Posted on 09/29/2004 6:34:50 AM PDT by batter
UVSC also paid Bush's mother $40,000 to speak
She's the president's mother. He's a filmmaker known for attacks on her son.
But former first lady Barbara Bush and controversial "Fahrenheit 9/11" director Michael Moore have something in common — getting $40,000 from Utah Valley State College to speak to its students.
According to college documents obtained by the Deseret Morning News, UVSC paid GOP favorite Barbara Bush $40,000 in 1996 to speak at the McKay Events Center.
That's the same amount UVSC's student government is paying Moore to address students on Oct. 20, which has prompted a public outcry, including threats by state legislators and major donors to pull funding from the state college.
In addition, a petition is circulating to recall the decision to invite Moore and the student government officers responsible for inviting him.
But the Bush matriarch didn't cause such a stir when she came to UVSC, a college located in the most conservative county in one of the country's most conservative states, said former UVSC professor Gary Wixom.
"There was no controversy at all," said Wixom, who now serves as assistant commissioner for the State Board of Regents, which oversees public higher education in Utah. "The amount of interest generated by this current situation dwarfs the interest in that activity."
Although no additional travel or security fees were required for Barbara Bush's visit to UVSC — corporate jet service was donated and Secret Service agents accompanied her — other speakers have cost UVSC a hefty sum just to shuttle in and out of Utah.
The Dalai Lama, who visited UVSC in 2001 and is a close relative of a former staff member at the college, didn't charge for his speaking engagement. But UVSC spent more than $30,000 on travel, security and facility costs for the spiritual leader.
Transportation costs for Larry King, who received an honorary degree from UVSC in 2003, totaled $15,000.
All expenses are generally covered for Utah's political leaders. Elected officials such as Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett, both R-Utah, do not charge when they appear on campus — but they don't draw huge crowds, either.
"With most speakers, if there's not extra credit offered by professors, then it's a crap shoot if you get 50 or 100 students," said Bob Rasmussen, UVSC's dean of students.
"We brought in Gov. Olene Walker, and there were 25 students. And they were mostly student government officers."
But all the seats will be filled when Moore comes to the sold-out McKay Events Center next month, thanks to his controversial reputation, Rasmussen said.
And UVSC isn't the only school paying big bucks to hear Moore, who is expected to read letters from soldiers in Iraq opposed to President Bush, conduct a karaoke sing-a-long to John Ashcroft's "Let the Eagle Soar," and give audience members a chance to win their own "pet goat," according to a statement from Moore.
Dozens of other universities, including the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of North Florida, have paid Moore $40,000 to come to their schools as part of his 20-state, 60-city "Slacker Uprising Tour."
And the student government at Cal State San Marcos raised more than $40,000 to have Moore speak at a nearby fairground after the university's president canceled plans to have Moore speak on campus.
Other schools, however, negotiated with Moore and got him to lower his asking price. At the University of Arizona, his asking price was whittled by $12,500.
"To get any big name speaker is going to cost money," said Joe Vogel, vice president of UVSC's student government. "Whether you like (Moore) or not, he is a nationally recognized figure."
To be sure, Moore's speaking price looks like peanuts next to some high-profile speakers. Former President Bill Clinton takes home $100,000 every time he speaks. That's twice what conservative newsman Bill O'Reilly and liberal comedian Al Franken each make when they address a crowd.
Even Star Jones, co-host of ABC's "The View," gets a check for $40,000 every time she speaks.
"Newt Gingrich is over $100,000. Jimmy Carter is over $100,000," Rasmussen says. "But no one would pay huge speaker fees if these speakers haven't been proven to draw a huge crowd."
Moore says the speaking tour isn't about lining his pocketbook, but getting 56 percent of the voting public to cast their vote Nov. 2 — something that has not happened since 1968.
And he wants them to vote for anyone but President Bush.
"I want everyone in their teens and 20s who exist from one packet of Ramen noodles to the next bag of Tostitos to take your fully justified cynicism and toss it like a Molotov right into the middle of this election," Moore said in a statement.
"If only a few thousand of you vote, it could make all the difference. You literally hold all the power in your hands. That's even cooler than holding a TV remote."
Still, Moore's critics are quick to say the filmmaker is padding his pockets with limited student funds, despite the fact that "Fahrenheit 9/11" has made more than $115 million, making it the highest-grossing documentary ever.
"What's so ironic is (that) he's a multimillionaire," conservative talk show host Sean Hannity told the Deseret Morning News. "He doesn't need the money."
In an attempt to counter Moore's liberal views, Hannity will speak to UVSC students on Oct. 11. As of Tuesday, nearly 3,000 tickets had been sold to that event.
Hannity usually gets paid $100,000 per speaking engagement. He has waived any speaking fees, and GOP gubernatorial candidate Jon Huntsman Jr. will help pay his travel costs, which are estimated at $25,000.
But some students aren't just worried about Moore's price tag, which will be covered by ticket sales and donations.
Since Moore claims to be visiting only swing voter states on his tour, which wraps up in Florida on Election Day, his visit to conservative Utah County seems questionable, UVSC junior Sophie Gubernick said.
"Pure and simple, he's doing it for the controversy, and because we wrote him a check," she said. "I'd rather they just divide his pay and give my share to me."
According to the article, 13 others got a lot less (many talked for free) than Moore or Mrs. Bush. Further, sure Mrs. Bush isn't going to cause a stir - although she was first lady, she was mostly a-political and had some credibility rather than delusional hate. Nader didn't cause a stir either.
PING!
Well, he's a mother of another kind.
Based on his preliminary agenda, It sounds like he thinks we're all fools.
I understand our right to hear differing views, but this is a waste of the taxpayer's money pure and simple. You want to know how moore thinks, watch his movies.
$30,000 for travel, security and facility costs? Somebody ought to investigate that; those costs are way too high.
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