Florida Man uses Psuedo Tough Guy act to deflect from Valid Question

"A good man obtains favor from the Lord,
But a man of wicked intentions He will condemn."
Proverbs 12:2

We don't care about the RPT chair.  We really don't.  We're not a delegate this cycle and we find the whole concept of holding a leadership election for Captain of the Titanic after the iceberg has been struck to be bizarre.

Nevertheless, for those who do care about such things, the past week saw a highly revealing development.

It began when Big Jolly politics asked some questions about Allen West's extracurricular activities.

One of the biggest issues in the race is the ability and willingness of the candidates to serve as a full-time State Chairman. Seven months After the 2018 State Convention, (nearly a year and a half after Dickey first took office) the State Republican Executive Committee (SREC) approved a $150,000 annual salary for this State Chairman, with the expectation that the Chairman serve in a full-time capacity.

This strategy of expecting and paying for a full-time commitment from the State Chairman has paid tremendous dividends for the Party. Under Chairman Dickey’s full-time leadership, the Republican Party of Texas has posted record fundraising numbers, which is allowing the party to hire an unprecedented number of field staff across the state for the upcoming general election. Chairman Dickey has committed to continuing to serve as a full-time Chairman if he is re-elected to the post.

Dickey’s opponent, former one-term Florida Congressman Allen West, is well-known to many due to his frequent celebrity television appearances over the years. Since moving to Texas in 2014 to assume the leadership of the now-defunct National Center for Policy Analysis (which West led into bankruptcy), West showed little interest in Texas grassroots politics until announcing his candidacy for State Chairman last year.

West currently has a number of political and professional commitments that will make it impossible for him to make anything even close to the full-time commitment needed from the Republican Party of Texas State Chairman.

The Big Jolly piece goes on to detail various five and six figure commitments Allen West has made to any number of scammer PAC's "conservative organisations."

West replied on YouTube:


You should watch the three minute video for yourself, but the TL,DR version is that West resorts to blustery browbeating instead of candor.

West attempts to make this about the fact that he's "working for a living," or some such nonsense. This despite the fact that, as the excerpt above makes completely obvious, Big Jolly was asking if West would work full time for RPT. Political professionals call this "changing the subject."

This isn't about Allen West making money. This is about the fact that how Allen West is currently making money suggests Allen West won't be able to perform the duties if RPT chair. Last time we checked, the number of hours in a day remains capped at 24.

But there's another aspect about Allen West playing with matches in a field full of straw men that's far more disturbing.

During his diatribe, Allen West refers to being "a colonel in the United States Army" five or six times. You could turn it into a drinking game. The problem is, we've seen this playbook before. 

This is the Bill McRaven playbook: Use your military service (which isn't relevant to the position in question) to deflect any and all criticism of your current performance. Bill McRaven did this repeatedly during his time at UT (to the point that it became a running joke). The only difference between Bill McRaven and Allen West is that the former made it all the way to Admiral.

Unfortunately, it doesn't take a genius to see how this plays out in an RPT context.

Whenever the inevitable SREC questions arise about party finances, Allen West will attempt to gaslight the person asking the question: "CoLoNeL In ThE UnItEd StAtEs ArMy."

We prefer the Marines.

Bottom Line: This was a really easy question to answer, and the fact that Allen West chose to not answer it tells you what you need to know.

Bush's Revealing Choice in Memorial Day Company

Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”
1 Corinthians 15:33

Friends, future, etc:

At 10 a.m. Monday, there will be a livestream of a ceremony at Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery, near Fort Hood. Bush will speak, with retired Navy admiral William McRaven giving the keynote address.

McRaven retired as a four-star admiral and is credited with organizing and overseeing Operation Neptune Spear, the raid in May 2011 that led to the death of Osama bin Laden. He was the ninth commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command, from August 2011 to August 2014. He served as chancellor of The University of Texas system from 2015-18.

Bush is the eldest son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and is a former Navy Reserve officer. He has served as land commissioner since January 2014.

There isn't much to add.  We spent several years of our life detailing how Bill McRaven is an aggressive partisan who weaponizes his military service to silence critics.  It's just a shame so many of Texas' allegedly Republican elected officials were cowed by the Admiral's stars for so long.

One of the odder unintended consequences of Trump's presidency has been the degree to which Republicans have gotten wise to Bill McRaven.  We'll leave the federal stuff to others, except to say that most Republicans no longer see Bill McRaven as politically advantageous.  Except, apparently, George P. Bush.

Bottom Line:  Don't you dare interpret this cynically...why do you hate veterans?!?

A Chancellor Nominee so terrible he Required a SATURDAY afternoon document dump

"He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy."
Proverbs 28:13

That answers that question:

The University of Texas System's governing board has tapped the former chancellor of the City University of New York to be the system's next leader, unanimously naming 61-year-old James Milliken the sole finalist for the position of chancellor Saturday.

....

Before joining CUNY, Milliken spent a decade as president of the University of Nebraska and six years as a senior administrator in the University of North Carolina System. With a lengthy background in higher education administration, Milliken has "effectively guided university systems that have many of the characteristics and strategic aspirations" of UT's institutions, said Sara Martinez Tucker, chairman of the board of regents.

....

By tapping Milliken, regents have selected a Texas outsider with extensive experience in higher education administration. While at CUNY, the country’s largest urban and public university system, Milliken helped boost the graduation rates of its community college students, but also faced questions about fiscal mismanagement.

