insiders were touting Craig Walker as Ed Pastilong’s successor when the last-mentioned retires in 2010. They also were citing “insider word” from on high at WVU that Walker was under serious consideration for that plum job.
Around late January or maybe sometime in February, some wag said to some of those “insiders” that Walker likely would need the job in ‘010 and probably be out of prison by then, too.
May 4, 2008 at 8:53 am
When Huggy’s WVU team (like his Cincinnati teams) consists of nothing but thugs who never attend classes - in start contrast to our most recent b-ball players receiving academic honors - will anyone care?
The next couple of years will be interesting. Will Garrison and Walker even be around then?
May 4, 2008 at 9:05 am
Isn’t Huggins staying at the Waterfront until one or both of his houses sell?
May 4, 2008 at 9:33 am
Huggins is getting the long promise when he made the move. They moved it up a few notches to get in the sidesteep.
There is a Cult of Huggins. Numerous Charleston big wigs that kept up with Huggins, even when he was in Cincinnati. They fly their own jets to the away games, they sit behind the bench, they drink with him, they schmooze him. He reciprocates. Beilein NEVER did that. He reluctantly talked with donors. He reluctantly played in the Coachs Golf Tourneys. He was a gym rat. Michigan alums/donors won’t like him. (They are going to love Rich Rod. Now HE can schmooze)
Farmer is the Head of the Cult of Huggins. He should resign from the BOG just because of his reallyclose relationship with Huggins. He is conflicted sitting on the BoG and having the coach as a client. Maybe he should rep Stewart as well. (Oh, I don’t think Stewart has a cult…..yet….I hope he never does.) Maybe Farmer can represent ALL the coaches. That wouldn’t be a conflict, would it?
I still believe that the wider this scandal spreads, calls from around the Mountaineer Nation to associates in WV and in leadership, Heather’s continous lying and Oh, I THOUGHT I had my degree…why didn’t someone CALL me, and the non-stop bs from Garrison….
The damage is already done. When Garrison’s days are done, will he honestly be able to say he left WVU better than when he got there. I think NOT.
Thanks Heather.
Thanks Mike.
At least we never have to worry about you two running for office. Right?
May 4, 2008 at 9:39 am
DP letters to the editor: The classified staff one is hilarious. I wonder which doc who signed Bailes’ letter, is she the scretary for.
Classified staff member supports Garrison
Although I am not faculty, but instead classified staff in the School of Medicine at WVU, I would like to express my support of President Mike Garrison.
I continue to have extreme confidence in Garrison and his vision for and dedication to WVU. Garrison took office while a lot of controversial things were going on. He has had to take the brunt of the blame for a lot of things which transpired under the previous administration.
Those requesting a no-confidence vote are the same faculty that were opposed to Garrison being hired. I attended several of the forums during the search for a new president. The same faculty that opposed Garrison then are the ones opposing him now.
In my opinion, Garrison should have “cleaned house” when he took office. It is time to retire the “old blood” and get some new fresh ideas at WVU. Garrison is approachable to not only faculty and administrators of this university but also to the classified staff.
This is the first time I have experienced that in my 20-plus years of service. Garrison has done an excellent job and I’m sure he will continue to do so. Again, I want to express my formal support of President Garrison.
Pamela K. Eddy Mount Morris, Pa.
Another business school official needs to go
The scandal at WVU is actually the result of a long-standing problem at the institution. As a (former) professor in the business school for 19 years, I believe that the resignation of Provost Gerald Lang was long overdue and will hopefully result in a more ethical and forthright approach to academic issues at the university.
There is, however, another individual central to this case whose ethics, both present and past, have plagued the College of of Business and Economics for many years. That individual is Associate Dean Cyril Logar. He is taking his usual stance of finger pointing and blaming without taking any responsibility for his own actions.
I suggest the parents of current students ask themselves if they want someone involved in awarding a bogus degree and falsifying transcripts as part of a cover-up to be an example of ethical behavior for their kids, or worse, to be teaching those ethics in the classroom.
