Northwest Indiana Comical Politics

Party Politics and Purdue Calumet, Part II

At the end of my last blog on this topic, I stated that little did I know that the trail of letters from McDermott to Cohen to me was the first act in an ongoing performance.  Events from that "first act" did die down, but not before Cohen and I exchanged letters and McDermott delivered a ringing radio performance. 

In the aftermath of my January 31, 2005, column discussed in Part I, McDermott went on the radio February 4, 2005, and ridiculed me saying that I was "starved for attention as a child," calling me a "moron", "nutty professor", and "completely and totally clueless."

But more important than his ridicule of me, on that February 4, 2005, radio show McDermott decided to go after my employment by accusing me of not doing my job.  And just how would McDermott Jr. know how I performed my duties as a professor? He announced he had engaged in conversation with Cohen about me, that I regularly missed classes and I did not hand out syllabi (among other things, all not true). 

Call me crazy, but I find the efforts of an elected official to get a taxpaying citizen fired from their job an unseemly sort of endeavor.  What I find just as unseemly, if not more so, is that Cohen, a high ranking State official by virtue of his position as Chancellor of a State-funded institution, apparently saw nothing wrong with such behavior. "Politico Corrupticus Syndrome" was clearly running its full course here. 

Remember, freedom of speech (particularly political speech) is an individual right to be protected against the government's suppression.  It is not a tool to be used by the government or government officials to suppress unwanted taxpayer/citizen criticism. Cohen and McDermott, both government officials (one as administrative head of a State-funded institution the other elected to office) were attempting to stifle political speech.  The Democratic Party should be appalled at this behavior.  That is as un-American as one can get.  It offends every sense of what America stands for and has fought for.

As an American Hoosier tax paying citizen, on February 4, 2005, I wrote "governmental enforcer" Cohen and told him "Shame on you" for sending an official governmental message to elected Democratic Party partisan McDermott Jr. that somehow attacks on a professor's job by an elected official are okay.  Cohen, of course, wrote me back, denied he was any way involved with McDermott Jr's behavior, but did inform me that he considered me an "embarrassment" to him, which just happened to be the exact word that McDermott, Jr. had used on his weekly radio show to describe my relationship to the University. 

It was after this little flurry of exchanges that things died down, but only for a bit.

About six months later, "Politico Corrupticus Syndrome" was once again manifesting itself in the halls of academe and the second act in this ongoing performance was underway. 

On August 25, 2005, I wrote one of my regular columns regarding the funding of State universities in Indiana (082505.mht).  This was but one of many columns I have written and speeches I have given on this topic. In this column, I squarely put the onus on our elected State legislators, particularly John Aguilera and Ralph Ayres (who were both serving on the House Ways and Means Committee, which wrote the bi-annual budget), for not addressing the disparity in higher education funding between the center of the State and NWI.  There was nothing unusual about this column.  Or so I thought. 

But this time was different.  Chancellor Cohen, as Chancellor of Purdue Calumet wrote a letter to the editor criticizing my August 25, 2005, column (CohenLtr.mht).  It is important to understand here that Howard Cohen did not disagree with me as Howard Cohen, the citizen, he disagreed with me in his official State position as Chancellor Cohen, and as Chancellor Cohen he defended the Northwest Indiana delegation, in particular Aguilera and Ayres, against my "unfair and uninformed" column. (Speaking of "unfair and uniformed" that year Purdue University Calumet lost half a million dollars in State, tax-payer, funding, which it has never recouped.  That $500,000, that you and I pay as tax payers, went to other parts of the State.  That is $500,000 per year of economic development funds that were lost.)

Party Politics and Purdue University Calumet

Having lived in at least four very different places here in the U.S. (I have also lived in two other countries), I can say with all sincerity that Lake County in Northwest Indiana trumps them all when it comes to Comical Politics. 

And there is no place or institution in Northwest Indiana that is not susceptible to the disease that plagues the Democratic Party here, "Politico Corrupticus Syndrome."  Even the hallowed halls of academe are infected. 

