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URI Foundation Money for Governor's trip to Davos

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2016 1:23 pm
by OBRAM
How can this even remotely happen unless someone in the Foundation Office is signing the checks? URI Foundation is not part of the State I believe, the Governor does not control this, except to gain a political favor?

Re: URI Foundation Money for Governor's trip to Davos

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2016 1:50 pm
by ATPTourFan
It would be helpful had a link or some other reference be included in your post so others could review and comment.

Re: URI Foundation Money for Governor's trip to Davos

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2016 2:26 pm
by OBRAM
"Education is the last area where politics should be injected,” said State Senator Paul Jabour, who represents District 5.

The trip would have cost $7,000 and State Senator Paul Jabour was unhappy about how the trip would have been paid for. he University of Rhode Island Foundation was going to pick up the tab.

"My initial reaction was why would we do that? And that sounds not like the foundation,” Jabour said.

Jabour, who also holds a seat on the foundation's board, says that's an improper use of funds and what's to stop political figures from asking educational foundations for money going forward.

"Institutions of higher education and their foundations are being tapped or asked to do things that may be against what their underlying purpose might be,” Jabour said.

The URI Foundation was established to raise money to further the education process of the university. Jabour says the main source of the money raised is from alumni, who typically specify where they want their money to go.

http://www.abc6.com/story/31015943/gove ... witzerland

Re: URI Foundation Money for Governor's trip to Davos

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2016 6:15 pm
by ATPTourFan
Yeah. This would have been improper use if Foundation funds.

So let me get this straight. State house gives the flagship university lowest support of all 50 states but feels it is ok to dip into the foundation which is almost exclusively supported by private alumni donations.

Re: URI Foundation Money for Governor's trip to Davos

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2016 6:38 pm
by Ramulous
Back in the day the University had a junior varsity basketball team...this was after freshmen were immediately eligible....Sen. Paul Jabour played on that team with Willie Middlebrooks and possibly Percy Davis and Mike Fascitelli...they were great RI high school players...I'm thinking 1974 maybe....

Re: URI Foundation Money for Governor's trip to Davos

Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2016 9:21 am
by Taylor Swift
Why couldn't Gina pay for that out of her own pocket?

Re: URI Foundation Money for Governor's trip to Davos

Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2016 10:35 am
by RF1
It is not just the URI Foundation that is being used to fund things in RI:

http://www.providencejournal.com/articl ... /160119256

Re: URI Foundation Money for Governor's trip to Davos

Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2016 11:04 am
by ATPTourFan
What the hell?!?

And why do people making $200k ALSO get a $550 monthly vehicle stipend??
Culatta, who stepped down as executive director of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology, is to be paid $210,000 in annual salary plus a $550 monthly car allowance and a $21,000 annual supplemental retirement payment plus benefits.

Re: URI Foundation Money for Governor's trip to Davos

Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2016 2:00 pm
by ramfan85
It's a standard payout for using personal cars for business use. I used to have company cars. When my company eliminated them, that's the amount I got.
It never equalled having a free car. Oh, the good old days...

Re: URI Foundation Money for Governor's trip to Davos

Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2016 4:07 pm
by ATPTourFan
I assume he had a job before taking this job. Is he now buying another car with that stipend money? Certainly doesn't drive enough to need that for gas or basic maint.

Re: URI Foundation Money for Governor's trip to Davos

Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 5:44 pm
by rambone 78
Wow. If the statehouse was going to use foundation money, then the statehouse/legislature ought to approve a bond for URI in return. Or something.

One hand washes the other, you know.

Re: URI Foundation Money for Governor's trip to Davos

Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2016 10:51 am
by OBRAM
I think this has a criminal element to it. Nobody thinks giving money to the private fundraising arm of URI is going to be used for other than University purposes. This is just like going into a store and stealing some food, no difference. How does someone file a charge? So, they get caught, and then they think it is ok now?

Re: URI Foundation Money for Governor's trip to Davos

Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 11:41 am
by RF1
Senator Paul Jabour, a member of the URI Foundation, will introduce legislation asking the AG to investigate the legality of this practice.


http://www.golocalprov.com/news/new-sen ... oundations

Re: URI Foundation Money for Governor's trip to Davos

Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 12:22 pm
by OBRAM
Sorry, I don't have any faith in AG Kilmartin investigation. The fox investigating the fox as in' the fox to guard the henhouse'.

Re: URI Foundation Money for Governor's trip to Davos

Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 12:44 pm
by ATPTourFan
At least someone's calling for an investigation.

Re: URI Foundation Money for Governor's trip to Davos

Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 1:00 pm
by RF1
OBRAM wrote:Sorry, I don't have any faith in AG Kilmartin investigation. The fox investigating the fox as in' the fox to guard the henhouse'.

I think the public call for an investigation and all the bad PR from these appropriations will likely be enough to make certain they do not happen again. I think the politicians were expecting they could get away with this without anyone noticing. Given how it jeopardized potential fundraising, I hope this practice is over.

Re: URI Foundation Money for Governor's trip to Davos

Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2016 8:41 am
by RF1
More bad PR for the use of RIC and URI Foundation money for state business. This time it is national.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/201 ... e-business

Re: URI Foundation Money for Governor's trip to Davos

Posted: Tue May 03, 2016 9:14 am
by OBRAM
Let us not forget about this. I still am looking for answers to how this happened.

Re: URI Foundation Money for Governor's trip to Davos

Posted: Tue May 03, 2016 10:11 pm
by ramster
Could be a long wait unfortunately

Re: URI Foundation Money for Governor's trip to Davos

Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2017 12:46 pm
by wakefield
I think the ex person in charge of the URI Foundation is involved with education reform and this would explain the Culatta situation.