If Logar is not retired or, more appropriately, fired without right of appeal, the problems at the business school will likely continue to exist. It’s not his first involvement with ethical issues in the business school, and a zebra doesn’t change his stripes.
Terry Wilson St. Johnsville, N.Y.
Mylan’s Bresch should do the right thing, too
Heather Bresch has been named in a controversy at WVU in which many reputations have been sullied, including that of the university itself as well as a number of fine academics, leading to the resignation of some of these fine people. The controversy has also led to the cheapening of the degrees of those of us who earned our degrees.
To my mind, there is only one person at fault and that is Bresch. She knew whether or not she had earned the degree. It was and is her responsibility to own up to that responsibility. Instead she used her positions as a representative of Mylan, a big donor to the university; as the daughter of her father, the governor, and her mother, and as a longtime friend of President Mike Garrison for her own selfish ends. She diminished all of them: Mylan, Governor and Mrs. Manchin and Garrison, as well as the people she pressured into giving her the degree, who are now having to resign.
She lied when she said she thought she had earned the degree. Any student who is a student and not just a degree hunter knows whether or not he or she deserves the degree. Martha Stewart went to jail for lying. Bill Clinton was impeached for lying. Bresch, on the other hand, seems to be intact while her friends, family and a lot of good folks have had their reputations and, in some cases, careers ruined.
If Bresch had stolen a million dollars, she would have gone to jail, but she has stolen something much more valuable and only good people seem to be paying the price. I think that the very least that she can do is to apologize and accept the blame herself. There is something out of style these days, something priceless: integrity and honor. Our entire system of government and certainly the United States’ reputation around the world depends on those qualities.
Do the right thing. Apologize to Mylan, your family, community and those whose careers and reputations you have harmed, and you yourself should resign from your job.
What Bresch has done is certainly far worse than padding a resume — a fireable offense in many places and/or stealing money.
As a Mylan investor, it certainly makes me wonder about my decision to invest in the company. Mike Puskar should certainly look into this.
Patricia Wells Morgantown
Bresch affair about WVU, not about Mylan, Puskar
I am commenting on an earlier letter to the editor [DP-April 30] written by John Campbell concerning the recent MBA [Manchin-Bresch] scandal at WVU. Apparently Campbell doesn’t read the newspaper, since he has been retired from Mylan Pharmaceuticals.
I quote him in his letter: “While I do not know the true story of Bresch’s master’s degree …” What’s not to understand?
Campbell continues to rant and rave about how Mylan and [Mike Puskar] should escape the hatred and vitriol and move his company to India. This is coming from a man who was employed and retired from Mylan Pharmaceuticals for some 30-plus years.
This whole Bresch affair is about WVU and the incompetents they have in charge, nothing about Mylan Pharmaceuticals or Puskar. As far as Puskar is concerned, he has done more for this county, state and university than any one individual has ever done.
Joseph K. Steele Class of 1978 Louisville, Ky.
Garrison still teaching us about spin tactics
As a student in WVU President Mike Garrison’s West Virginia Government class last fall, we were told he would teach us “practical political lessons,” and indeed he did. One of my most easily remembered lessons was the role of the chief of staff.
During class, he and Alex Macia [WVU’s general counsel] lectured us on a variety of job requirements and included his ideas of where blame ultimately falls or is placed in political administrations. He used personal experience as former chief of staff to Gov. Bob Wise to conclude the “buck ultimately stopped at the chief of staff’s desk.”
Basically, I left understanding that as chief of staff, you were responsible for anything and everything the administration did, said or endorsed.
Today, I’m writing about this very lesson because as I watch the unfortunate [Bresch] scandal unfold, I have become deeply disappointed as I see Garrison’s ideas about real-world politics proven truer by the minute, unfortunately in an arena that should fall outside of politics: our university.