What was my first clue that "Politico Corrupticus Syndrome" infected one of our local universities?  Let me start with a story from late 2004 into 2005.

After winning election as Mayor of Hammond, Tom McDermott Jr. decided that he was not at all happy with the free speech I was exercising.  So, he talked to Chancellor Cohen at Purdue Calumet, my employer (in true NWI strong-arm fashion), and sent him an official Mayor of Hammond letter with attachments (mcdermott_letter.mht). (Of course, I was not aware of this letter until recently through a freedom of information request.)  Now, the Mayor's letter to Cohen would be irrelevant if it were not for the fact that the next column I published on January 31, 2005, which was critical of Mayor McDermott Jr., resulted in my receipt of an "offiicial" Purdue Calumet letter from the Chancellor's office (cohen response and column.mht).

I always thought it was odd that Chancellor Cohen thought my criticism of McDermott was "personal."  Now it is clear to me; McDermott had told Cohen that my criticism of him was personal, and Cohen took it as unadulterated truth.  And I always thought it odd that Cohen would intervene on behalf of McDermott.  After all, I spent considerable time criticizing Pastrick.  But Cohen did not send a letter to me on behalf of Pastrick.  No, for some reason, only due to the "Politico Corrupticus Syndrome" of McDermott did Cohn intervene.

As many of my readers know, I am a vocal critic of our many politicians who exhibit clear signs of "Politico Corrupticus Syndrome."  Call me crazy, but I just hate it when my, or anyone else's, tax dollars are stolen, misused, and abused.  Unfortunately, this happens a lot in Northwest Indiana.  Many of the local officials I criticized have been indicted and convicted.  One even fled to Greece to avoid serving jail time. 

Some of you, particularly those who do not like me for attacking "your guy," may think that Cohen did what he should have done.  He was "in the right" and I "had it coming."  But there is a fundamental and, thank goodness constitutionally protected, problem with that view.

Local Culture Wars, Part II

The ongoing story of religious harassment at PUC, as told by Prof. Mike Adams, can be read here.  Click here for background information.

NWI's Local Culture Wars

The "culture wars" have hit NWI and Purdue Calumet in full-force.  Recently, a local paper, The Times, reported a story about a former student, a practicing Christian and member of the LDS, who is suing Purdue Calumet for religious harassment.  This story has produced considerable local interest, judging by the number of "comments" it has generated.

But, this story is even more explosive than that.  It has all the "trappings" of a national controversy.

The former student is being represented by a national organization, the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF).  It is speculation on my part, but I would think that the ADF has many requests for assistance and that it has real choices about what cases it decides to pursue. This leads me to surmise that the ADF thinks that there is a legitimate case here.  One needs to remember that Purdue University Calumet's decision makers are not spending their own money if they harass and behave badly; they are spending the taxpayers money.  So there is no incentive for them to minimize the negative consequences.  ADF on the other hand has many lawyers, volunteers and money; nonetheless it is theirs to manage and they only get more if they win and have an effect.

The Grandfather, the Fraud, and The One Who Does Not Know

According to the Indiana Commission on Higher Education, in 2004, the state appropriation per full-time equivalent student for Purdue University Calumet was $4,797; for Purdue University in West Lafayette it was $7,981.

That is a difference of $3,184 per student per year, or about $20 million less for PUC each year.

This is your tax money that is going to Indianapolis and not coming back. And it is money that can only be spent on educating students, not on parking, dorms or athletics.

This is bad enough and in need of some immediate correction. But instead of a correction, at the last Indiana legislative session, PUC was cut $500,000 per year (not temporarily, but forever).

I have tried to understand why this could be happening and to make some sense of why Northwest Indiana is being financially shortchanged and its students are being abused in this manner.

The blame cannot be put on West Lafayette;leaders there are focused only on that campus — as they should.

Who is in a position to shine a light upon the subject and help higher education in NWI?

When all the “bull” is peeled away, there are really only three people responsible who represent the interests of PUC and the citizens of the district: state Sen. Frank Mrvan, state Rep. John Aguilera, and Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott, Jr. They are the central political figures we elect to take care of these concerns, to return tax dollars to the district.

