The Curious Case of Sarah Martinez Tucker

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

How very strange:

The head of the University of Texas System's governing board, Sara Martinez Tucker, has told high-ranking UT officials she plans to step down as a regent on Jan. 15, 2019.

No reason was immediately given for her sudden departure. The announcement was confirmed to The Texas Tribune by two sources.

It's impossible to know what to make of this development.  Tucker has been board chair for barely a year.  She got the position when Governor Abbott forced out her predecessor.  Tucker has always been thought of as close to Abbott.

The simplest explanation would be that a new personal or professional development precludes Tucker from finishing her term.  If Tucker has a new job or a sick relative, that could explain a lot.  However, if that were the case, one would think such an explanation would accompany the announcement.  It's not a secret that the University has been embroiled in controversy, but Tucker seems like a strange head to roll (at least without others).

Regardless of why, this is an opportunity.  Governor Abbott now has to appoint four new regents next spring.  For citizens and legislators concerned with the direction of higher education, this is the point of maximum leverage.

Bottom Line:  Weird....

So THAT's why the UT Board got a new chair last September....

"Let him that stole, steal no more: but let him rather labor, and work with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give unto him that needeth."
Ephesians 4:28

Associated "Republicans" of Texas is a longstanding Rino entity with close ties to the Bushes.  In recent years, it's become a key cog in Joe Straus' machine.  Buried deep in an article about their activities this election cycle, however, we noticed something interesting:

And two El Paso businessmen — ART board member Woody Hunt and Paul Foster, vice chairman of the University of Texas System Board of Regents — have also dumped in $450,000 and $250,000 since July, respectively.

But there's one detail the article missed: Paul Foster used to be the Chairman of the UT Board.

As the article discusses, ART's activities this cycle started to heat up in September, which got us thinking about another story from last September:

Tucker appointed Board of Regents chairman

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

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. “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.”

As we noted at the time, the whole thing seemed strange.

Now we know why.

It also explains this story from December.

The best part: Foster's term is up this January, and there's zero chance Abbott re-appoints him after a stunt like this.

Bottom Line: Say what you will about Greg Abbott, but he does not take personal disloyalty lightly (and, in this case, that worked out for the best)....

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 Communists Vandalize Private Property...AGAIN!!! (Fenves, Board of Regents, and Abbott STILL SILENT)

"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

On Wednesday, we reported on the communist inspired vandalism against a widely respected right of center student organization that has been active in Texas politics for four decades.

It happened again.

From a campus source:

At this point, the following must happen:

• President Greg Fenves needs to take all necessary steps to ensure that the free speech rights of all students on campus are protected from violent political intimidation.
• Note: Considering that this is the same Greg Fenves who hasn't done a damn thing about two on campus murders in 13 months, consider us skeptical that this step will occur.

• If President Greg Fenves fails to fulfill his responsibility to maintain a campus free from violent political intimidation, then the Board of Regents needs to fire him and replace him with someone who will.

• If President Greg Fenves fails to fulfill his responsibility to maintain a campus free from violent political intimidation, and the Board of Regents fails to fire him, then the allegedly conservative Governor who has appointed a majority of the currently seated Regents (and who, just this past Monday, had his handpicked choice elected to chair the Board) needs to explain to the public why he is allowing a culture of violent political intimidation to fester on the state's flagship public university campus.
• Note: Keep in mind, this is the Governor who once bragged about giving "marching orders" to his university Regent appointments.

Bottom Line: The festering culture of violent political intimidation on Texas' flagship university campus cannot continue.

-------

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.

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 Regents Modestly Improve Campus Carry Policy

Greg Fenves discussing gun-free zones with Wallace Hall

"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;"
1 Peter 4:12

In politics, as in life, one advantage to low expectations is that occasionally they are exceeded; this morning's UT Board of Regents meeting, much like the whole campus carry process, cleared that hurdle.