Prior to the release of the [Bresch] report, every time I saw Garrison dodge a question or frame an issue, I would remember when he assigned us to read James Carville’s “Buck Up, Suck Up, and Come Back When you Foul Up,” and I would wish I could redo the assignment in which we were assigned to identify Carville’s “spin tactics” in real life.
Mr. Garrison, you would have been an excellent example. Your administration, after all, “engaged in a constant and consistent practice of delay, evasion and concealment in violation of West Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act,” according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. If you’d like a more personal example, since you are apparently all about personal responsibility nowadays, take the YouTube video you’ll find if you google “WVU MBA,” in which you cavalierly dismiss the Bresch situation as if it would have no effect on WVU.
Following the report’s release, I was appreciative of resignations from [Provost] Gerald Lang and [business school dean] Steve Sears, but then when I discovered that only Garrison’s underlings would take the blame (a resignation and $40,000 pay cut in exchange for secrecy), while he was afforded plausible public deniability.
Then it hit me. Garrison was utilizing the political maneuvering he explained to our class just last semester: protect the executive. Whether or not he is guilty of the above is irrelevant, now. Also irrelevant is his ongoing support from the Board of Governors, Wise and Gov. Joe Manchin.
The support and confidence Garrison needs has been lost by his behavior prior to and following the release of the report. He showed what his preference would have been: to sweep a convenient decision under the carpet.
After all, his entire administration, including [communications director] Bill Case, is implicated for making false explanations prior to the panel’s report. For all these reasons, please resign.
Al Mitchem Morgantown
May 4, 2008 at 9:51 am
Be sure to check out the Sunday story in the PPG, which is an overview of the whole sordid affair. The tale is even more unbelievable when read as a whole. I’m from Pittsburgh and have no vested interest in WVU or the state of WV, but can’t stop reading whatever i can about this story. That’s how i managed to stumble upon this wonderful site. It has been invaluable to help me understand how the hell something like this could happen. absolutely mind-boggling. I truly hope some way can be found to get rid of these ass clowns ruining your school”s good name. best of luck.
May 4, 2008 at 9:53 am
What’s this with helping former roommates get plum jobs? Steve Farmer helps bring disgraced former roommate Bob Huggins to Morgantown. Booth Goodwin helps bring former roommate and boy chancellor Brian Noland to HEPC.
I didn’t know how important choosing a good college roommate was.
May 4, 2008 at 10:05 am
Has anyone ever revealed that shortly before Garrison had his on-campus interview last year, Steve Farmer, who was supposed to be impartially evaluating candidates for the WVU presidency at the time, took Garrison with him on a private plane to recruit Huggins to come to WVU? I’m sure Dr. Nellis wasn’t asked to go on that trip. LOL
May 4, 2008 at 10:40 am
There is another potential fallout to this controversy that people are not discussing. It’s not just the loss of prestige or donors that will hurt WVU. In this current academic climate, it is possible that many of the best faculty members will elect to leave and pursue opportunities at other universities. If you are a good faculty member, it’s a “seller’s market”. Talented faculty are in demand and command high salaries … and it takes a very long time to rebuild a strong faculty base. Make no mistake … the potential of losing talented faculty is real, and losing their research funding, their teaching skills, their talents in patient care and outreach to the community … is a very real threat to the school. In my mind, this is the main reason this issue has to be settled soon. If talented faculty leave, we could hit a tipping point and it will be difficult (and very expensive) to come back from that.
And frankly, Steve Goodwin’s obnoxious comments to the faculty in the DA last Friday did little to help this concern.
May 4, 2008 at 11:15 am
Thanks for sharing, Anonymous. This sure seems to be the place to connect the dots.
May 4, 2008 at 11:55 am
has anyone seen some of the recent postings on MG’s blog ? there are posting by a husband and wife both very supportive. One is a faculty member and the other was appointed by the Gov as Commissioner for senior services. Interesting.