About that "fiscal mismanagement":

Shoddy oversight and ineffective management at the City University of New York have created a system “ripe for abuse” that has potentially siphoned money away from needy students and crucial campus projects, according to a report released on Tuesday by the New York State inspector general.

The inspector general also found that decentralization at CUNY, the largest public urban university in the country, has enabled the presidents of individual colleges to dole out money or benefits to top officials “with no meaningful accountability.” At Brooklyn College, for instance, discretionary funds were used by the college president to pay a part-time housekeeper $36,000 a year, as well as for a retirement party that cost $35,000.

Also this:

The chancellor of the City University of New York wrote to President Barack Obama last year with an open-ended offer of an appointment wherever he might prefer.

“I was delighted to read that you and your family may be considering a move to New York City following your presidency,” James Milliken wrote on Nov. 15, 2015. “I am writing, Mr. President, to invite you to consider the opportunities we would like to offer you at this very special institution and to let you know how delighted we would be to welcome you.”

In other words, he's a liberal who's bad with money; that's pretty terrible.

On the other hand, he doesn't seem to have any connections to the university or the broader burnt orange mafia.  That limits the damage he can do.  Also, given that most university bureaucrats are political hacks, it's probably helpful that the hack in question isn't a four star admiral.

Bottom Line: This is a status quo appointment minus the political cover a four star admiral provides....

UT Regents use McRaven's departure as excuse to create new SLUSH FUND....

"Promising unto them liberty, and are themselves the servants of corruption: for of whomsoever a man is overcome, even unto the same is he in bondage."
2 Peter 2:19

Ssssay what?!?

An endowment made in the names of McRaven and his wife, Georgeann, has received more than $1 million in donations, which will be for the use of future chancellors.

Which begs the natural follow up question: "for the use of future chancellors"...to do what exactly?!?

Perhaps they could purchase land in Houston?!?

Or maybe they could tell bald-faced lies about their military service?!?

On the other hand, it's privately funded and there's no law against gullible rich people spending money stupidly.

Bottom Line: Nothing good is going to come from this....

UT Makes Tuition Hike We Predicted Official

"I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him."
Deuteronomy 18:18

Not surprising, but still:

With few questions, the system’s Board of Regents voted unanimously Monday to up the cost of tuition and fees at each college they oversee by up to 8.5 percent for in-state undergraduates. Most schools will see increases in the 1 percent to 7 percent range – adding hundreds of additional dollars to students’ tuition bills each year.

The hikes range from 0.1 percent for in-state undergraduates at the University of Texas at San Antonio to 8.5 percent for students at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. The new rates will be in place for the fall 2018 semester, with another increase set to take effect the following academic year.

Asked why the Permian Basin campus' requested increases are higher than the other schools', President Sandra Woodley said the institution is "playing catch up" and currently has "really, really low" tuition costs. The raise is needed, she said, to help the campus achieve some "economies of scale."

Texan undergraduates at the system’s flagship UT-Austin campus would face a 2 percent tuition hike next fall under the proposed increase – equaling about $200 extra each year. Out-of-state students would pay about $700 more.

Obviously, this is exactly what we told the Texas Senate would happen if they approved the last round of regent nominees.  Then they approved the afore mentioned regents.  So here we are....

Furthermore, if you're wondering why they're keeping McRaven around until May, this was why.  It allows McRaven to be the fall guy for this tuition hike, while the incoming chancellor gets to blame the old administration next session.  It makes one wonder what other awful acts they have planned during the final 10 weeks of a lame duck chancellor.

That being said, on a certain level you do have to hand it to UT.  Not only did they wait until two weeks after the primary, but they also chose a day where Capitol watchers were preoccupied by the school finance commission, while the city has its hands full with the bombings.  LOL, such a UT thing to do.

Bottom Line: We told the Texas Senate so.  We told the Texas Senate so.  We told the Texas Senate so.

Abbott Fires GIGANTIC Shot Across UT's Bow

"And this is a simple matter in the sight of the Lord; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand."
2 Kings 3:18

From a write up about McRaven's departure from Horns 24/7:

McRaven’s three-year tenure has been a tumultuous one. While McRaven laid out an ambitious agenda, McRaven became mired in politics after a failed $215 million purchase of 300 acres of land in Houston for a UT campus as well as McRaven’s opposition to the state’s “campus carry” law passed two years ago.

Sources said Abbott and Patrick, but specifically Abbott, who signed SB11 into law (effective Jan. 1, 2016) allowing those with concealed handgun licenses to carry on college campuses, resented McRaven for his outspoken stance that the law would make campuses less safe.

Reports on social media surfaced a person with a concealed carry license drew a firearm to stop a suspect accused of three stabbings (including one fatality) on the UT campus on May 1 from further attacks. But police wouldn’t confirm those reports and credited an officer who arrived two minutes after being called with stopping the attacker.

As far as McRaven leading the UT System’s purchase of 300 acres for a UT campus in Houston, I'm told he did so without clearing it with key Houston politicos, including Abbott and Patrick (both from Houston), as well as key Houston legislators who have to answer to the University of Houston in their districts.

I’m told McRaven didn’t even involve UT president Greg Fenves before the land purchase, which became a bit of a political minefield for Fenves while the Big 12 was exploring expansion a year ago.

Sources said Houston lawmakers put pressure on Texas to help the University of Houston get into the Big 12 as a way of making up for - or even in exchange for - McRaven’s purchase. Fenves played the situation perfectly, announcing in a tweet that if Houston was to be considered for the Big 12, UH would make a great candidate. In the end, the out-of-state members of the Big 12 didn’t want another school in Texas added to the league.