During public testimony, C.J. Grisham of Open Carry Texas delivered remarks with which we largely concur.  C.J. said that the campus carry implementation group led by President Fenves "by and large" did a good job [Author's Note: By U.T. Standards].  Nevertheless, C.J. re-iterated the longstanding concerns related to the prohibition of firearms in dormitories and pointed out that requiring gun safes would solve the issues that were the alleged basis of the continuing prohibition.

C.J. Grisham talking with Chancellor McRaven

At their May meeting, the Regents punted on two motions to amend the policy.  Vice Chairman Jeffrey Hildebrand revived the first motion to remove a proposed prohibition on chambered rounds.  That motion sailed through 7-2, though it's worth pointing out that Steve Hicks and Sarah Martinez Tucker [Author's Note: Abbott Appointees.] carried water for the politburo.  Speaking of Sarah Martinez Tucker, during public testimony she went out of her way to congratulate two anti-Second Amendment students who re-iterated their opposition to firearms under any conditions.

(Abbott appointee) Regent Sarah Martinez Tucker congratulates anti-Second Amendment student

Wallace Hall did something awesome.  Responding to the previously discussed worries about the continuing prohibition of self-defense in dormitories, Regent Hall introduced a motion to prohibit gun-free zones anywhere on campus.  Brenda Pejovich seconded.  The motion was doomed from the start, but it's still pretty badass that Wallace Hall made them vote on it.  In the event of future litigation, let the record very clearly state that Regents Hall and Pejovich voted against gun-free zones on campus.

Regent Wallace Hall

Following Hall's motion related to campus-wide gun free zones, Alex Cranberg offered a more narrowly tailored motion over written signage to prohibit self-defense in faculty offices.  Hall asked Fenves "is there any downside" to removing ambiguity?!?  Fenves said that verbal notice was sufficient to comply with the law and deflected Hall's inquiry with a vague statement about not wanting to dictate office aesthetics to individual faculty members.  Hall subtly, but unmistakably, pointed out the hypocrisy of faculty members who are unwilling to advertise their own offices as gun-free zones.  In addition, Cranberg got Fenves to admit that a faculty member would have to individually inform each visitor to their office about an office prohibition without signage to satisfy the law.  Without explicit verbal prohibition every single time a visitor enters, the status of the office is actually in legal limbo.  Ultimately, Cranberg joined Hall and Pejovich in voting "aye," but the motion failed 3-6.

Maybe we have Stockholm syndrome.  Maybe we're grading them on a curve.  Nevertheless, at least by U.T. standards, we found the campus carry implementation process to be reasonably transparent and the final policy to be less than reprehensible.

Bottom Line: What was it a certain former Governor said about "the soft bigotry of low expectations"?!?

[Author's Note: You can read the system's press release here.]

-----

Following the campus carry discussion, Chancellor McRaven gave a brief update on the ongoing Houston debacle 'stakeholder process.'  McRaven's two minute address was littered with buzzwords and cliches.  The phrases "generational effort" and "wide range of possibilities" stood out.

UT Regents' Surprisingly Unterrible Campus Carry Discussion

"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;"
1 Peter 4:12

[Author's Note: The U.T. system's press release, which is actually pretty informative, can be viewed here.]

Perhaps we're developing Stockholm Syndrome.  Perhaps we're suffering from what a former Governor once called "the soft bigotry of low expectations."  Either way, we actually found the UT Board of Regents' discussion of campus carry this morning to be not entirely reprehensible.

The Regents punted any action on this topic to their July meeting but it did not appear that they intend to rubber stamp the policies in question.

SB 11, the campus carry bill passed last session, allows the individual university campus presidents to designate certain areas exempt from the law subject to review from the Board of Regents.  We never supported that idea, and we called out supporters of it during the primary.  Nevertheless, it's part of the law and we found today's discussion revealing.

