$232 Million Isn’t Enough at College of DuPage - "It's a spending and taxing machine"

The Following video was published on June 30, 2014

"Adam Andrzejewski lays out the College of DuPage Pay-To-Play With Governor Quinn- election votes for $20 million Construction Grant? The public comment at a board of trustees meeting is based in full on an email from President Robert Breuder to trustees detailing a political strategy to concoct a scheme to secure funding for an un-needed project."

The following is dated June 24, 2014 by the group "For the Good of Illinois" This post has highlights of an article over at that website and a brief video of an excerpt from a COD Board of Trustees meeting dated May 22, 2014.. The full article is on the forthegoodofillinois.org website here:

Clicking will open a  New Window> COD is a taxing and spending machine

The next video: "FREEZE PROPERTY TAXES, FREEZE STUDENT TUITION 

College of DuPage (COD) is a community college in Northern Illinois. It’s a spending and taxing machine… QUESTION: “Whose home is worth more today than in 2008- at the height of the DuPage County real estate market?” ANSWER [from the audience] : NONE.

FACT: Since 2008, College of DuPage hiked property taxes by 59% while home values declined. QUESTION: ”Who believes that a community college president- anywhere in Illinois- should cost taxpayers $500,000 per year?” ANSWER [from the audience]: NONE 

FACT: COD President Robert Breuder costs us nearly $500,000 yearly."

http://forthegoodofillinois.org/blog/2014/06/232-million-isnt-enough-at-college-of-dupage/

Video - Freeze Property Taxes, Freeze Student Tuition
Adam Andrzejewski, founder and Chairman of For The Good of Illinois gives public comment at College of DuPage budget meeting [on May 22, 2014].. Spending $160 million dollars leaves $72 million in the bank. That's enough to rebate a full year of property taxes or free student tuition. Andrzejewski only calls on the board to stop the hikes in taxes and tuition!

COD - "After media pressure, thankfully, some sanity finally resulted."

The Following video was published on Jun 30, 2014

"Adam Andrzejewski lays out the College of DuPage Pay-To-Play With Governor Quinn- election votes for $20 million Construction Grant? The public comment at a board of trustees meeting is based in full on an email from President Robert Breuder to trustees detailing a political strategy to concoct a scheme to secure funding for an un-needed project."

This is the third of three posts about how COD lost the opportunity for $20 million in state funding. 

A series of articles on July 1-3 at the Daily Herald provided the initial insights into the recently exposed attempt by the College of DuPage to get state funds through misrepresentation. Links to the article and to the "For the Good of Illinois" website are included in this post. 

The Daily Herald article states: 

"The College of DuPage won't receive a $20 million state construction grant now that Gov. Pat Quinn has seen an email detailing President Robert Breuder's strategy to secure the long-promised funding for the Glen Ellyn school. "

Here are excerpted statements made by the Governor and his spokesman on the decision to withhold the funds: 

Apparently the funds were withheld because "The tactics used by the president [Robert Breuder] in his email" and "We are suspending the possibility that they can submit a project for that funding." "We have no tolerance for any misrepresentation of how funds will be used," said David Blanchette, a spokesman for the governor.

According to the Herald article "Blanchette said $25 million in capital funds were appropriated for COD in 2009 by the state legislature as part of the Illinois Jobs Now! program. To date, $5 million has been obligated toward the demolition of structures on the Glen Ellyn campus."

The Herald also revealed that "Breuder's email was made public last week by an Elmhurst-based government watchdog group that obtained it through a Freedom of Information Act request.

The group, For the Good of Illinois, accused Breuder of coming up with an "unplanned" classroom building proposal to help secure the $20 million.  [Adam Andrzejewski is chairman of For the Good of Illinois]. According to the article Andrzejewski said "Breuder pressured the COD board to fast track the classroom project to obtain the $20 million state grant."

"The COD trustees quite obviously have a president whose leadership style and public actions are very troubling," Andrzejewski said. "The trustees need to reassert control of school governance."