McRaven abruptly abandoned the land purchase, announcing earlier this year the UT System would sell the property after McRaven was undressed in a public forum by UT regent Kevin Eltife, a former state senator from Tyler and perhaps Abbott’s closest confidante on the regents board.

It's very subtle.  And, unless you understand UT politics, you might miss it.  But it's difficult to overstate the magnitude of what just happened.

Clearly, Kevin Eltife is this reporter's primary source.  One of the oldest tricks in the anonymous source book is to say something complimentary about your source after the controversial stuff.  And look how the reporter characterized Abbott's relationship with Eltife.  We also wouldn't be surprised if other members of the Board of Regents spoke with the reporter

Then there's the fact that this report appeared in the sports media, instead of the political media.  One of the ways the U.T. politburo keeps the alumni at bay is via Pravda-esque levels of manipulation of media coverage of the athletic department.  We've never had a reason to discuss it publicly, but we have personal experience attempting to cover the athletic department to back this up.  The result is to create a fan-boy media culture that echoes the Politburo line.

But by leaking to the fan-boy sports media, instead of the Trib or the Statesmen [Note: How much egg do those two have on their face after getting scooped this big?!?], Abbott is essentially telling the politburo "if you guys don't shape up soon (*), I'm about to start taking my case directly to the alumni."

That being said, this is still Greg Abbott (and UT) about whom we're talking.  So it shouldn't surprise anyone if follow though is lacking.  But if you know what to look for, this is pretty huge.

Bottom Line: An Abbott-appointed regent leaking this sort of a BOMBSHELL to the athletic department's fan boy media doesn't happen by accident.

-------

* -- ie. 'by the time I'm re-elected and no longer need your money'

-------

Then there's this: "But sources close to Fenves, who earns $750,000 per year, indicated Fenves has “three to five years” of agenda items he wants to help carry out as UT president."

Considering that Fenves has already been there 2.5 years, does that mean they're laying the foundation for his departure along with McRaven at the end of the current school year?!?

#TXLEGE: Straus' loathsome "economic competitiveness" dog and pony show wastes everybody's time

“The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’

“And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore:"
Revelation 18:9-11

[Note: There's no reason to do so, but if you're so inclined you can view the hearing here.]

The house 'select committee' on 'economic competitiveness' had it's final hearing today; we sat in on most of the first three hours before leaving because the whole thing was boring and pointless.

It was the usual mix of buzzwords, cliches, and euphemisms one hears at these sorts of events.  Centrally planned "economic development" via "incentives," "investments" in "workforce development," alongside the omnipresent "diversity" and "inclusion."  Like we said, it was a waste of time.

Chancellor McRaven spoke first.  He claimed concerns about "keeping higher education affordable."  This came from a man whose institution is currently pursuing a tuition hike despite its endowment being worth more than ever.

A lovely gentleman from the Corpus Christi chamber openly spoke in favor of local governments raising tax rates on regular taxpayers to create carve-outs for big businesses.  That was euphemistically titled "local control" and "property tax abatements."  He also called for more secrecy in corporate incentive packages.

For his part, Byron Cook was obsessed with anti-privacy act and pro-illegal immigration hysteria.  Cook asked each witness loaded questions on those subjects.  That being said, Cook did get one representative of the Houston construction industry to openly state "we need cheap labor."

But the greatest act of chutzpah came from the Texas State University chancellor.  He spoke about his "mission" to produce "qualified workers" (which, of course, required "more funding").  If this committee had any self respect, they would have asked if last week's student editorial calling white skin an abomination was consistent with a "mission" to produce "qualified workers."

Bottom Line: Today's hearing was a bastardized hybrid of the latter chapters of Atlas Shrugged, the bar scene from Star Wars, and Chapter 18 of the Book of Revelation...which is a pretty good metaphor for how the Texas house has been run in recent sessions.

Fresh off Another Cover Up(/lousy football season) UT pushes forward Los Alamos bid

"And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”
Genesis 11:4

We knew this was coming, but the arrogance of the timing still astonishes:

The University of Texas System Board of Regents today authorized submission of a formal bid on a federal contract to manage and operate Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Los Alamos is the nation’s preeminent national laboratory in the areas of nuclear weapons, nuclear nonproliferation, safeguards and security, environmental management, energy and other programs, one among the U.S. Department of Energy’s 17 national laboratories. Los Alamos, located about 30 miles outside of Santa Fe, N.M., operates under the auspices of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a semi-autonomous agency within the Department of Energy.

The Board’s action authorizes Chancellor William H. McRaven and Deputy Chancellor David E. Daniel, Ph.D., with the support of others as the Chancellor may determine, to respond to the Department of Energy’s final request for proposals (RFP) to manage and operate the Lab.

The Department of Energy’s RFP was published Oct. 25. Formal responses are due on Dec. 11, and the award of the contract is anticipated to be announced mid-spring 2018.

While the Regents’ vote was not unanimous, Chairman Sara Martinez Tucker expressed appreciation for the Board’s deliberation and views.

“It is understandable that there may be differing perspectives on a matter as complex as this, but this rare opportunity is too important for the University of Texas System to not actively seek,” Tucker said. “Healthy discussion in an atmosphere of transparency demands that we get all points of view among Board members out on the table. I appreciate the diversity of perspectives in this discussion and am grateful to the Regents for their thoughtfulness, commentary and diligence in reviewing the comprehensive materials presented to them.

