Last summer at Boston University (the nation's 4th largest private university), the man who was NASA Administrator during Bill Clinton's 8 years in the White House (Dan Goldin) became one of the only university presidents possessing merely a bachelor's degree. More recently, though, Dan became apparently the first university president in the U.S.A. ever to get fired before even reporting for work. Goldin, a registered Democrat nevertheless received nearly $2 million dollars from B.U. for his "sacrifices" a couple of days ago. Is this irreversible?
Does (Massachusetts) Attorney General Tom Reilly give a D@mn about Dan Goldin's latest example of corrupt enrichment at our expense? Does he care that this lucrative "Goldin parachute" has sent a message to our nation's capital that corruption pays, even if merely after one leaves public office? Why not ask? Here's the A.G.'s contact data:
http://www.ago.state.ma.us/contact.asp?head1=Contact+Us§ion=20
A Boston University board member is to blame for Daniel Goldin's hiring, and deserves to be the target of the probe recommended above:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2003/10/25/bu_trustee_panel_urges_goldin_be_reconsidered/
Goldin's chief patron among the BU board's trustees was Washington lobbyist Gerald Cassidy.
Ref. http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2003/10/26/goldin_backing_said_to_erode/
http://www2.bostonherald.com/news/local_regional/gold10312003.htm
What might the suddenly very quiet Gerald Cassidy have gotten in exchange for this corrupt dealing? Here's at least part of the answer:
http://www.cassidy.com/expertise/main.asp?Id=1
So perhaps Cassidy wanted to repay Goldin with this "Goldin parachute" in order to keep him quiet about Shuttle-related improprieties while Cassidy's prominent (and heavily tax-subsidized) aerospace clients had more of a chance to cover their tracks? Or maybe that lobbyist mainly wanted to demonstrate to others currently in power how loyal he is even after they've lost their ability to enrich him and his lobbying firm?
By the way, few doubt that Goldin was ill-suited for the job...
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/01/education/01BOST.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5062&en=78a0642f4cf830fd&ex=1068267600
I turned up the volume on my OISD panel to maximum to drown out the little weasel.