May 4, 2008 at 11:55 am
The problem at WVU is that the better faculty leave and WVU is stuck with people that get by through kissing ass. As a former faculty member at WVU, I was amazed how scared of Lang everyone was. At my new institution, that would never happen. The Provost realizes that good faculty are expensive.
May 4, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Outside of the center-ring combatants, who are the biggest hoes & sluts in this whole squalid affair?
My vote may ultimately go to WV Metro”News” or the dumb, dumber, dumbest segment of the WVU athletic supporters sect.
Oh…forgot…they’re one and the same for all practical intents and purposes.
May 4, 2008 at 12:28 pm
I wonder what will happen at graduation. I wonder if anyone will refuse to accept their diploma from Garrison, and request someone else hand it to them. That would be priceless.
May 4, 2008 at 12:29 pm
FYI. Those who follow sports probably know all this.I googled the following link. Interesting comments: http://www.hoopwise.com/?p=240
“Bob Huggins — Dogged by criticism of his players’ poor graduation rates and off-court problems, the leader of the Bearcats recently considered trying to parole himself out of Cincy by taking the coaching job at his alma mater, West Virginia. After long consideration, he decided to remain at Cincinnati.
“In 2005, Huggins was arrested for DUI and suspended himself for two months. Later, the university stripped a rollover provision from Huggins’ contract after his conviction.”
May 4, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Anonymous…that would be the youtube/media soundbite/PR coup of all time in recent recorded state history…the coda/exclamation point/symbolic event that defines principled reaction to the whole sordid situation…forever.
So much better than a demonstration or march on Stewart Hall.
Brilliant idea!
May 4, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Anne, Sandy Vanin is a long-time and very close friend of Gayle Manchin. I hope this helps you connect another dot.
May 4, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Wait, let me get this straight? We have serious academic integrity reputation issues all the way into the President’s office and then the President is proud to sign a lifetime contract with a guy with a recent conviction for DUI?
I know five faculty interviewing, maybe six, one full chaired one.
May 4, 2008 at 12:59 pm
I think I know why Huggins hugged Garrison: While WVU cannot fix the Huggins DUI problem, it can fix the problem of Huggins’ players’ poor graduation rates. Just provide fake degrees to athletes who didn’t earned them; the WVU administration obviously has the know-how.
May 4, 2008 at 1:19 pm
is this of interest to anyone?
http://www.wvethicscommission.org/employer%202606.pdf
May 4, 2008 at 1:49 pm
One big thing jumps out as I peruse the list. Who lobbied for Bray Cary (West Virginia Media Holdings)? Mike Garrison!!!
Keep that in mind as you watch the Decisionmakers interview and commentary; it explains a lot.
Shouldn’t Bray Cary have disclosed this fact at the beginning of the interview?
May 4, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Two of the principles of Platinum Properties, a firm Garrison lobbied for, are Parry Petroplus (BOG) and Mylan Puskar.
May 4, 2008 at 2:01 pm
One big thing jumps out as I peruse the list. Who lobbied for Bray Cary (West Virginia Media Holdings)? Mike Garrison!!!
Keep that in mind as you watch the Decisionmakers interview and commentary; it explains a lot.
Shouldn’t Bray Cary have disclosed this fact at the beginning of the interview?
Yes, anywhere! But…no…not here
:)
Does the answer sound like anyone from “Alice in Wonderland?”
May 4, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Has anyone else noticed how many hospitals Garrison has lobbied for? It is interesting considering everything going on at the WVU hospital.
May 4, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Google Five Development Group LLC
May 4, 2008 at 2:21 pm
http://www.wvsos.com/wvcorporations/OfficerInfo.asp
May 4, 2008 at 3:01 pm
And as I said in another post, the WVU Foundation is a major investor in WV Media Holdings.
May 4, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Mike Garrison lobbied for Bray Cary, West Virginia Media Holdings?
“Shouldn’t Bray Cary have disclosed this fact at the beginning of the interview?”
You’d think so, eh?