“Los Alamos requires exceptional leadership and management. Our nation deserves no less. Therefore, we are directing Chancellor McRaven and the UT System to prepare the strongest possible case to assume this role,” Tucker added. “We want to put the System’s best foot forward and pursue the opportunity vigorously.”

Tucker also recognized McRaven for his efforts to identify appropriate opportunities to advance multiple UT institutions’ scientific and service missions, including an opportunity to generate additional resources for them.

Thoughts:

• We wrote back in August about how the University's cover-ups related to the Wallace Hall case should instantly disqualify them from this bid; we bring this up because they literally engaged in a new cover up six hours before the regents approved this bid.

• The bullet point above makes the fact that this bid has to go through Rick Perry all the more ironic.

• No idea what it means, but interesting that the vote wasn't unanimous.

Bottom Line: If you haven't had a winning football season in five years, you aren't competent to manage nuclear weapons....

UT Board to Discuss McRaven's future (and Los Alamos) on Monday (behind closed doors)

"For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,"
2 Timothy 3:2

Holy afternoon before a major holiday document dump Batman; from the Inbox:

UT System Regents to meet Monday.

From the Agendabook:

UT Board discusses several interesting items IN SECRET this week....

"For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light."
Luke 8:17

With the busy week this week, we're only getting to the agenda book from Wednesday/Thursday's UT Board meeting today, but it certainly looks like they had some interesting "executive session" discussions.

McRaven's future:

[Note: They're actually going to have to make an announcement pretty soon.]

MUNY Golf Course:

[Note: Sell it to a private party = good; give it to another state agency = bad.]

Whatever this means:

Their foolish pursuit of nuclear weapons:

Statesman: University of Texas System regents on Thursday unexpectedly postponed a vote on submitting a proposal to manage and operate Los Alamos National Laboratory, birthplace of the nation’s nuclear arsenal.

Regents’ Chairwoman Sara Martinez Tucker gave no reason for the delay, simply saying that the matter was being postponed until Nov. 27. Other than her brief comment, the regents did not discuss Los Alamos in public, although it was part of their closed-door discussion earlier in the day.

The postponement was surprising because the regents’ agenda called for “discussion and appropriate action regarding development of a bid for management” of the lab. In September, the regents authorized the system to spend up to $4.5 million to prepare a bid to run the storied lab in the mountains of northern New Mexico, where physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer led development of the atomic bombs that were dropped on Japan during World War II.

Proposals are due on Dec. 11 at the National Nuclear Security Administration, an arm of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Asked whether the regents had questions that couldn’t be answered at this point, Deputy Chancellor David Daniel told reporters, “No, I would just say this is a continuing process. We’re developing more information, and because the board is going to meet again, as it turns out, we’ll have an opportunity to discuss it with them then.”

Asked whether he expects the board to authorize a bid, Daniel, the system’s point person on the project, replied, “I’m not going to try to speculate what the board’s going to do. We’ll wait and see what the board decides to do.”

Given that we haven't recieved any press releases and haven't seen any media reports, we suspect that no action was taken on any of these items.

Furthermore, this now marks the third regularly scheduled board meeting (to say nothing of the seven special called meetings) since the second on campus murder in 13 months last May without a public discussion of on-campus security.

Bottom Line: Why does the public need to hear important policy discussions at the wealthiest public university in the world?!?

Violent UT Communists Vandalize Conservative Students' Property

"As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the Lord has truly sent."
Jeremiah 28:9

Remember, back in June, when we observed that violent communists were recruiting at the University of Texas' flagship campus and that it would lead to some very bad incidents this fall?!?

Yeah, about that:

A campus source sent the following pictures:

The original sign

How the sign was discovered.

We also received video of one of the RSF vandals fleeing after being caught:

And all this, literally, on the day after Abbott's hand picked candidate is elected to chair the Board of Regents.

Obviously, President Fenves and (to a lesser degree) Chancellor McRaven are the ones who should take the lead rooting out this nonsense.  If history is any guide, they won't.  Assuming Fenves and McRaven refuse to do their jobs, the Board of Regents (which Abbott controls) should fire BOTH.

Bottom Line: Greg Abbott owns this.  It's his Board of Regents and his hand picked board chair.  If Fenves, McRaven, and the Board refuse to act that's where the blame lies.

-----

President Greg Fenves:
(512) 471-1232
president@utexas.edu

Board of Regents:
(512) 499-4402
bor@utsystem.edu

Governor Greg Abbott:
(512) 463-2000

Abbott quietly asserts further ownership over the University of Texas

Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”
1 Corinthians 15:33

[Note: The most interesting aspect of Sarah Martinez Tucker's background can be found here.]

Another very interesting tidbit from yesterday's special UT board meeting:

AUSTIN—Regent Sara Martinez Tucker, appointed in 2015 by Governor Greg Abbott to a six-year term on The University of Texas System Board of Regents, was unanimously elected chairman of the board at a special called meeting Monday.

Tucker was nominated by Chairman Paul Foster, and the motion was seconded by Vice Chairman Steve Hicks.

Chairman Sara Martinez Tucker

“It has been an immense honor to serve as chairman of the board these last four years, but it was time to pass the gavel to a new leader,” Foster said. “It was a pleasure to nominate Regent Tucker, who has brought great insight and guidance to the Board over the last two years. The UT System and all of its institutions are going to benefit greatly under her very capable leadership.”

Prior to her appointment as regent, Tucker, a native of Laredo and resident of Dallas, served as the nation’s top higher education official as under secretary of the U.S. Department of Education under President George W. Bush. There, she oversaw all policies, programs, and activities related to postsecondary education, vocational and adult education, and federal student aid.

