Comments on: WCC President Repays $4,000 Dinner Tab

By: ScratchingmyHead

ScratchingmyHead — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 11:38:48 +0000

Alan,
I have no sympathy for those who decide to run for a board membership. No one forces them to run and they accept these responsibilities knowing there is no compensation for their time. These board members are treated to other perks of this position such as trips to conferences and other events paid for by the community college. The problem I see with the board is that you have some members who have been on the board for so long they begin to act as though they are entitled to certain perks. Maybe there should be term limits for board members just like we have for our state legislators.

By: Helen

Helen — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 14:38:55 +0000

Jim, Whitworth said there were 24 people at the dinner. I think only the trustees and the president stayed at the hotel overnight, though.

By: Jim Rees

Jim Rees — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 12:56:24 +0000

I’d still like to know how many were at the retreat. I can’t find anywhere on the receipts or in either Chronicle story that says. There are seven trustees plus the President makes eight. Were any missing, or were there extras? If it’s 8, that’s about $1200 per person.

My own employer, the University of Michigan, does not reimburse for wine at dinner.

By: Fred Posner

Fred Posner — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 02:34:45 +0000

I’m not sure I believe that he is underpaid… if anything, perhaps well overpaid. The average Community College president salary in 2006 was $153,684 with a range of $123,889 to $213,879. Honestly, I believe that even an elaborate dinner at Denny’s isn’t something that should be paid for by public funds.

I think Mr. Zimmerman hit the point here. How does a community college president justify spending so much money OUTSIDE the community? To take money from one community’s tax payers and spend it on a dinner is one thing. To not even patronize business within the community is even worse.

By: Fred Zimmerman

Fred Zimmerman — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 00:21:24 +0000

Mary — thanks for the info on Larry’s salary. He is a bit underpaid relative to the high rolling entertainment he arranges!

No one is saying that trustees should eat at Denny’s, but it’s offensive for them to eat at somewhere so expensive. The restaurant isn’t even in Washtenaw County!

By: Mary Morgan

Mary Morgan — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 16:53:42 +0000

As WCC president, Larry Whitworth receives a salary of $198,373 and the same retirement and health care benefits as all full-time WCC employees. Two percent of his annual salary is received as deferred compensation. UM president Mary Sue Coleman receives a total compensation of $783,850, including a base salary of $553,500.

By: Alan Goldsmith

Alan Goldsmith — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 16:11:40 +0000

Let’s not forget what some of the public outrage is about:

“The board has also received criticism for spending an extravagant amount on a dinner just before its members voted to increase WCC’s tuition by nearly 10% – or $7 per credit hour.”

By: Alan Goldsmith

Alan Goldsmith — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 16:07:39 +0000

Eh…tut tut..not tu-tu. Lol.

By: Alan Goldsmith

Alan Goldsmith — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 16:06:50 +0000

Sorry Joel, not sure about your buddies, but in my circles, the sympathy goes out to folks who save every nickle and dime to send their kids to WCC, who have been hurt by the double digit unemployment rates and eccomomic climate and are trying to learn job skills for a better life. You know, Joel, the ones who actually EAT at Denny’s. This entire fiasco reaks of arrogance and is symbolic of the detachment some of the members of the board and the WCC President seem to have, to even be in such a situation in the first place. Call it tu-tu all you like, but this was wrong and should never happen again with my tax dollars.

By: Joel Goldberg

Joel Goldberg — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 14:32:42 +0000

When I read articles like this, my sympathy goes out to the trustees who bring their skill, experience and countless volunteer hours to these uncompensated positions with the college — only to be vilified for the perks that come along with giving up one of their weekends, at no pay, to work on its business.

Granted, the cost of the dinner was absurd, especially the $100 per person charge for a banquet room. The meeting planners could and should have negotiated it down — or gone elsewhere for dinner.

But it seems that many commenters on the story, here and elsewhere, wouldn’t be satisfied had the trustees supped anywhere more posh than Denny’s. And a couple of glasses of wine along with dinner, paid for by the public? Heaven forbid!

Is it any wonder that it’s difficult to find skilled, successful community members to fill lower-level volunteer and elective public positions? Most people of the caliber we’d like to see governing our colleges would rather enjoy a quiet Saturday dinner with family, friends, and wine — but without the tut-tut crowd commenting over their shoulders.