May 4, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Hey Bingmanch:
Mylan CEO Coury says the BOD and management of Mylan stand behind Ms. Bresch and consider the matter closed…..huh?
May 4, 2008 at 3:20 pm
http://www.mgnchamber.org/membership/details.php?id=367
Lobbyist for 705 Five Development Group, associated with the area around the farms? Dot connectors?
May 4, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Garrison’s lobbying clients include the Biafora’s in Morgantown….you know, the developers that bought the WVU property on Rte 705 for such a rate (wink) and who is handling the leasing for the Biafora’s? Petroplus !! And the 705 Five had the audacity to seek TIF status just like…oh wait, Platinum Properties (Petroplus,Puskar and Lorenze)
Quick search of the Ethics Commission filing shows Macia/Garrison had a nice little gig going….tag teaming several clients.
Other observations of the Ethics Commission link:
- Looks like Susman and Garrison were more than just friends, sharing several clients;
- Mikey worked as lobbyist for RMS Startegies….Ally Goodwin Greeg worked there then;
- WVU Research Corp! OMG!! RED FLAG ALERT!!
- Glenmark Corp, Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce WV United Health System…it is just plain ugly!!
Last quick thought, and this is regarding the whole TIF program sheparded by WV Devolpment Office under Wise/Satterfield/WV Chamber, et al……wasn’t it adminstered at oone [oint by Elliot Perry? Is that the same Elliot Perry who is Leah (Perry) Macia’s brother?
May 4, 2008 at 4:20 pm
These people are a disease.
May 4, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Could “just wondering” post a link to the list of “employers represented by lobbyists” from 2007?
It be curious to know if Mike was still working for Mylan then.
May 4, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Time’s 100 Most Influential Leaders…..Jerry Lang is not among it….
May 4, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Also MG was a lobbyist for Centra Bank. Bailes and Puskar are on their Board of Directors.
May 4, 2008 at 4:48 pm
It is absolutely incestuous….Rotruck and Garrison represented several Morgantown interests….and wasn’t Rotruck in charge of some sort of Economic Development Unit at WVU under Hardesty?
May 4, 2008 at 5:00 pm
By now, everyone knows Garrison’s “bad blood”. But, the problem here is getting him drained from stewart hall - do you really believe that those who could have him step down will follow through? I don’t. I don’t believe they have the tenacity. I do believe there will be a vote of no confidence. And then time will go by, and so will this vote, and it’s business as usual. It will more likely than not be business as usual at any rate.
May 4, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Let’s look at the facts of this case, again. Not only has this decision to falsify grades and unjustly grant a degree been both ethicially, professionally, and morally wrong, but it has also, one would think, been against federal laws??? If not, then hypothetically speaking, it would be accepted and permitted and blessed off on if anyone falsifies say an insurance card, to make it current you see, afterall, the check’s in the mail. Also, another scenario, perhaps it’s ok to steal if you’re a good mother or father, and if you happen to have political ties, you’re really in the clear!
May 4, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Steve Goodwin is registered as a lobbyist in for Wesbanco in 2008.
May 4, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Yes, student@5:21…thought that was interesting as well: Goodwin and Ware as lobbyist for WesBanco
May 4, 2008 at 6:11 pm
This whole thread should be emailed the PG writers.
May 4, 2008 at 6:22 pm
This is a bit off the beaten path but if what Hopi said in his commentary is true that the Huggins deal was between Garrison and Huggins and bypassed Pastilong what happens to the Rich Rod case? I think it bolsters Coach Rod’s contention that him and Garrison had a deal. It sounds completely plausible now and a precendence has been set.
May 4, 2008 at 6:29 pm
Deal, schmeal. It still has to be in writing.
May 4, 2008 at 7:08 pm
to LaReina - I agree, this whole thread and others should be emailed to the PG writers, and others.