Tucker also served as the CEO and president of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, where she pursued an aggressive goal to double the rate of Hispanics earning college degrees. Prior to her work in the nonprofit sector, she was a long-time executive at AT&T.

Tucker currently serves as chairman of the Regents’ academic affairs committee, in addition to serving on the health affairs, finance and planning, and audit, compliance and risk management committees.

“Sara Martinez Tucker is going to be an incredibly effective chairman, and I know that I and everyone at the UT System is looking forward to working with her in her new capacity,” Chancellor William McRaven said. “She gives tremendous time and energy to the UT System, and she is extremely knowledgeable and cares very deeply about higher education. We could not ask for a better leader to guide us forward.”

Tucker earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in business administration from UT Austin. Tucker has been named as an Outstanding Young Texas Ex and a Distinguished Alumna at UT Austin and among many honors has received honorary doctorates from the University of Notre Dame, Boston College, and the University of Maryland University College.

“I am honored and humbled by this great privilege, and I am grateful to my colleagues for entrusting me with this responsibility. Having the opportunity to work with extraordinary board members, system administration leaders and visionary university presidents to ensure that UT students and patients have access to the best possible outcomes is and will always be my top priority,” said Chairman Tucker, following her appointment.

LOL, as the Statesman's Ralph Haurwitz explains:

Although by outward appearances the regents select their own leader, in actual practice the governor’s office signals the choice and the regents follow suit.

In other words, the UT Board now not only contains a majority of Abbott appointees, but it's now led by Abbott's hand picked chairwoman.

Given that the Board of Regents is now led by Abbott's hand picked chair, let's consider several incidents that have occurred since May 1st of this year (the Board has jurisdiction over all of these):

• Second on campus murder in 13 months.

• Following the afore mentioned second murder in 13 months, the Board of Regents has declined to have a public discussion of on-campus security in not one, not two, but three separate Board meetings.

• UTIMCO's refusal to deposit their gold at the state bullion depository.

• Violent communists recruiting on campus.

• Creation of an arbitrary "sexual assault" policy to please a big donor, which predictably leads to them getting sued.

• The early seeds of another tuition hike.

• Defying Abbott over statue removal.

• An absurd proposal to supervise the nation's nuclear weapons arsenal.

• The Maryland debacle.

• The University chancellor grandstanding over immigration in response to a sensible change in federal policy.

• A separate Abbott-appointed regent expanding so-called "social work."

• A left wing student assaulting a student reporter for the Daily Texan.

[Note: Even we didn't realize that there had been 12 separate terrible incidents in the past 4.5 months and we follow this stuff closely.]

Bottom Line: Anytime you wonder how the University of Texas consistently gets away with terrible behavior, and what can be done about it, remember that the Governor's office controls the Board of Regents.

A tale of two Texas politicos with ties to 9/11

"A man’s pride will bring him low,
But the humble in spirit will retain honor."
Proverbs 29:23

Obviously, the anniversary of 9/11 was last week.  On this year's anniversary we realized something we've been meaning to discuss.  We want to commit this to writing before more time passes.

Senator Brian Birdwell and Chancellor Bill McRaven are both veterans.  During their military service, both were involved in incidents with direct ties to the 9/11 attacks.  But the contrast between how each discusses those experiences is striking.

On September 11, 2001, Brian Birdwell was stationed at the Pentagon.  Not only was he stationed at the Pentagon, but he was stationed in the section of the Pentagon where the plane struck.  The only reason he survived was because he had left his office to go to the bathroom.



Birdwell was burned on over 60% of his body and a plurality of those burns were third degree.  His full recovery took several years.  Nevertheless, he persisted to a full recovery before retiring from the military.

In 2010, Birdwell won a special election to the Texas Senate.  Since then, he's served as a faithful conservative in that body.  During that time, he's focused on the issues in front of him rather than looking backwards.

While Birdwell doesn't hide from his 9/11 experience, he rarely discusses it unless he's asked.  We've never heard him discuss it in a political context except when it's directly relevant to the issue at hand.  Indeed, this author didn't realize the Brian Birdwell from 9/11 and the Brian Birdwell in the Texas Senate were the same person until a couple years ago.

Bill McRaven, by contrast, was appointed by Obama to head special forces.  As such, he was involved with the raid that killed Usama bin Laden.  While McRaven likes to present himself as a crucial participant in that mission, numerous special forces sources (at least five) have told this author that McRaven was a bit player who has embellished his role to advance his career.

[Note: Direct quote from a Navy SEAL with whom we spoke approximately two years ago, "McRaven's story of his role in the bin Laden raid is the biggest horse shit political fairy tale I've ever heard in my life."]

Three months after the bin Laden raid, SEAL Team 6 was shot down while performing a mission in Afghanistan.  This tragedy highlighted many shortcomings of U.S. policy in Afghanistan and was thus politically embarrassing to the Obama administration.  To avoid said political embarrassment, Bill McRaven ran point on the Obama administration's cover-up.

Furthermore, Birdwell only brings up his 9/11 experience when he's asked or it's directly relevant to the situation.  McRaven, on the other hand, never shuts up about having once been in the military.  It's become a running joke at the Capitol and among UT Board watchers that you could turn McRaven's incessant references to his former military employment into a drinking game.

Bottom Line: It's a very revealing contrast.

Left Wing UT Student assaults Student Reporter

Do horses run on rocks?
Does one plow there with oxen?
Yet you have turned justice into gall,
And the fruit of righteousness into wormwood,
Amos 6:12

Remember, back in June, when we pointed out that violent communists were recruiting on campus and that it would bear poisionous fruit this fall?!?