President Fenves spoke on behalf of the systemwide 'working group' that helped guide individual institutions.  He detailed how they attempted to balance 'safety' concerns with both the letter and spirit of the law.  While we certainly don't agree with every conclusion reached by Fenves' committee, for once we actually do respect the process.

The regents raised questions related to individual campus employees/faculty members banning firearms in their offices/classrooms and prohibitions on keeping a round in the chamber.  Wallace Hall got Fenves to disclose that individual employees would not have to post 30.06 signs outside their offices.  While Fenves defended the policy as legally permissible, Regent Jeffrey Hildebrand indicated that such a policy violated the spirit of the law.  Hildebrand moved to strike the provision and require individual employees/faculty members to get explicit permission from the campus president.  Hilderbrand also moved to strike an unenforceable UT-Austin prohibition related to keeping a round in the chamber.  While the Regents postponed any action on Hildebrand's motion until the July meeting, their discussion was suprisingly robust.  Among the regents, only Sarah Martinez Tucker carried water for the politburo.

Unfortunately, the regents were silent on the biggest problem with the UT policies: prohibition of firearms in dorms.  Ultimately, campus carry is about individual self-defense, and you nowhere is self-defense more necessary than in you place of residence.  Nevertheless, we're not going to rake the regents over the coals on a day where they had a reasonably productive discussion and will suffice to encourage the regents to address this shortcoming in the policy before tragedy strikes.

Bottom Line: It could have been a lot worse.

Abbott conspicuously silent on U.T. tuition hike

"You are of purer eyes than to behold evil,
And cannot look on wickedness.
Why do You look on those who deal treacherously,
And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours
A person more righteous than he?"
Habakkuk 1:13

Not surprising; we weren't planning to comment on this, but since the Statesman noticed (Reprinted in Full):

Gov. Greg Abbott’s silence on prospect of UT tuition increases could be telling

When Rick Perry was governor, he weighed in publicly twice when the UT System Board of Regents was about to increase tuition and mandatory fees — and in both cases the regents backed off. Some might say that is an appropriate role for the state’s chief executive. Others might call it meddling, as state law puts governing boards of public universities in charge of tuition.

Thus far, Perry’s successor, Greg Abbott, has remained silent, at least publicly, regarding the UT board’s plan to give favorable consideration to 2 percent increases in each of the next two academic years for the system’s 14 campuses. The campuses will also have an opportunity to seek even higher increases if they can show the proceeds would help boost graduation rates and address other high priorities. The regents are expected to take up the matter in February.

In contrast, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick — a Republican, like the current and former governors — issued a statement Thursday, a day before the regents met, urging them to hold the line on tuition.

I asked Abbott’s press office for the governor’s view on the UT board’s plan and received no comment. Which actually might say a lot. Abbott’s silence on the matter could suggest that he’s trusting his appointees to the board, as well as those named by his predecessor, to do their jobs as they see fit, even if it entails a tuition increase. Stay tuned.

Yet somehow he finds time to comment on the Cowboys defense.

Also, it's worth noting that all three of Abbott's regents (David Beck, Steve Hicks, and Sarah Tucker) voted for the tuition hike.

Bottom Line: The contrast with Dan Patrick speaks for itself.

Awesome Sauce from Wallace Hall

"Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you."
Deuteronomy 31:6

(Update 4/9/2015) -- Watchdog has more here.

U.T. System Headquarters -- This afternoon, the U.T. Board of Regents held a special called meeting to discuss requests made by Wallace Hall in relation to the Kroll Report.  Regent Hall was seeking to see records the Kroll team used and to discuss those records with Kroll.  While the post-Abbott appointee board denied most of his requests, Wallace Hall's dogged pursuit of the U.T. politburo was marvelous to witness firsthand.

Highlights:

• Politburo says a new contract would be needed for Wallace Hall to meet with Kroll.

• McRaven: "I had my opportunity to adjudicate the [Kroll] report."
• Author's Note: And you did nothing.

