weeklyreports_08_01

What would Tattoo Say? NEW DOCUMENTS ON USM PLANE REVEALED One of the large document dumps, all pursuant to a Mississippi Open Records request of USM by USMNEWS.net, concerns 2012 expenses related to the USM airplane, a popular subject here on this website. The table inserted just below summarizes what we know, by category, about the 2012 expenses related to former USM president Martha Saunders’ 2008 lease (from the USM Foundation) of a Beechcraft King Air.

Dear usmnews.net, Your recent series about the money wasted on public relations for a fourth tier public university has been a real public service. It is disgusting to think that woman (former-President Martha D. Saunders) was allowed to waste three quarters of a million dollars on PR with apparently no accountability while tuition continues to climb. Speaking of which, where was the IHL when all of this was going on?

. . . breaking news . . Details of Athletics Department Deficit Revealed HATTIESBURG – Regular followers of USM are familiar with recent media reports indicating that the institution’s athletics department is currently dealing with a deficit of over $1,000,000. Various reports and editorials have linked this deficit issue to the recent end of the Martha Saunders administration of USM.

Special Report Fuel for Thought The report presents some of the document scans recently obtained from USM by USMNEWS.net via a Mississippi Open Records Act request. These scans relate to the airplane leased by USM president Martha Saunders in the fall of 2008. Much of the information concerns recent expenses (2012) associated with that plane.

President Saunders' Last Days Squandering Students' and Taxpayers' Money Part 1 Recent Costs and Uses of King Air N777AQ As recently reported in "What Would Tattoo Say, New Documents On USM Plane Revealed," usmnews.net recently received documents concerning the most up-to-date costs and uses of King Air N777AQ. The cash costs for the period of early January 2012 until early July 2012 are $266,605.50. Previous cash costs of N777AQ covering the period of March 2009 until December 2011 were $1,163,207.05.

An Editorial: Does Evil Lurk in Our Community? ... As you read this editorial, did you notice how many times Ms. Munn based her accusations on facts? If you say zero, you are absolutely right. She said her accusations came from second-hand, third-hand, or worse information. Ms. Munn said she trusted these people, which translated to her belief that gossip is to be accepted -- without a shred of proof -- as objective evidence. In fact, she had observed nothing herself to support the allegations she made to fire me.

President Saunders' Last Days Squandering Students' and Taxpayers' Money Part 2 2012 "Everybody's stupid but us." Why would anyone think you'd be stupid for believing the stated purpose of a recent use of the University of Southern Mississippi/Martha Saunders' airplane, N777AQ? An understanding why begins with the stated purpose of a use of USM's airplane N777AQ as quoted from USM's invoice #001-110, which

Dear usmnews.net, Reading the Does Evil Lurk in Our Community series has made me ______________. I'm not sure what word to fill in the blank with. Appalled. Horrified. Sick at heart. Disgusted. All of them apply as well as some that you probably wouldn't print.

Right Up to the End New Documents Reveal Idgroup Largesse Continued through June-2012 More documents received by USMNEWS.net from USM via open records legislation reveals that Mona Amodeo’s public relations firm Idgroup continued to benefit from its relationship with Martha Saunders’ USM right up until the end of Saunders’ reign as president of USM. The invoice below was signed by Saunders on 25-June-2012, and was quite possibly her final act as USM president.

President Saunders' Last Days Squandering Students' and Taxpayers' Money Part 3 2012 "We're entitled, that's why. And you're not." On March 10, 2012, N777AQ was flown round trip from Hattiesburg, MS to Memphis, TN. Passengers as reported in USM's Interdepartmental Invoice were "Chad Driskell-Executive Assistant to President Martha Saunders, Doug Rouse-Member, Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, Evan Dillard-Chief Executive Officer, Forrest General Hospital,

. . . breaking news . . . Source: IHL Board Member to Resign over USM Flap HATTIESBURG – An anonymous source contacted USMNEWS.net stating that IHL Board member Doug Rouse is expected to resign his IHL post this month (Aug-2012). According to the tip, Rouse received an opinion from the Mississippi Ethics Commission relating to his business (medical practice) relationship with the USM athletics department. A copy of the MEC’s opinion, dated 16-July-2012, was provided to USMNEWS.net and is inserted at the end of this report.

. . . breaking news . . . Rouse’s MEC Form Reveals Failure to Disclose HATTIESBURG – USMNEWS.net has obtained the most recent Statement of Economic Interest form filed with the Mississippi Ethics Commission by Mississippi IHL Board member Doug Rouse. That form, which is dated 24-April-2012, fails to disclose the business relationship between Rouse and USM that exists through Rouse’s provision of medical services to the USM athletics department.

Special Report Phone Records Reveal Influence Records of Rouse’s Communications with Saunders Made Public Ed Kemp’s 12-Aug-2012 report for The Hattiesburg American reveals what appears to be an attempt by IHL Board member Doug Rouse to influence the 2011-12 hiring of a new athletics director at USM.

Editorial What We Learned as Children The Mississippi Ethics Commission recently issued Advisory Opinion No. 12-058-E. The question MEC considered was: "May a member of a state board of trustees and/or businesses in which he holds a material financial interest provide services to an institution governed by the board?"

Dear usmnews.net, Can we expect more in the "Does Evil Lurk in Our Community" series? The warnings are welcome. By the way, I have printed copies on my home computer and have been quietly circulating them to colleagues.