May 4, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Above it is noted that Garrison lobbied for the Biaforas. (Is there a link to back this up? Or ) I attended two of the well-publicized Morgantown Board of Zoning Appeals meetings when Biaforas Metro Properties was seeking 12 (!) variances to the zoning code to build three apartment buildings on 119 just past the intersection with Charles. (These people had already pulled the stunt of annexing the whole property except the corner and then erecting a billboard in this tiny strip of county property surrounded by city. One of the variances moved the building back to give the sign room, though of course they didn’t state it that way.) Anyway, since WVU owned adjoining property on two or three sides, they were informed of the meeting and submitted a (I recall, but didn’t read it myself) three page statement requesting that the BZA deny the variances. However, when the actual meeting occurred (February 7, 2008 after a delay due to a resignation), the memo was mentioned, and then the city planning director announced that it had been “withdrawn” by WVU without comment. This seems to be a clear, recent example of WVU overriding some lower-level person employee who was looking out for WVU’s best interests. I’ll see if I can get a copy of the memo or learn more about it.
May 4, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Ok, is someone going to email this to the PPG? I think that’s a great idea!
May 4, 2008 at 7:49 pm
WVU Employee Says:
May 4, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Also MG was a lobbyist for Centra Bank. Bailes and Puskar are on their Board of Directors.
…. and D’Alessandri is a non-executive board member
May 4, 2008 at 7:51 pm
The PPG reporters read this blog. But if I were Len and Patricia, I’d be completely overwhelmed.
I would not have any idea which lead to begin tracking down first? The Nixonian missing phone records? The pressure-filled (palpable?) Faculty Senate vote? The bogus Health Sciences Center overhaul? The backdoor WVNET property transfer? The insider construction deals? The insider property deals (Waterfront Place)? Garrison’s lobbying interests (including Media Holdings)? The “family tree” of supporter distractions (from Bailes to the Vanins to Huggy Bear)? A special plane ride for Garrison before his selection as president?
It cannot be said often enough. Len and Patricia are extraordinary reporters who have done an extraordinary job. Those of us who care about West Virginia will forever be in their debt. It would be wonderful if Len and Patricia one day were recognized with the distinguished West Virginian awards that Mike Garrison gave to Steve Goodwin. I could think of no two more deserving people. And maybe they could rescind Steve Goodwin’s award at the same time?
Keep up the good work. Every morning is Christmas for those of us who have been trying to expose this kind of corruption for years.
May 4, 2008 at 7:59 pm
Does anyone know what’s going on in the Department of Pediatrics?
May 4, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Hippie Killer Says:
May 4, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Could “just wondering” post a link to the list of “employers represented by lobbyists” from 2007?
Is anyone else having trouble opening this link? I posted it, but it no longer seems to work?!
Unfortuantely, HK, I can’t seem to locate any additional information from this site, which I found with a simple search–nothing more.
May 4, 2008 at 9:38 pm
A few more sites of interest…
End of the lobbyist train-ride for Garrison, 2007:
http://www.fretna.org/wvu/garrison_2007.pdf
Connecting the dots…
http://www.fretna.org/wvu/5423garrison-chart.pdf
2005-2006 activities:
http://www.fretna.org/wvu/garrison_0506.pdf
Seems that folks outside of WV are doing their homework…
May 4, 2008 at 9:52 pm
JustWondering, the link didn’t work for me.
Anon, you’re so right about the great service the PPG reporters are doing for WV residents in bringing this to light. I wonder if they knew they were opening Pandora’s Box?
As one of the many little Davids who fought Goliath and lost, I’d like to echo your sentiment, “Every morning is Christmas for those of us who have been trying to expose this kind of corruption for years.”
May 4, 2008 at 9:54 pm
Go to this article and you will find find links to Mike Garrison’s lobbying registrations and much more of interest.
http://www.fretna.org/wvu/wvu.php
May 4, 2008 at 10:02 pm
http://www.fretna.org/wvu/wvu.php
This article has links to Garrison’s lobbyist registrations for several years as well as other goodies, including his calendar from July 2007 to Jan 2008. This guy has connected the dots also.