• Hall: Kroll Report "remains, in my mind, a source of confusion."
• "I seek to inform myself, ask questions, and gain a fuller understanding of this matter."

• Shorter Steve Hicks: Shut up and listen to the Chancellor.

• Cranberg: Not a close call; don't block any regent from seeking information.
• New admissions policy at next meeting.
• No opportunity to ask Kroll directly.

• Hall: Offer McRaven claims to have made never happened, would have said yes if offered.

• McRaven: Kroll report is closed.
• Attempts to obfuscate Cranberg's point.

• Hall: There were several other categories of holds he didn't know about.

• U.T. wasn't under contract with Kroll in relation to Van Taylor's question.

• Hall: Follow-up is a regular part of a business relationship.

• Need for another contract is U.T.'s position, not Kroll's.

• Shorter McRaven: 
  

• Shorter Paul Foster: Shut up and listen to the chancellor.

• Beck: Regents can't ask for meetings with third parties.

• Hall: Regents asking questions is not an investigation.

  - I don't know what's in there till I read it.

  
  

  - Why wouldn't you give a member of the board the same treatment you gave to a member of the legislature?!? 

  
  

• Foster: All of your inquiries are an investigation.

• Hall: I tried to do this in the past and was rebuffed.
• "I don't know what we're afraid of."

• Tucker: Something, something, clarifying questions, something, something digging deeper.

• Hall: "I don't know what documents exist, that's the dilemma."

• Foster: I don't know there's a need to continue asking questions.

Controversial U.T. Regent Nominees face the music

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."
Matthew 7:7

Betty King Room -- Earlier today, the Texas Senate nominations committee held a confirmation hearing for Governor Abbott's controversial U.T. regent nominees.  The nominees faced a number of difficult questions from Committee Chairman Brian Birdwell, along with fellow committee members Konni Burton and Van Taylor.  Senator Charles Schwertner, who has taken an interest in higher ed issues this session, spent more time at the hearing than several committee members.

Regent nominee Steve Hicks was the first to testify, A known defender of Bill Powers, Hicks is the only current nominee being re-appointed.  While Hicks confessed that undue influence in the admissions process is undesirable, he nonetheless made the excuse that Powers was "the only one who sees the whole field of battle."  Hicks also denied the obvious similarities between the current issues at U.T. and the 2009 scandal at the University of Illinois.  Under questioning from Senator Burton, Hicks defended his vote against investigating the law school's secret "forgivable loan" program.  Hicks also made the absurd claim that while regents are supposed to "ask tough questions," they are subsequently expected to accept whatever answer the administration gives them.  Hicks could not provide answers to Senator Schwertner's questions about accounting gimmicks used to keep tuition "artificially low."

Nominee Sarah Martinez Tucker, who has come under fire for supporting Common Core, was up next.  Asked about the forgivable loan program, she explained "I don't have a lot of specifics," which makes one wonder how she will perform her duties if she can't prepare for an obvious question in a confirmation hearing.  Asked about her support for the controversial educational program, Tucker explained "I APPLAUD COMMON CORE."  Pressed to explain, Tucker made vague claims about Common Core being bad for Texas but o.k. for other states.  Asked by Senator Schwertner about the role of the student loan bailout she helped engineer in 2008 in higher education cost explosions, Tucker unconvincingly attempted to shift blame to the Obama administration.  To her credit, Tucker spoke favorably about zero-based budgeting for the U.T. system.

David Beck faced the most intense questioning.  Beck was a key player in creating the afore-mentioned forgivable loan program, and was mentioned by name in a scathing Attorney General's report released last year.  Pressed by lawmakers, Beck claimed "we can't compete" in retaining faculty with public compensation.  At issue was an undisclosed "deferred compensation" agreement with lame-duck university president Bill Powers during Powers' previous tenure as law school dean.  Beck told Senator Burton he had assumed that off-book compensation agreements had made their way up the chain of command.  As Senator Schwertner told Beck, seven years is a long time to not know the details of a compensation agreement not going up the chain of command.  Beck was also unable to answer questions about cutting university costs, although he did oppose a tuition increase "at this time."

