The PAC-14 Fiasco - Part III…
… Why Are They Meeting In Secret?
Do you want the short answer?
BECAUSE THEY’RE HIDING THINGS!
OK, now you can stop reading and go finish your coffee. OR… you can stick around and try to find out who’s hiding what.
First, we need to dispense with the question of whether or not they really are meeting secretly. The answer is ABSOLUTELY!
What’s unfortunate is that some, maybe most, of the participants don’t even realize that the public is being kept away from these meetings. It is only a few that are adamant in keeping outsiders at bay.
Mike Goodson
In at least one case – mine – they are accomplishing this by a convoluted version of the old “bait and switch”. In early June I was made aware of some of the shenanigans occurring at PAC-14. The first person I attempted to contact was Mike Goodson. Mike was REAL forthcoming.
You would have thought the man was a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay. Literally, the only thing that he would confirm was his name. I think that he only did that because I had looked his home number up in the phone book and spoke to his wife. Perhaps if she hadn’t admitted that Mike Goodson was her husband, he might have tried to hide that from me.
Goodson wouldn’t confirm any meetings. He certainly wouldn’t tell who was at these meetings. His answer to everything was, “You’ll have to ask the ‘PARTNERS’”.
“Who are the ‘PARTNERS’”?
“You’ll have to ask the ‘PARTNERS’”.
That’s right Mike. I’m going to ask the “PARTNERS” who the “PARTNERS” are!
The man wouldn’t even tell me what entity paid his salary. I just love transparency in public agencies.
Jerry Waldron
With no luck at PAC-14, a friend suggested that I call Salisbury University CIO Jerry Waldron. On the surface he seemed a little more forthcoming, but…
To cut to the chase, Waldron initially admitted that there were meetings. He admitted that there was a “Transitional Task Force”. He admitted they had met. When asked if I could get a list of the members the answer was first – NO – then – MAYBE.
When asked if I could attend the next meeting of the “Transitional Task Force” I was first told NO, then “I don’t know”.
Needless to say, I never got a list from Mr. Waldron. He was never forthcoming about being on the board – and being involved in circumventing it. I have yet to be told when the “Transitional Task Force” is meeting. And I don’t know of anyone outside of this dirty little guild who has been invited to attend.
This whole affair stinks and we probably need to start with the head …
Betty Crockett
I wouldn’t know Betty Crockett if she walked in and sat next to me while I was writing this. She may well be the kindest, sweetest person on earth. She is also up to her neck in this fiasco.
As we noted yesterday, there is no question that PAC-14 has a legally appointed board of directors. The last time I checked, Ms. Crockett was the chair.
Yet, she has worked tirelessly to go around her fellow board members (except for the SU representatives) and dismantle the board. Budgets are being submitted to the Salisbury and Wicomico County governments without approval by the board. No one from the county was aware of this. No one from the city, with the POSSIBLE exception of John Pick was aware of this. Yet, Betty Crockett appears to be at every meeting.
Your tax dollars are being spent by an entity that has gone outlaw; and the gang boss is an SU vice president.
I can understand why these people are meeting in secret. If no one knows, no questions will be asked. I don’t think these folks wanted the public to know that PAC-14 has become a rogue operation. Unfortunately it has. No one admits to being in charge. Tax money is literally being taken under false pretenses. And, as we’ll see tomorrow, the parties who are supposedly responsible are diving under furniture to avoid answer questions.
Scream at me all you want, but at least Mike Pretl is willing to stand up and take a hit for the team. The rest of these sissies are hiding under their beds.
Tune in tomorrow for Part IV – Why Won’t They Answer Any Questions?
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keep diggin!