Where are the ship’s captain and deckhands? January 21, 2014
First of all it must be understood that Arkansas State University Chancellor Tim Hudson tried to pull this scam off, i.e. Texas Tech-Mexico, while employed at Texas Tech and his proposal was rejected.
Friday January 16, 2014 A-State President Charles Welch sent an abbreviated memorandum to each member of the Arkansas General Assembly. Welch put forth 4 wonderments for having an A-State campus in Mexico, none of which had substance.
The General Assembly is not imbued with much curiosity or feel much duty to state taxpayers or they would be examining reams of very expensive legal and accounting paperwork paid for by state taxpayers without their authority or knowledge for the proposed campus in Mexico.
It is difficult to understand why such a mammoth project as being discussed here would not be in the purview of Ark. Gov. Beebe, the General Assembly and Director of Higher Education, Shane Broadway. It cannot be blind acceptance.
Reading some of the FOIA documentation it becomes painfully obvious that A-State’s President & Chancellor are on a self-serving mission and couple that with an abundance of ignorance pertaining to the country of Mexico…they are mere “Babes in the Woodsâ€. Everyone knows that Mexico’s government is totally corrupt, that bribes are everyday requirements, that drug cartels run rampant, and that it is not a safe country for Americans to travel, much less study.
Of further concern is the fact that the ASU Board of Trustees gave authorization for this proposed project without oversight or direction from the Governor and state legislature.
This project is being promoted as a profit-making endeavor. Nothing could be further than the truth and if this project is allowed to reach fruition it will ultimately be dumped on Arkansas’ middleclass taxpayers. The FOIA brought to light the fact that this project is fraught with ineptitude, waste, and greed.
December 17, 2012 ASU Chancellor Hudson signed A Memorandum of Understanding. Terms of the M.O.U. are indefinite and uncertain. An M.O.U. is not generally understood to constitute a formal contract; therefore the M.O.U. of A-State is probably not a formal contract. From that December date to the present date a legally sound agreement has not been signed.
The M.O.U. provides that “AIEM (Grupo Proyeotos Association for the Advancement of Mexican Education) will obtain sufficient funds from private sources to underwrite any actual loses of the ASUJ Queretaro Campus from a mutually agreed upon budget for the initial 3 years of operation.†The private sources are not identified. There is no information given to ensure the private sources are financially capable of underwriting the loses. This information was clearly requested in the FOIA, therefore it must be assumed that there is no written or other documentation of due diligence by ASUJ to verify the private sources have the financial ability to complete the underwriting provisions.
The Underwriting Provisions appear to be illusory. It is also noteworthy that Article 3 of M.O.U. provides that the Agreement may be cancelled by either party in writing by giving 90 days’ notice.
Nowhere in the FOIA requested documentation was there any evidence that the Agreement is contingent upon both parties securing all approval from governments of both parties—accreditation, licensing, or registration requirements and complying with all other mandatory legal requirements for this cooperative enterprise.
This proposed project is hailed to be a for-profit enterprise, but has been set up as a Not for-profit. Stated in the FOIA documentation it is patently obvious that A-State is relying on federal funding. Nowhere did it address what faculty needs would be, who pays, but there were descriptions of what a fun time it would be for students & faculty alike to, as Hudson says, travel ABROAD. Mexico is abroad? Hudson immediately states the campus will benefit Arkansas State financially without investment of public funds. This proposed project is awash in taxpayer money.
In a memo from Jeff Hankins, V.P. for Communications & Economic Development ASU, to “Danny†(?) “ASU Jonesboro will use federal funds or private money to pay for initial startupâ€.
Public funds are being used and will continue to be used and this has the appearance of a massive cover-up.
As of this date Chancellor’s trips to Mexico and ancillary expenses (phones, personnel, equipment, etc.) were paid for by University funds.
The question now remains, will the leadership of the legislature or any other electives see fit to throw a life-preserver to unsuspecting Arkansas taxpaying citizens and halt this globalist scam, orchestrated by internationalist Tim Hudson?
Joe McCutchen
Fort Smith
P.S. For those folks from Peoria, federal funding originates in towns, cities, & states all over America. The federal government has generated a $17 TRILLION DEBT & Hudson/Welch want to create an enterprise in Mexico?