May 4, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Check this page for links to Garrison’s lobbying registrations for the past several years as well as other interesting things.
http://www.fretna.org/wvu/wvu.php
May 4, 2008 at 10:37 pm
bingmatch, Pamela Eddy from Mount Morris PA is a secretary at Student Health Ms. Eddy works for Dr. John Vanin. Sandra Vanin works for Mojo.
May 4, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Let’s give Pamela Eddy an “atta boy” button - three cheers for you - what a woman!
May 4, 2008 at 11:14 pm
well, what’s the general consensus out there - what do you believe will be the outcome of tomorrow’s meeting?
May 5, 2008 at 1:28 am
What’s going on? Has anyone else attempted to email the members of the Faculty Senate as Lou suggested? I used the addresses from the link provided–the reps names with a period between first and last @mail.wvu.edu
and every single one was returned as undeliverable. Could WVU be somehow blocking mail? In some cases, the response was that the person didn’t exist at that address, though I know some personally and am certain that they exist.
May 5, 2008 at 5:42 am
I e-mailed the Faculty Senator who represents my college. He sent back thanks.
May 5, 2008 at 10:28 am
Gary Abernathy writes:
The new “lifetime contract” announced late Friday for West Virginia University head basketball coach Bob Huggins couldn’t have represented a more blatant political tactic than if Huggins had been wearing a big button saying, “Saving Garrison’s Job.”
Hoppy Kercheval wrote that the event caught the athletic department off guard. Hoppy added, “Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s great that Huggins has been locked down long term. But it is obvious that the deal was put together and the announcement orchestrated to help WVU President Mike Garrison.”
And on his blog, WSAZ-TV news director Scott Saxton said, “From what I’ve gathered WVU was looking for some good pub to end the week. Go out on a high note. That’s the only reason I can see why the school hastily gathered a media conference for 4pm Friday to announce that basketball coach Bob Huggins signed an 11 year contract.”
In some ways, it’s an odd announcement to come just before the WVU Faculty Senate decides whether to cast a “no confidence” vote on Garrision Monday. After all, how many faculty members will share in the joy of the announcement that one fellow faculty member will be making more than a million bucks a year, while they fight for an extra hundred dollars here and there.
At the press conference, Huggins naturally showed Garrison the love. Who wouldn’t after being handed such a gift?
Still, it will be interesting to see what happens Monday. The first time the Faculty Senate weighed in on Garrison just about one year ago, it voted 47-5 against Garrison and in favor of Kansas State Provost Duane Nellis becoming president of WVU.
But chances are, the pro-Garrison spin machine isn’t finished yet. Here are some more “good news” stories we can expect out of the blue (and gold) from WVU in the coming days:
* Jerry West is coming out of retirement and will suit up for WVU’s first home game.
* Season ticket prices for the upcoming football season will be cut in half.
* Free ice cream after every victory by any WVU team in any sport.
* MBA degrees just for the asking. (Oops, they beat me to it.)
As Saxton pointed out, 4 p.m. on Friday is when you typically announce bad news, not good news, so even in trying to provide Garrison with some positive press, WVU managed to bury it at the same time.
May 5, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Can someone help me understand *why* an “until retirement” contract for Huggins helps Garrison?
I’ve only been here a few years, and have yet to get my head around certain unquestioned truisms here that would represent a red flag elsewhere, like… an “until death do us part” contract.
May 5, 2008 at 1:47 pm
historically the community has been very VERY involved in WVU’s athletics. Many look to it to define the identity of the area. After feeling betrayed by Belien’s resignation, they are overjoyed at Huggins and his team’s performance this year. Ergo, he is held in very high esteem, ostensibly. It’s sort of like a “celebrity” endorsement. I think.
May 8, 2008 at 8:52 am
Athletic Director (at least nominally) Ed Pastilong deposition in Rodriguez case released:
http://www.wvmetronews.com/index.cfm?func=displayfullstory&storyid=24684