Party Politics and Purdue University Calumet, Part IV

In the last half of Part II of my ongoing series -- detailing the unholy alliance between the local Democrats and one of Purdue University's regional campuses -- I talked about how Chancellor Cohen of Purdue University Calumet decided that it was his role and duty, as a State official by virtue of his position as Chancellor of a State funded university, to provide aid and comfort to an elected Democratic Indiana State legislator, John C. Aguilera.  I have termed this unholy alliance between the local Democratic Party and Purdue University Calumet as "Politico Corrupticus Syndrome."

Cohen, as Chancellor, publicly defended elected Indiana State Democratic legislator, John C. Aguilera, against my public-citizen-taxpayer criticism.  Of course, Cohen would argue that he was just defending Aguilera against my "unfair and uninformed" criticism and since I am a tenured professor at Purdue Calumet -- where Cohen is Chancellor -- that he is just doing his job.  If you are not sure what the problem is with that, please see Parts I, II, and III.

On February 13, 2006, I again had the opportunity to voice my constitutional right to freedom of speech and to criticize one of my State Representatives, John C. Aguilera (opinion piece published in the Post-Tribune and on my blog).  It had come to my attention that Indiana State Representative, John C. Aguilera, had decided that while ostensibly representing the interests of Northwest Indiana, which includes Purdue University Calumet, he would take a job with Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).  Nothing wrong with that, right?  Well, not so fast.

Apparently, IUPUI's labor studies program decided that they needed help in the Indiana State legislature to make sure that its funding remained intact.  What to do?  What to do?  I know! Hire a State legislator who happens to be on the House Ways and Means Committee -- one named John C. Aguilera -- who is suppose to be working on behalf of Northwest Indiana, and instead ask him to work on behalf of funding for the labor studies program at the Indianapolis campus of one of our public universities.  Gosh, why hadn't Chancellor Cohen thought of that?  If Cohen wanted Aguilera to secure PUC's finding, why not just put him on the payroll?  Hint: Part of Aguilera's job was to secure PUCs funding as PUC is in his district and let us not forget, most of Aguilera's college attending constituents attend PUC. 

So on February 13, 2006, I "outed" State Representative John C. Aguilera as working on behalf of IUPUI instead of working on behalf of his constituents (you know, the people who actually voted for him) who are far more likely to attend Purdue Calumet than they are IUPUI.  Aguilera was irate at me and I received a nice little letter (aguilera_ltr.mht) threatening to sue me, among other threats.  Aguilera tells me that he "read with interest and dismay" my column "lambasting" him. He takes me to task for "continuing to insinuate" that he did not adequately represent PUC as he was working on behalf of IUPUI.  Then he says, "Let me make it clear that I do not work for IUPUI and was not working for them at the time of the adoption of the 2005 budget."

Being in Northwest Indiana it does not take long to learn that the Democratic Party here is nothing if not a bunch of confirmed liars.  Oddly enough, a February 18, 2006 story indicated that John C. Aguilera had decided not to run for re-election.  This seemed curious to me and my suspicions were confirmed the following month when it became publicly known that -- shock! -- John C. Aguilera had been employed by IUPUI (see here and here).  Needless to say, he never sued me for defaming him, as once again, John C. Aguilera demonstrated that Democrats in Northwest Indiana can manage that all by themselves. 

Did Chancellor Cohen ever apologize for using his official State position as Chancellor of Purdue University Calumet to defend the "esteemed" (now ex) State representative, John C. Aguilera?  Of course not! While Cohen claims that I am "unfair" and "uninformed", his blind dedication to the interests of elected Democrats from Northwest Indiana has, apparently, prevented him from noticing all the lying, theft, corruption, and abuse perpetrated upon the taxpaying citizens by those who are elected to "serve" the public, not "fleece" the public.  Nope, Chancellor Cohen is not embarrassed of publicly defending Aguilera.  I can only conclude that he saves his embarrassment for those who expose the corruption not those who actually perpetrate the corruption.

Only in the Orwellian world of Northwest Indiana can one experience a University chancellor -- in his role as Chancellor, functioning in an official State position, praising an elected Democrat in the Indiana State House of Representatives, in response to criticism leveled against that elected official, for making sure that Purdue Calumet -- in Northwest Indiana -- lost only $500,000 in yearly funding (see Part II) while this same State Representative, John C. Aguilera -- in whose district PUC resides -- was a paid employee of IUPUI (150 miles south of Northwest Indiana) making sure that its labor studies program didn't get short changed. 

Call me crazy, but this "Politico Corrupticus Syndrome" has got to go.

Comments

[appreciates discussion]

Thankfully we can have discussions unlike University of Florida where one is likely to get a police taser for asking questions. I'm not saying you are completely right but the world is a better place when we can discuss things. Keep the discussion going!