Well, apparently we missed this incident from two weeks ago, but about that:

University of Texas Police arrested a protester on charges of assault and bodily injury at 11:45 Friday morning after a Daily Texan reporter was hit, drawing blood and requiring stitches for the injury.

The protester was Latin American studies graduate student Eric Nava-Perez, who joined fellow students Friday morning to protest anti-sanctuary city legislation and support immigrant rights. Journalism sophomore Chase Karacostas was covering the protest when he was struck at around 11:30 a.m., just as the protesters began marching to the Texas Capitol.

Police arrested Nava-Perez on Speedway in front of the Blanton Museum. University spokeswoman Cindy Posey said Nava-Perez was booked into the Travis County Jail shortly after.

Roughly 25 protesters gathered that morning in opposition of Senate Bill 4, a piece of Texas legislation requiring cities to comply with federal immigration authorities and authorizing local law enforcement to question a person’s immigration status during routine stops. A federal judge temporarily blocked the legislation last week.

Fifteen minutes after the incident occurred, Nava-Perez was arrested while marching to the Texas Capitol building with roughly 25 other student protesters.

Many of the protesters did not know any violence had taken place. After Nava-Perez was escorted from the scene, protesters chanted, “Who do you protect? Who do you serve?” and “No justice, no peace, no racist police.”

....

Students from social justice campus organizations such as Sanctuary UT and Solidarity 6.04 attended the event, as well as unaffiliated students who joined for personal reasons.

(h/t Student Press Law Center)

You'll notice that Presidet Fenves, Chancellor McRaven, and the Board of Regents haven't said a word.

Bottom Line: Following two on-campus murders in 13 months, the University of Texas began the current school year with a politically motivated assault.  Unfortunately, we expect more of this until someone cracks down.  Have we mentioned that a majority of the Board of Regents have been appointed by Governor Abbott?!?

Following Maryland loss, McRaven Grandstands over Immigration....

"They utter speech, and speak insolent things;
All the workers of iniquity boast in themselves."
Psalm 94:4

The arrogance is palpable:

Statement from Chancellor William H. McRaven on DACA
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2017

With today’s announcement by the Administration regarding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, I want to take a moment to share some thoughts.

Our state and nation have benefited for decades by attracting and retaining great students, scholars, physicians, and researchers from around the world. As I have said before, the men and women who show up on our shores and at our doors – ready to study, work, and participate – make us stronger, smarter, more competitive, and more attuned to the rest of our ever-shrinking globe. Over time, we have seen that their contributions and discoveries help us secure our nation, care for our people, foster economic growth, and provide scientific expertise and innovation that improves the human condition.

For years, Texas has supported students who were born in foreign countries but were brought here as children and raised in the U.S. In fact, Texas was among the first states to grant these Texas high school graduates the opportunity to pay in-state tuition, a benefit The University of Texas System continues to support.

These students consider themselves to be Americans and Texans, proud of the state they see as their home. They, like others, have served our nation with distinction in their academic pursuits, in our nation’s military, and as productive members of society. This service should be applauded and honored. Our nation should recognize the potential in these students, granting them the opportunity to pursue their education and enter the workforce in this country.

The UT System will always follow the law. And while I understand the concern of the President and others about how DACA was implemented, the critical fact is that I and the UT System believe in our DACA students and that their opportunities to contribute to Texas and our nation should be upheld and continued by our leaders in Washington. Congress must now act quickly to provide a bridge for these students to remain in the U.S. and become citizens.

Let me also speak directly to you, our UT DACA students. You can be certain of our support as you continue to pursue your dreams – the American dream – to obtain an education and build a better future for you and your families. As UT adheres to federal and state laws regarding immigration, rest assured our campuses will remain places where you can safely study as Congress takes up this issue.

The international competition for the best students, scholars, physicians and researchers is fierce. We need loud and clear signals that the U.S. and Texas will continue to seek out the foremost talents in the world and welcome them to our institutions. For its part, the UT System will always pursue young men and women from around the world who wish to learn, and the scholars and researchers who will train and educate them.

 Thoughts:

• Despite the attempt in the latter part to tie it back to the university, this is nothing more than an attempt to generate press coverage over an issue where the Chancellor's office and the University of Texas have virtually zero jurisdiction.

• If this were really about offering guidance to current students, that could have been covered in a one paragraph statement.

• Sure, historically they've defied Governors over issues related to university governance, but as far as we can tell this type of defiance over high profile national issues is a new development...and we suspect it's one that will make it politically difficult for the current friendly Governor to run interference for them indefinitely.
• Note: We certainly don't remember them doing it at a time when the Football team is losing.

Bottom Line: If you can't beat Maryland, you shouldn't be sending out press releases over controversial national issues where you have virtually no jurisdiction.

Upon further reflection, the University of Texas has NO BUSINESS Supervising Nuclear Weapons....

"He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy."
Proverbs 28:13

On Friday, we discussed the University of Texas' latest scheme to help manage the nation's nuclear weapons arsenal.  We made the political observation that doing so would require the consent of Energy Secretary Rick Perry, which is ironic considering that Perry was the Governor who appointed Wallace Hall to the Board of Regents.  But, having had a few days to digest everything, we believe the Wallace Hall case encapsulates why the current leadership of the University of Texas should not be allowed anywhere near nuclear weapons.

