MCC Prez Patronage Pick Bill Smith Speaks Out
Before I write anything else, can you legal eagles who read RT tell me: did Smith break the law by screwing Cornell CCE to benefit MCC when he was in the County Leg?
Smith recently spoke in a Q&A session. Like Brooks and other GOP leaders in Monroe County, he’s very good with words. We didn’t name him “Tapdancin’ Bill Smith” for nothing. The money quote:
he tried to make the case that his connections, coupled with his experience, would be a plus for the future of MCC.
Connections? Ya think? It was connections rather than credentials that kept forcing the all-GOP board of trustees to add him back onto the finalist list, a couple times, like a trick birthday candle you can’t blow out.
Looking beyond his fancy city lawyer words to the comments of someone who was at the Q&A session:
His lack of knowledge about issues in education today was appalling. He was unctious and close to arrogant in his references to “studies he’d read” that were apparently supposed to provide that knowledge. I was very tempted to ask him whether he’d hire me, without a legal degree, as a partner in Harris Beach if I went out and read a few legal studies.
The whole D&C comments section for this article is a great read, for a change. Note the couple of pro-Smith commenters trying to frame this as a “MCC sucks, Bill is a nice man who will save it!” argument.
Speaking of the MCC President Story, I read this in the D & C;
“Laurence Spraggs, president of Broome Community College in Binghamton, also toured the MCC campus this month. He has been a finalist for the top job at other two-year schools, including Manatee Community College in Bradenton, Fla., and Ohlone College in Fremont, Calif. He also is a candidate at the College of Southern Nevada…”
Let’s see, I can take a job in Sunny Florida, Sunny California, Sunny Nevada, or Rochester. What to do, what to do…….?
Yeah, let’s see - places where there is or will be water rationing or where you sit on top of 20% of the world’s fresh water supply.
What to do What to do….
Any thought on the challenges presented by each college?
I think the bigger question is: I can take a job at a college where the community is united in doing what they can to make the educational experience good or I can keep my hat in the ring and look bad when I’m turned down for the job because of political machinations or, worse yet, get a job that ends up completely politicized.
Again, I’m shocked that either “quality” candidate is left at this point. My observation is that usually people head for the exits when they see the kind of under-the-table stuff that’s happening here.
Is that why people flock here in droves on vacation? Who knew?
(Pondering hypothetically here) I can hear him now, using that specific argument to convince his wife and kids why living here would be better, especially if he has teenage daughters.
Yeah I’m sure you can. But if you want to add more value than weather comments. - answer the serious question I posed…
Any thought on the challenges presented by each college?
I don’t have a clue what the challenges presented by each college are because that entire aspect of the article in the paper was contained in the three sentences I posted. He’s got other irons in the fire, nothing more.
In all honesty, I don’t really care about the matter of challenges at each facility. On the other hand, I’m sure Mr. Spraggs is weighing that as part of his decision making process should he be offered the job. It’s going to impact him. Me, not so much.
As it should - the weather not so much.
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