Tony McDonald testified against all three nominees.  McDonald, who was a law student at U.T. during the height of the forgivable loan scandal, discussed professors of his who were visibly distracted by it.  Regarding Hicks, McDonald objected that he could not clean up a mess he helped create.  McDonald also explained that off-book compensation was not subject to open-record's laws.  Finally, McDonald chided Beck for "a shocking refusal to take responsibility" for his role in creating the mess.

The committee adjourned following testimony; no vote on the nominees has been scheduled.

Today's hearing asked difficult questions of these controversial nominees.  The committee maximized this point of leverage.  The nominees answers left much to be desired, but at least they were asked to the questions.  Kudos especially to Senators Burton and Schwertner for their question.  It's a start....

Abbott kneecaps U.T. reform effort

"In the morning it happened that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.  And he wrote in the letter, saying, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck down and die.”  So it was, while Joab besieged the city, that he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew there were valiant men.  Then the men of the city came out and fought with Joab. And some of the people of the servants of David fell; and Uriah the Hittite died also."
2 Samuel 11:14-17

Well, THAT didn't take long:

Gov. Greg Abbott announced his nominees to fill upcoming vacancies on the University of Texas System board on Thursday, and in doing so, sent clear signals about his vision for those boards.

In an interview with the Tribune last week, Abbott was asked about two regents whose terms on the UT System board are almost over: Would his appointees more resemble Gene Powell, who served as the board's chairman during a particularly tumultuous time marked by tension with the University of Texas at Austin administration, or Steve Hicks, who was a vocal advocate of ceasing investigations into the flagship university that were contributing to that rift?

"I want people who are dedicated to the job who will focus on bringing excellence to the organization," Abbott responded. "I will give them marching orders about what I want them to achieve, and I expect them to achieve it without micromanaging."

That he was referring to the Hicks model became crystal clear on Thursday when Abbott re-appointed Hicks to the board. Powell and Bobby Stillwell, who was an ally of Hicks, will cycle off the board.

....

Abbott also appointed Sara Martinez Tucker and David Beck to the UT board.

First things first, Sarah Martinez Tucker served in the U.S. Department of Education during the administration of George W. Bush, which by itself tells you everything you need to know.

Next, Steve Hicks is the biggest apologist for Bill Powers on the current board.

But David Beck's nomination takes the cake:

In the last 14 years, he’s given to Texas Democrats, including Kirk Watson, Trey Martinez Fischer and Rodney Ellis

[Emphasis added]

That would be the same Trey Martinez Ferdinand Frank Fischer who was Joe Straus' designated hatchet man on the Wallace Hall impeachment committee.

Beck is also on the board of "Friends of the University" PAC, whose self description includes this gem:

The only criterion for receiving a donation from Friends of The University has been that the recipient shares our commitment to UT. In the early years the PAC supported staunch UT advocates such as Bob Bullock, John Montford, Bill Ratliff and David Sibley. More recently, it has supported top UT Austin allies like Joe Straus, Judith Zaffirini and Greg Abbott.

Because nothing screams Republican like Bob Bullock and Judy Zaffarini!!!

It gets better; from Page 10 of Abbott's own report issued in one of his final acts as A.G.:

In late 2000 or early 2001, the [U.T. Law School] Foundation President, David Beck appears to have sent or e-mailed a “proposal” to UT-Austin suggesting [former Law School] Dean [and current University President Bill] Powers receive a deferred compensation.

Bottom Line: The Texas Senate needs to kill these nominations.

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Update: It gets better, turns out Beck and Tucker both supported U.T.'s Affirmative Education program in 2013.

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Update II: Turns out Tucker is also a Common Core supporter.

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Update III: Again, even better; praise from Kirk Watson....

Post by Kirk Watson.