Throw ‘em Under the Bus! My Hands are Clean!

          The University of Central Arkansas (UCA) just keeps on giving, news that is!

            The latest episode involving the $700,000 “gift” from Aramark for Meador’s Mansion has been exposed as having a condition; that being the extension of Aramark’s food service contract for an additional seven years, without a competitive bid.

            This August 12^th offer letter was carried to Diane Newton, UCA VP for Finance & Administration. (Does hand carrying the letter remove any possibility of federal investigation for some type of mail fraud or extortion?) She walked it down to President Meadors. Per President Meadors, in his own defense:

            Excuse #1 and #2: Others are doing it and she told me it was OK.

Meadors said the he asked Newton, “if this type of contractual arrangement was the ‘norm in Arkansas’ as he said it was around the country, and that she replied it was.”

(Obviously it wasn’t Meadors’ responsibility to practice a high degree of ethical conduct concerning bribery; just ask a junior if we should turn down the money to refurbish his mansion or justify keeping it, and lay it off as everybody is doing it- “it was around the country”.)

            Excuse #3 and #4: Did Lou Hardin or others ever do this before, and she told me yes!

“He said he also asked her if UCA had a history of accepting such contingency funding and she indicated that she said it did.” (Of course the prior President Lou Hardin is in the jailhouse now, but what the heck, if it was OK with Lou, let’s go for the money.)

            Excuse #5 and #6: The obviously inflated contract costs don’t cost the students extra to eat, she guaranteed it

He said that she also ‘guaranteed’ me it would not have any effect on [the cost of student] meal plans.”

(Oh please, if Aramark can fork over an extra $100,000 a year for 7 years are you serious that it’s not coming out of the prices charged to the students? If not, who is Aramark gouging for these excess funds that they can lavish on the Meador’s Mansion? Wow, isn’t it convenient to have a VP you can blame for bad advice which assisted you in making a ethically challenged decision to accept what many of us would call a bribe. Of course Meadors was only thinking of the good of UCA, not that the funds would turn his meagerly mansion into a house fit for a king, well, a presidential potentate anyway.)

            Excuse #7: I was told not to tell.

Meadors said (Head Trustee) Roussel asked that ‘we not release[news of this offer] at this time’.”  (Excuse me, informing all of the Board of Trustees falls under the caution ‘we not release at this time’. And isn’t being told to keep your mouth shut sort of a warning that something is rotten in the state of Denmark, or in this case the President’s Office at UCA.)

            Well, based on the testimony from President Meadors it is intuitively obvious to the most casual observer that he is innocent and the victim of poor advice and guidance from “she” and Trustee Roussel. Oh and President Meadors also stated that he “didn’t even think”. A statement of the obvious.

I certainly hope that the Board requires appropriate penance of fellow Trustee Roussel and that President Meadors summarily dismisses “she” for all of her bum advice. Throw her under the bus, President Meadors.

With a leader like that, no wonder he has little campus support.

I wonder what his contract ‘buyout’ amount is?