Consider what the Wallace Hall case revealed about the university's character: Confronted with indisputable evidence that they had been running a pay-to-play admissions scam for the offspring of connected politicians (who scored a 155 on their LSAT) (and lying on their financial reports) (and creating slush funds for favored faculty), the university engaged in a cover-up the depth of which boggles the mind.  That being said, it wasn't a matter of life or death.  Ultimately, for as bad as some of the stuff Wallace Hall uncovered was, the only consequence to the university would have been embarrassment.

And if they were willing to go that far merely to avoid embarrassment...how much further would they go if there was a serious matter of national security at stake?!?

It doesn't take a genius to predict that all sorts of global bad guys would love to infiltrate the U.S. nuclear weapons program.  Good grief, the Chinese did just that 20 years ago.  In the event that sensitive information is compromised, the most important next step is to come clean and contain the damage.  Considering their record, does anyone believe that the University of Texas will do that?!?

Also, let's not overlook the fact that Chancellor McRaven ran point on a cover-up into the deaths of two dozen Navy SEALS in his last gig.

Furthermore, are we really supposed to trust an organization that hasn't done a thing following two on-campus murders in 13 months to supervise nuclear weapons?!?

Bottom Line: Until the university undergoes the bottom to top housecleaning it so desperately needs, this is a spectacularly terrible idea.

UT Regents want System to help manage nation's Nuclear arsenal (but there's a catch)....

"But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil."
James 4:16

Interesting development from this week's UT Regents meeting:

AUSTIN – Management of the nation’s most preeminent national laboratory in the areas of nuclear weapons, nuclear nonproliferation, safeguards and security, environmental management, energy and other programs will be open for bid for the first time since 2005, and University of Texas System leaders today received strong support from regents to pursue this unique opportunity.

UT System Deputy Chancellor David Daniel and UT Austin President Greg Fenves, under the leadership of UT System Chancellor William H. McRaven, a recognized figure in national security, presented their case to the Board of Regents for consideration. Both McRaven and Daniel emphasized the UT System is uniquely positioned to provide excellent service in the national interest. The scale of the UT System and its academic and health institutions’ scientific assets could strongly position it for operational leadership of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) 17 national laboratories. LANL operates under the auspices of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a semi-autonomous agency within the DOE.

Instead of routinely renewing the contract for the management of LANL, which is currently managed and operated by the University of California System in concert with industry partners Bechtel National, Inc. and others, NNSA has decided to open the bid process and invite new parties to make their case to manage the lab.

Daniel stressed that the U.S. needs the strengths of its universities’ scientific prowess to maintain its nuclear deterrent, to promote non-proliferation, to monitor for rogue nuclear threats and testing, to manage environmental land and groundwater challenges left from the Cold War era, and to tackle new threats to national security such as cyberattacks.

....

UT Austin President Fenves expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity to have his faculty and students collaborate and work with the Los Alamos team, learning from and contributing to solutions on national security challenges. He also referenced the critically important research opportunities that would accompany the role of leading the lab, specifically the advantages that would be presented UT Austin as a national top research-intensive university.

“For UT Austin, it would be a tremendous honor to help serve the nation. The important work at LANL is aligned with our research goals and priorities across the university,” Fenves said. “Our Texas Advanced Computing Center and Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences illustrate just two examples of those synergies, and we have a strong track record of meeting security clearances.”

If the UT System proceeds, this will be the second time it competes for the LANL contract. It participated in the 2005 bid procurement as part of a larger team led by Lockheed Martin, but the contract ultimately was awarded to the University of California System and its industry partners. The UC System has been involved in the management of LANL for more than 70 years.

 OK...so who understands why this is a hilarious ask?!?

Hint: The Los Alamos National Laboratory is part of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Now who, pray tell, is the current U.S. Secretary of Energy?!?

That would be former Governor Rick Perry.

Now, remind us which Governor put Wallace Hall on the UT Board?!?

Oh, that's right, RICK PERRY!!!

Then, of course, there's the fact that beyond the whole Wallace Hall impeachment fiasco, UT fought (and, unfortunately, largely thwarted) Rick Perry's higher ed reform agenda.

Bottom Line: Even by their standards, UT asking Rick Perry for a prestigious federal contract is an act of chutzpah.

UT Politburo (predictably) begins laying foundation for next tuition increase....

"As a dog returns to his own vomit,
So a fool repeats his folly."
Proverbs 26:11

[Note: This story is actually a week old, but it remains worth noting because it's such a textbook example of how they operate.]

[Note II: You can see our testimony over why reigning in tuition hikes is step one to restoring financial accountability in higher education here.]

LOL, of course:

University of Texas System regents sketched out a strategy Friday to ensure that proposals to raise tuition and fees in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 academic years are warranted and to seek support from local officials, lawmakers and statewide elected leaders before adopting them. The effort to bolster the tuition-setting process with an eye toward enlisting political support comes after a legislative session that saw the Texas Senate vote 29-2 to freeze academic charges for two years at the state’s public universities and to sharply restrict future increases. But the measure, Senate Bill 19, didn’t emerge from a House committee.

“I think more than ever we need to do everything we can to educate them,” Regent Kevin Eltife, a former Republican state senator from Tyler, said of lawmakers. “They may not like it, but we need to be able to say when we go to session in ’19, ‘Look, we had to do this. Here’s the need, here’s why we did it, and we did our best to visit with all of you.’ And we need to target the reps and senators from the area of the institution and we need to target” the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Finance Committee.

Regent Rad Weaver said it will be crucial to find local champions for any tuition increase. “There’ll be one or two within each local delegation, and we need to identify those early on and make sure that they’re informed,” he said.