President Saunders' Last Days Squandering Students' and Taxpayers' Money Part 5 2012 "Does it really matter who is in charge?" On May 16-17, 2012, President Martha Saunders had just, in the previous month, been "ousted" or "retired," depending on whom you believe, and interim-President Aubrey Lucas was taking up right where she left off:

. . . breaking news . . Idgroup Now Feeding at the MUW Budget Trough HATTIESBURG – Documents obtained by USMNEWS.net from the Mississippi University for Women via a Mississippi Open Records Act request indicates that Mona Amodeo’s Idgroup is now feeding at the MUW budget trough. The insert below shows e-mail communication between Amodeo and officials at MUW, including MUW president Jim Borsig, regarding Core Dialogue sessions that Idgroup is preparing for MUW this fall (2012).

President Saunders' Last Days Squandering Students' and Taxpayers' Money Part 4 2012 "Dumb, dumber, or dumbest. It's hard to decide." Looking back on last week's reports arising from usmnews.net's recently obtained documents through a Mississippi Open Records Act, we are challenged to identify which report-Part 2, Part 3, or today's report, Part 4-is dumb, which is dumber, and which is dumbest. Granted, Part 2, which reported that the purpose of using USM airplane N777AQ was to "Discuss [USM's] School of Nursing and attending NCAA finals" at a cost of $21,678.57 is in contention for the top honor.

update to 31st & Pearl Whatever Happened to the "Campus Dialogues"? usmnews.net has received many comments concerning the recent series about $700,000 plus paid to idgroup during former-President Saunders' tenure as president of the University of Southern Mississippi. Not too surprisingly, none of the comments concerning the expenditures have been particularly favorable.

Peyrefitte Hauls in $50,000 Raise STILL GOOD TO BE AN ADMINISTRATOR AT USM At its 16-Aug-2012 meeting, the Mississippi IHL Board raised Joseph Peyrefitte’s salary from $125,000 per year to $175,000 per year. This $50,000 difference equates to a 40% raise for Peyrefitte, who has served as the CoB’s associate dean since April-2007, when former CoB marketing professor Alvin Williams was elevated to interim CoB dean after the resignation of Harold Doty from that post.

An Editorial, Does Evil Lurk in Our Community? Charles Jordan A recent breaking news report, "Another (Dangerous?) USM Professor Steps Forward," published at usmnews.net, reminded me of the apparent ease with which University of Southern Mississippi faculty are accused of being dangerous. Apparently, there's an epidemic at USM of "dangerous people." All too often hidden in the background are the mobbers, the "colleagues" who lurk behind the scenes and act in an effort to destroy the lives and careers of colleagues with whom they disagree. In Patty Munn's deposition, she insisted that a colleague must be a "person who views the world in the correct manner."

Dr. Rouse, It's Time to Stop Embarrassing Yourself and the State of Mississippi "The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning"-wow, what a title-in their "Final Board Handbook, dated August, 16, 2012" reported "Minutes of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning June 21, 2012"-hold on, our "trustees" are getting to the point,

Is the CoB’s SoA a Twilight Zone? A Guest Viewpoint The USM business college’s (CoB’s) two newest accounting faculty, Kirby “Skip” Hughes and Michael Dugan, were said to be big-time researchers. Hughes came to USM from LSU, while Dugan came in from Alabama – both top tier national universities. However, a recent perusal of the CoB’s School of Accountancy’s (SoA’s) journal articles webpage reveals that these two scholars are now publishing in the same types of low-level journals in which so many of the CoB’s long-time accountants have been, and are still, publishing.

. . breaking news . . Idgroup’s Price Tag for MUW Rises to $72,000 HATTIESBURG – According to the latest documents received by USMNEWS.net from the Mississippi University for Women, the Core Dialogues process that is being provided to MUW by Mona Amodeo’s Idgroup is going to cost Mississippi taxpayers and MUW students $72,000, a figure that is $40,000 higher than the figure reported a few days ago.

President Saunders' Last Days Squandering Students' and Taxpayers' Money Part 6 2012 "One more scandal for the road." On April 27, 2012, President Martha Saunders announced her "resignation." Whether it was voluntary is a matter of debate given the secrecy and suddenness of the "resignation." Interim President Aubrey Lucas immediately took over even though Saunders' "resignation" was not effective until June 30, 2012.

An Editorial: Does Evil Lurk In Our Community? Roderick Burl Posey ... Rod Posey may seem an odd choice for inclusion in the "Does Evil Lurk in our Community?" series. He is widely known as a minister, a man of god. Yet here he is. Read his deposition and draw your own conclusions.

. . . breaking news . . . HA Report: Rouse May Have Violated Ethics Law HATTIESBURG – A 12-Aug-2012 report by The Hattiesburg American’s Ed Kemp indicates that Mississippi IHL Board member Doug Rouse may have violated ethics law by maintaining an economic interest in USM, a state institution of higher learning, even after taking a post on the IHL, the governing body of public institutions of higher learning in Mississippi.

An Editorial Does Evil Lurk In Our Community? And Transfer to the University of South Alabama? ... A final word -- a warning from someone who has been there: You need to exercise caution around Alvin Williams. If he doesn't think you are collegial, if he and others don't like what you have to say, and if people like Patty Munn and he decide you are not a "person who views the world in the correct manner," he may join a mob who will make vile, unfounded accusations in an effort to destroy your career.