It is not happening because they represent the three types of politicians we elect to our detriment: the nice grandfather, the fraud and he who does not know.

Mrvan represents the grandfather. Everyone loves him, Democrats and Republicans. He is a very nice person, likeable and completely aboveboard and truthful.

But likability is not the same as effectiveness. Thus, he is in no position to take on West Lafayette or develop a coalition to solidify funding for NWI.

Aguilera represents the fraud; he allowed the Legislature to pass the $500,000 cut for PUC. I always wondered, why? Then I remembered.

Aguilera is a fraud who pretended his “summer home” in Munster, in state Rep. Linda Lawson’s district, was an oversight. Is it also an oversight that has John C. Aguilera Jr. working for Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis?

No wonder he doesn’t care about NWI or PUC.

Mayor McDermott represents the politician who doesn’t know. McDermott’s opposition, in a recent column to the Toll Road lease, is an embarrassment of self-serving untruths and an anachronistic perception of economic development.

While asking for state support for Cabela’s, a project that financially benefits his father and brother, he will deny the rest of the state money for economic development.

While distorting the facts about the 33 percent of the tolls that are paid by Hoosiers, he cries that receiving 34 percent of the lease revenue is not fair.

While crying about economic development, he is incapable of understanding what Gov. Mitch Daniels does, that getting $3.85 billion for Hoosiers from outside the state is economic development.

Taxing the gas that Hoosiers use takes money out of their pockets and is economic un-development.

Until at least the frauds and the know-nothings are removed permanently from NWI politics, our economic development and future will continue to slip out of our hands.

Purdue University's Political Support

Purdue University as  a State institution is now supporting with "in kind" political donations to the forthcoming mayoral campaign of the former Republican turned Democrat Mayor of Hammond.  This is the one who defeated the incumbent Republican Mayor of Hammond, Duane Dedelow.

Purdue is providing free press advertising, Internet advertising and most importantly credentials and status building to the turncoat Democrat.  One never knows how legal these are for a state institution.  But in NWI legality is a matter of flexibility and don't talk about ethics, even the people who are pushing to ethical "rules" won't speak against anyone breaking them.

It is amazing though, out of self interest, that a Republican Governor, Senate, and House would put up with this situation.  It should be an embarrassment to them to be taken advantage of so easily.

PUC professor takes issue with chancellor over funding

Thursday, sept. 8, 2005

By Maurice M. Eisenstein
Post-TRibune guest columnist

In a recent Post-Tribune letter to the editor, Howard Cohen, Purdue University Calumet’s chancellor, called my Aug. 25 column on higher education in NWI “unfair and uninformed.”

The feedback I received from colleagues about this fell into three categories: The chancellor’s comments seemed personal, his comments did not address the issues raised and, finally, only in NWI would a chancellor blast a citizen’s column requesting more funding for local students in our local universities.

The public attack against my professional credibility is inappropriate because Cohen is my “boss.”As far as his motivation, one can only speculate that having gained the political position on the Regional Development Authority from the McDermott family, he has adopted the modus operandi for NWI politicos: when you cannot answer the issues, destroy the personal-professional lives of the questioners.

Cohen states “a political scientist who professes expertise on state and local government affairs, (Eisenstein) knows very well this was not a session in which there were excess revenues available for distribution.”

Putting aside my professional credentials, one did not have to be an expert to know that Indiana’s budget was tight. While the chancellor congratulates our legislators for “helping to minimize our reduction in state funds,” that does not answer the question of why, during this legislative session, only PUC and Indiana State had reductions?Although, ISU remains first in funding.

Chancellor Michael Wartell of Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne has raised the following question to the State Board of Accounts: “Why does it take $4,000 (yearly) more per student to educate an English major in Kokomo and Indianapolis than it does in Fort Wayne?”

I ask the same question for NWI that Chancellor Wartell asked for Fort Wayne.Why does it take $4,200 more yearly in public funds to educate a student in Indianapolis and Kokomo than it does in NWI?

