Boston U., Clintonian Dan Goldin's $1.8 million severance, and governmental apathy. [My title]

Boston Globe ^ | October 16th, 2003 | Marcella Bombardieri

[Analyzing Inconsistencies]

"[On the eve of what would have been the presidential inauguration holiday for Bill Clinton's NASA Administrator Dan Goldin, Boston U. remains without a president and Goldin has received a $1.8 million dollar severance package without working a single day.] [In protest] a group of professors has launched a website called "BUWatch" to pressure the administration for reform. [B.U. graduate Peter] Bernard founded an alternative alumni association. And one informal group of alumni is even mulling a class-action suit against the trustees for devaluing their degrees. "If this is not the time to stand up, when is?" asked Neidle, a professor of French and linguistics....Now, [Professor James Iffland's] group is calling on [Massachusetts] Attorney General Tom Reilly's office to investigate the board of trustees and the financial transactions between BU and companies or charities with which trustees are involved. Their criticisms are also being echoed in the student press. Karlo Silbiger, a fourth-year student, wrote an opinion piece in the student newspaper, the Daily Free Press, calling on the entire board of trustees to resign, and for officials [including the aerospace lobbyist Gerald Cassidy who led the charge for Dan Goldin's hasty hire] to detail Goldin's [$1.8 million] settlement."

[Analyzing Inconsistencies]

Here's Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reilly's website:

http://www.ago.state.ma.us

He continued to stand up to Microsoft even as other states settled. Will he stand up to the monopolistic aerospace cabal, specifically one of its most prominent [and certainly self-dealing] lobbyists (Gerald Cassidy)?

[Analyzing Inconsistencies]

The article mentions numerous organizations and officials. Their websites [and related ones] are as follows:

*Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reilly's website: http://www.ago.state.ma.us

*BUWatch: http://www.bufuture.net

*Daily Free Press (B.U. student newspaper): http://www.dailyfreepress.com

*Professor Iffland: http://lang.bu.edu/people/iffland

*NASAWatch.INFO: http://www.NASAWatch.INFO

*Space Shuttle monopoly preserver, aerospace lobbyist and B.U. board member Gerald Cassidy's lucrative aerospace practice:

http://www.cassidy.com/expertise/main.asp?Id=1

[Analyzing Inconsistencies]

Will the Boston University board of trustee, aerospace lobbyist and Shuttle monopoly preservationi$t Gerald Cassidy get away with enriching Bill Clinton's NASA Administrator Dan Goldin with a $1.8 million dollar payoff at Boston University's expense? Why did Cassidy work so hard to secure the job offer for Goldin in the first place? To keep Goldin quiet about Shuttle-related improprieties while investigations were still underway and Cassidy's clients' nest eggs were potentially in jeopardy? Or to show others in power how loyal Cassidy is even AFTER they've lost favor with big corporations and their political sycophants, and can no longer enrich him? According to this Cassidy.com page: http://www.cassidy.com/expertise/main.asp?Id=1 "Cassidy & Associates professionals have a long history and depth of experience in aerospace issues, affording our clients significant advantages in this very competitive industry. The firm represents some of the largest aerospace companies in the world. We offer these clients insight into the decision-making process of the country's technical and defense agencies at the highest levels and access to the key decision-makers on Capitol Hill. For example, Cassidy & Associates has been involved in a nationwide campaign to begin the process of upgrading the US space shuttle. This large and complex effort pulls in professionals from all parts of the firm and is led by the former head of Legislative Affairs at NASA, now a Cassidy Senior Vice President. We also work on issues ranging from research dollars within NASA to the development of new remote sensing programs. Our ability to successfully work both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue and within the federal agencies has proven to be of material benefit to our clients." Massachusetts attorney general Tom Reilly still has nothing to say?

[Analyzing Inconsistencies]

Will Clinton's NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and Boston University board member / aerospace lobbyist Gerald Cassidy get to continue to laugh their way to the bank at tuition-payers' and taxpayers' expense? Or will Massachusetts attorney general Tom Reilly take action?

[RJCogburn]

laugh their way to the bank at tuition-payers' and taxpayers' expense?

With a kid at BU I'm a tuition payer. BU has declared a school holiday (no classes) tomorrow to do what....? Welcome the new interim president? "Heal" perhaps?

Still a pretty good school despite all this crap, but I'd like to see some justice done.

[Analyzing Inconsistencies]

What do you think of the possibility of a class action lawsuit related to the board's devaluing Boston University degrees? I see that even before the Dan Goldin gift, our country's 4th largest private university was only ranked #64:

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/natudoc/tier1/t1natudoc_brief.php

Can rankings go anywhere but down anytime soon?

[Analyzing Inconsistencies]

How'd you like the Globe's article? Do you think the Massachusetts attorney general's office will finally start taking some action? And against whom?

[RJCogburn]

Though I am more than a bit upset over this, I'm not a lawsuit fan. Would not mind an investigation though.

BU hasn't been the same since they dropped football!

The school has come a long way in the last 40 years or so.

[Analyzing Inconsistencies]

What's keeping the Massachusetts Attorney General's office from taking action?

[toddst]

Still a pretty good school despite all this crap, but I'd like to see some justice done.

10-4. Golden is a slug IMO and I'll bet he blackmailed his way into the job, as someone pointed out. It then became apparent what an arrogant bully he is and they axed him before he created chaos. Another of the Clintoon loser team!

[RJCogburn]

What's keeping the Massachusetts Attorney General's office from taking action?

No clue here.

[diotima]

Are you an alum?

[Analyzing Inconsistencies]

Not of B.U.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[Alain2112]

Will [ Dan Goldin and Gerald Cassidy ] get to continue to laugh their way to the bank at tuition-payers' and taxpayers' expense? Or will Massachusetts attorney general Tom Reilly take action?

What on earth are you talking about? BU is a private school; as such, it's trustees could order the entire campus incinterated and there is not a thing the government could or should do to stop them.

[LouD]

B.U. - The safety school for kids who really want to go to Northeastern.

[Analyzing Inconsistencies]

You're welcome. Do you think the attorney general's office will start taking some meaningful action?

[Analyzing Inconsistencies]

Boston University receives federal money. Indeed, it got over $4 million from NASA alone back in 1999 (when Goldin was Clinton's NASA Administrator):

http://ec.msfc.nasa.gov/hq/library/procreport/Annual99_A.html

Sure B.U. is private and tax exempt (even as it benefits from our tax dollars), but its governance and potential abuse of the public trust are governed by public laws. If a country club burns people on crosses on private property with purely private funds, do you think they're excluded from scrutiny and legal action by public officials?

[Analyzing Inconsistencies]

I thought Northeastern was supposed to be a safety school for those who really wanted to attend Boston College. This all seems to beg the question: After the recent Cassidy / Goldin collusion at the university community's expense, will there be any 4 year program safety schools left for those aspiring to study at B.U.? Or will our country's 4th largest private university basically move to the lowest point on the academic food chain?