He said Quinn "made the right call" by deciding to withhold the grant money.

"Until today, Dr. Breuder's entire strategy was coming to fruition in real-time," Andrzejewski said. "The only piece missing was Governor Quinn granting the money. After media pressure, thankfully, some sanity finally resulted."

Clicking will open a  New Window> Daily Herald July 3 article - COD


Clicking will open a  New Window> For the Good of Illinois Website

"The College of DuPage looked like it has forgotten its core mission,"

This is the second of three posts about how COD lost the opportunity for $20 million in state funding.

"The College of DuPage looked like it has forgotten its core mission," Adam Andrzejewski

An article at the News-Gazette provides additional information about the recently exposed attempt by the College of DuPage to get state funds through misrepresentation. It also provides additional information about recent college spending and the man who exposed the attempt to get that $20 million. This post will include a link to the original News-Gazette article and to the website of Adam Andrzejewski, who is chairman of For the Good of Illinois.

From the July 10, 2014 article at the News-Gazette by Jim Dey


"Most East Central Illinois residents probably haven't heard about the controversy involving a suburban community college president caught scheming about how to extract $20 million in state funds that his campus didn't need.

 "... not being able to say how we would use the state's money (perhaps no real need) could lessen our chances to break the money loose at this time (the political moon is rising). A building that focuses on teaching and learning is politically attractive," wrote Dr. Robert Breuder, president of the College of DuPage in an email to trustees.

He [Breuder] even hit upon a plan to publicly laud Pat Quinn when the governor spoke at the college's recent commencement.

"... I want to help our cause (getting the $20 million released sooner rather than later) by thanking him for his commitment in front of 3,500 people. There are many voters in our district. Please keep November in mind," said Breuder, referring to Quinn's re-election campaign. Whatever scheme Breuder hatched, his plan worked. The $20 million was in the pipeline — at least until his email plotting became public. Citing "the tactics used by the president in his email," Gov. Quinn suspended the funding.

"We have no tolerance for any misrepresentation of how funds will be used," a Quinn spokesman stated. "

What about the man who uncovered this plot? "News of the email is just one of a series of recent disclosures involving the College of DuPage generated by Adam Andrzejewski (pronounced Angie-f-ski), the ramrod of OpenTheBooks.com, a website dedicated to putting government spending online."

According to Mr. Dey's article, "...Andrzejewski recently examined spending at the College of DuPage, and the telltale email barely scratched the surface.

For instance, Breuder had a $469,365 compensation package for the fiscal year that ended June 30. It included an $8,400 automobile allowance, a "professional development" payment of $36,000, $24,900 for an annuity, an $18,000 housing allowance, six weeks of vacation and an additional 12 days for "respite and renewal." Breuder didn't even contribute to his own generous state pension — the college kicked in $22,000 for that.

Paid a salary of $269,000, Breuder's contract states that he can only be fired "for cause" by a super-majority (5/7th) of the college board.

Then there's the massive spending at the DuPage County college — $550 million in construction since 2009. In addition, the college has spent $192,000 over the past four years on wine and wine accessory purchases. The wine presumably goes into the wine cellar at the college's French restaurant, which was opened in 2011 and lost $576,000 in fiscal year 2012. "We are trying to quantify the losses in FY 2013," Andrzejewski said.
Or the wine could go to the college's hotel, "The Inn at Water's Edge."

"The College of DuPage looked like it has forgotten its core mission," Andrzejewsi said. "

Jim Dey, a member of The News-Gazette staff, can be reached by email at jdey@news-gazette.com or at 217-351-5369.


Here's a link to Mr. Dey's article - Clicking will open a  New Window> Jim Dey Website - News Gazette


Here's a link to Mr. Andrzejewki's website - Clicking will open a  New Window> Andrzejewsi's Website


Clicking will open a  New Window> For the Good of Illinois Website