Monday, March 9, 2015

ILLINOIS COLLEGE LIVING OFF THE FEDERAL DIME!

Submitted by: Doris Parker

"At the second largest college in Illinois, gift bans be damned - 
it's filet mignon and crème brule...  for all!"
 
 
Fine Dining on the Public Dime
College of DuPage President, trustees and senior managers, racked up big bills wining and dining...
Chicago Tribune | by Jodi Cohen and Stacy St. Clair 
March 8, 2014  
 
The Fat Cats at College of DuPage
Gift bans be damned. It's steaks, ribs, filet and creme brulee... 
Huffington Post | by Adam Andrzejewski
November 17, 2014 

Last November, we broke the story at the College of DuPage. Trustees, senior managers, and the president were "gaming the system for personal gain." Tens of thousands of student and taxpayer dollars spent on drinking alcohol, fine dining, gifts, parties and much more...
In yesterday's Sunday, front page piece at Chicago Tribune, reporters Jodi Cohen and Stacy St. Clair dug deeply into three years of spending data at the upscale COD Waterleaf restaurant.  It's a bombshell story.
Here are just some of the findings:
  • $190,000 spent by President, trustees, and senior managers at the Waterleaf via House Accounts on nearly 500 excursions
  • Since opening in 2012, the Waterleaf restaurant has lost up to $2 million.
  • 1 out of every 16 dollars spent since opening was charged off through these "House Accounts" by the president, trustees or managers.
  • Waterleaf is scheduled to lose another $520,000 this year
  • Students only work the restaurant 2 of seven day - "professional management" runs the restaurant
  • President Robert Breuder has dined at Waterleaf 250 times and charged off over $100,000.  (Breuder just received a $762,868 lump sum "voluntary" retirement bonus payable in March, 2016.)
Read the Chicago Tribune article here - Fine Dining on the Public Dime

In November, after we exposed them, COD didn't reform the egregious spending practices. Instead, they attacked us in a 20 minute speech by Trustee Diane McGuire and compared us to Nazi tyranny.

Listen to COD Trustee Diane McGuire.  Listen to Matthew Tyrmand (Deputy Director, OpenTheBooks.com) and his 3 minute rebuttal.

 
Now, the Chicago Tribune editorial board has called for six of seven trustees to resign their positions. Only Vice Chairman Kathy Hamilton is leading reform. 

It's Time to Go!
Chicago Tribune Editorial Board
January 27, 2015

It takes a lot of voices and hard work to hold government accountable. With your continued support, real reform has true momentum. Help us finish the job.

Must Read
:

The Edgar County Watchdogs are breaking great news stories investigating the College of DuPage.  We encourage you to go to their website, here. Much of our journalism sources their hard work.

Next COD board meeting is on March 19th at 7PM... I'll see you there.
For The Good of Illinois   
   
ADAM ANDRZEJEWSKI 
Founder & Chairman, For The Good of Illinois 

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