Missing All the Fun

Hmmm, I went away for a couple of weeks and what happens?

1. The Board of Trustees of COD decided to give President Breuder a going away party and a $762,000 present for building a fine dining establishment, a wonderful and fully stocked wine cellar, an expensive  hotel, and for paving over much of the campus.

2. Wheaton gets clobbered with a little over 20 inches of snow in a 24 hour period.

I'm Not Complaining and Neither is Robert Breuder
Well, I suppose I could, but why bother? It would be like talking about the weather, which we all know in this part of the country is cold and can dump a lot of snow. We do realize this, don't we?

Now, I do regret missing the fun over at my neighbor, that dysfunctional behemoth called "The [Community] College of DuPage." I'll be posting some additional comments about that in a few days. However, I do find it odd that a public institution releases their presidents early  (not once, but twice in succession) and blesses them with full salary for doing absolutely nothing and for the singular purpose of getting rid of them. If Breuder was such a wonderful president, why let him go? Let's keep him for another three years and get the "wonderful" results we are paying this guy for. However, this is Illinois which should be renamed "Land of Madigan" and in this state politicians and apparently our community college board feel that any money raised via taxes and bonds (borrowing, to be repaid via taxes) is theirs to flush in whatever manner they feel appropriate. According to a Chicago Tribune article, Breuder is very good at shaking the fruit from the trees and for his own personal benefit. "It wasn't the first time Breuder, 70, had negotiated a big parting check. In the past six years, two publicly funded colleges have given him retirement packages totaling $1.27 million."

Wow! Isn't it wonderful what public school trustees can do with our money?

As for the weather, well, "it is what it is." Now, I do undersand there were some complaints by residents. I also am aware of some automobiles which were stuck in the snow. One was driven by a visitor who simply couldn't keep away. It seems some think all of those Weather Service advisories, warnings and so on are simply to be ignored. Then when they get stuck it becomes "How could this happen?"

It reminds me of a situation I encountered in Pennsylvania a few winters ago. I was near Reading, PA doing what I normally do the keep clients in business and we were hit by a nasty winter storm. We worked late that day, as usual and carefully drove our vehicles back to the motel. En route we had a simple meal at a diner. The next morning it was icy but with caution driving was doable and as we had a schedule to keep we all made it to the site as required. On arrival and after the morning kick-off meeting one of the senior engineers remarked on the sole vehicle we each saw in the ditch as we drove down the highway. It was an Audi Quattro, which is an expensive all wheel drive vehicle. Audi America describes it this way "For 35 years, our legendary quattro® all-wheel drive has pushed vehicle performance — and the thrill of the ride." Well, I guess the driver of that Quattro in the ditch got quite a thrill that night!

I'm not dissing Audi's, A few years ago I flew into Tulsa in the aftermath of an ice storm. There were Chevy Suburbans and even a Hummer H2 in the ditch. What we tend to forget is friction. Driving on ice is dangerous for all rubber-tired vehicles. I drive an AWD Subaru WRX which is a wonderful road car. But "black ice" is ice and it is friction that allows the vehicle to adhere to the roadway. Ice negates friction. With no friction it is impossible to steer.

Not everyone understands this, some refuse to believe it. Over at COD with Ms. Erin Birt at the helm as Board Chairman, we can expect more shenanigans. Birt's term expires in 2017. This means she can do more damage by hiring yet another college president and flushing yet more taxpayer money. By my recollection about $870,000 in unwarranted compensation has been paid to the two most recent COD presidents. But this is DuPage County and the college has unlimited taxing ability. Ms. Birt apparently loves the feeling of power that comes with flushing taxpayer and student dollars.

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

College of DuPage email exposes the chase for tax dollars

This will be the first of three posts on how COD lost the opportunity for $20 million in state funding. 

The heavy handed attempt to get these funds has been described as a "money grab." The second post will provide more information on the problem and the work by Andrzejewski who uncovered the plot.

From the Chicago Tribune July 7, 2014:

"Credit Gov. Pat Quinn for putting a stop last week to a seedy little money grab by officials at the College of DuPage. Before this episode heads to the dust bin, it's worth a few minutes to examine what it says about the use and abuse of tax dollars. The DuPage community college wanted to get $20 million that had been appropriated by the state several years ago, but never released.

Big problem: The money had been targeted for projects that the school had already completed. The school wasn't sure now how it would spend the money. But it really wanted it."

In an email that has been released, Robert Breuder the college president wrote the the COD board "I needed to identify a project that would help release our state funding......My idea: a Teaching and Learning Center. "

How did this information come to light? "Adam Andrzejewski, founder of the transparency-in-government group For The Good of Illinois, got a copy of the Breuder email through a Freedom of Information Act request. Andrzejewski, a DuPage County resident, was looking for information about the college's finances. He has questioned the college's spending habits. Apparently for good reason."

The article ends with "What this amplifies is how Illinois spends money. It doesn't spend money when it's essential. It spends money when it's there. "

For the entire article, go here:


Clicking will open a  New Window> COD Case for Tax Dollars

The full title of the article:

Use it or lose it

College of DuPage email exposes the chase for tax dollars