Regent Janiece Longoria agreed. “They can be very helpful with state leadership in helping frame the message about why it’s so important, assuming that they need a tuition increase and assuming that it’s the right amount,” she said.

Regent Sara Martinez Tucker, who chairs the UT board’s Academic Affairs Committee, said campus leaders would be expected to play a key role in making the case to elected officials for any tuition increase. Her committee signed off on the strategy Friday, and the full Board of Regents is expected to go along with it at a meeting later this month.

....

Chancellor Bill McRaven noted that a political calculation is inevitably part of the decision.

“If you look at the facts that will be presented in terms of the needs for the institutions to generate additional revenue, we are clearly going to have to balance that with the political will, and I think we all understand that moving forward,” McRaven said.

A few points:

• You'll notice that all the regents pushing this (Eltife, Weaver, Longoria, and Tucker) are Abbott appointees; the 3 remaining Perry holdovers all seem to be keeping their heads down.

• This is EXACTLY what we told the Senate nominations committee (and several individual senators privately) would happen if the Senate confirmed the last round of regent nominees.

• All this at a time when, according to the Board of Regents' own numbers, institutions across the system are receiving record revenues AND UTIMCO is more valuable than ever.

Bottom Line: This was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo predictable (which is why we predicted it)....

UT about to do something REALLY stupid that could torpedo their relationship with Governor....

"I will punish the world for its evil,
And the wicked for their iniquity;
I will halt the arrogance of the proud,
And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible."
Isaiah 13:11

Buried in today's Trib story about the Texas Bullion depository, we find this nugget:

Abbott drew national attention in 2015 when he announced that the depository would allow Texas to “repatriate” $1 billion in gold bullion currently being stored in New York. He was referring to gold bullion assets held by the University of Texas Investment Management Company, which oversees the assets of both the University of Texas and Texas A&M systems.

The nonprofit currently has $861.4 million worth of gold bullion in storage at the HSBC Bank in New York City, according to Jenny LaCoste-Caputo, a spokeswoman for the UT system. But UTIMCO officials appear unlikely to move their gold holdings to the state depository. Officials there have previously said the Texas depository would have to be a member of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s COMEX platform, where gold futures contracts are traded. LaCoste-Caputo confirmed Tuesday that that condition still holds.

The new state depository will not be a member of COMEX, according to Matthew Ferris, chairman of Lone Star Tangible Assets. He pointed to geographical limitations as preventing the Texas Bullion Depository from joining.

“Ultimately, our goal is to create liquidity of COMEX levels in the state of Texas for those large institutions over time,” Ferris said.

LaCoste-Caputo also said that gold storage fees UTIMCO pays would have to be cheaper at the Texas depository than it currently pays in New York for the organization to make the switch.

[Author's Note: Emphasis added.]

Soo...they're going to openly defy the Governor over something this big?!?

Are they really that arrogant?!? [Note: Rhetorical question.]

Keep in mind: This is the Governor who has done nothing but protect them during his time in office.  This is the Governor who fast tracked getting Wallace Hall off of the Board of Regents.  And this is how they repay him?!?

And this is after they already attempted to defy him over the Houston land grab.

Bottom Line: If they move forward with this plan, the next round of regent nominations is going to be VERY interesting (*).

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* - We doubt WH would accept a re-nomination to the Board if it were offered, but nominees of a similar philosophical disposition are a realistic possibility.

#TXLEGE: Tuition Freeze gets late House hearing....

"Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord."
Colossians 3:20

[Note: The hearing can be viewed here.  SB 19 is the third bill under consideration (about 45 minutes in).  Our testimony can be viewed at the 58:12 mark.]

Following our unlikely kumbaya session with Greg Fenves this morning, less than an hour later we were in more familiar territory testifying on the opposite side of Chancellor McRaven on the subject of tuition increases.

SB 19, the tuition freeze bill that the Senate heard in March and passed out in April, got a late session hearing in the House Higher Ed. committee this morning.  We showed up to support the bill.  But unfortunately, we doubt it moves forward.

Chancellor McRaven continued in the disingenuous vein in which he testified in the Senate hearing.  He claimed the UT system has been "conservative" with tuition increases.  Of course, he overlooked the fact that most of the period under consideration occurred before his tenure and that one of the first things he did was push a tuition increase.

Representative Donna Howard asked the Chancellor several leading questions about needing tuition hikes in the face of "insufficient state appropriations" and tried to claim the legislature was "forcing costs down" to the institutional level.  Naturally, he agreed.  Howard closed by noting she was "hopeful this legislation won't go anywhere," which is a noteworthy statement coming from the vice chair of the calendars committee.

That being said, there's one rumor we've heard that's worth considering: It might be the case that Lt. Governor Patrick has asked for SB 19 in exchange for giving the House the higher ed funding it's asked for in the budget.  During an appearance before the committee on an unrelated bill, Appropriations chair John Zerwas teased that he thought a deal on higher ed funding was likely...which is interesting considering that the committee heard Patrick's priority tuition bills immediately afterwards.  If that deal indeed exists, it's one we'll take.

We testified that public universities love to build expensive buildings and hire expensive bureaucrats; refusing to permit them to pass these costs onto students is the first step to forcing them to set priorities in their budgets.  We also refuted Chancellor McRaven's selective reporting on the history of university tuition by pointing out that most of the time period under consideration was during a different era in Board of Regents history.  Finally, we cautioned the committee that if the tuition freeze died this session, the outrage over this issue would only grow between now and 2019.

Bottom Line: We'll just have to see....

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