IPFW has been in the forefront of developing higher education outside the shadow of Indianapolis.Officials there began student housing at regional campuses; the rest just tagged along. They have become part of the Interstate 69 State Higher Technology development corridor.And, they compete in 16 NCAA Division I sports.

IPFW also receives over $10 million more yearly than PUC (plus three instructional buildings), which is worth more than the RDA and/or Cabala’s in economic development value.

But if PUC can do this for $4,200 yearly less per student than Kokomo or Indianapolis, and $6,500 less yearly per student compared to Lafayette or Bloomington, what are these other campuses doing with all that extra cash?

Don’t be fooled. The extra money isn’t needed for housing or athletics, which have to be self-supporting.

Other campuses get more money per student every year to do what Cohen says PUC is doing with less.Either the other campuses are getting too much or NWI is getting too little.

Underlying this question, NWI’s campuses educate more Hoosier minority students than all other state-funded universities in Indiana.

How is this disparity not racist?

Maybe our legislators and the chancellor are trying to tell us that minority students don’t cost as much to educate?

Maurice M. Eisenstein is an associate professor of political science in Purdue University Calumet’s Department of History and Political Science.

Contact him at [email protected] or 989-2688.

NWI Incompetents Get More Funding = Insanity

Giving more tax revenue to 'incompetents’ seems insane

June 6, 2005

By Maurice Eisenstein

The last savior for Lake County’s economic sanity now is the Lake County Council. It may pass two taxes raising more than $40 million for Northwest Indiana economic development — a county income tax and a food and beverage tax. This would transfer more money to the county’s three largest cities and, just like the Regional Development Authority, will ensure the rest of the county continues to pay for the financial disasters of the incompetents and thieves of north Lake County.

Regrettably, there is nothing else to call it. The thievery continues to be established by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. This level of thievery is not going on everywhere and, despite protestations of innocence, it is concentrated in the northern part of Lake County. It is endemic to the individuals populating the local ruling political party, the Democrats.

Incompetence, including lack of ethics, is also concentrated in the northern part of Lake County — in part because they have the money and most of the projects that permit them to show their incompetence. Again, despite protestations otherwise, it is difficult to find other areas with such universal incompetence concentrated in one local political party.

During the past 20 years, despite huge sums of money coming into county and city government, I am not aware of a single successful economic development project that has been undertaken.

Municipal governments have raised their levies almost to the maximum each year, state government took over more of the local education funding and NWI has received more than $1.5 billion in gambling revenue since 1996. The consequence of these revenues is that NWI is the crime capital of the country, while producing functional illiterates out of its educational systems. The area qualifies for quality-of-life rebates and the young people who are able to are leaving as fast as possible.

No citizen can determine whether this misery is caused by illegality and/or incompetence. U.S. Attorney Joseph Van Bokkelen must sort out that question and prosecute when necessary. But every NWI citizen, even those with a vested interest, must recognize that those are the only two options. Our leadership is functioning illegally or incompetently; there is no third option.

The Democrats have always prided themselves with removing unethical behavior from the federal government and sending the perpetrators to jail. The Tom McDermotts, father and junior, are indicative of the unethical leadership that ails NWI.

With the father being paid an hourly fee by Cabela’s and the son threatening retaliatory action against private entities on behalf of Cabela’s, it is the very definition of a conflict of interest. They do not recognize that ethical standards require that the father not have any interest in a company doing insurance business with the city. Now, these two people want the rest of the citizens of NWI to support Hammond’s incompetent, unethical leadership through a countywide increase in taxes.

How many times must the citizens of NWI be fleeced before they say no?

I challenge anyone to name a project that has been carried out by these leaders, elected and civic, that is a success when compared with the public money expended. Now, the County Council wants to turn over more money to these same people? That is the true definition of insanity — doing the same thing over and expecting different results.

Maurice Eisenstein is a professor at Purdue University Calumet. E-mail him at [email protected] comments do not represent Purdue University.

Published in The Post-Tribune