Letters: BOT transparency a major concern; Understand what’s at stake with Project 2025
BOT transparency a major concern
I am writing to express my concern on the Penn State Board of Trustees continuing efforts to subvert the PA Sunshine Law. I am a longtime donor, football fan and a 2014 graduate of PSU World Campus.
The university recently asked satellite campus instructors/staff to consider taking an early retirement to mitigate operating cost shortfalls. The BOT then deliberated a $70M initial expenditure for the Beaver Stadium renovation with a total cost of $700M budget in private executive session.
The BOT’s recent bylaws changes allow the board to shape the composition of the board in an apparent final attempt by the BOT to get rid of the resolute alumni oversight who understand what “We Are” and “student-athlete” mean.
It is hard to see how current changes will provide the working-class access to quality higher education, raise academic ratings, and satisfy land grant mission (i.e., teaching, research, and service). The Governor and his three department appointments’ (Education, Agriculture and Conservation & Natural Resources) responsibilities on the board need to be spelled out with respect to BOT actions verses PA state law/interests.
Kindly consider the lack of BOT transparency as an issue and highlight it in your newspaper so that Penn Staters are alerted to the need to investigate the situation that would end alumni elections, further conceal BOT fiduciary failures, and create an environment ripe for public distrust.
Understand what’s at stake with Project 2025
No wonder Trump is spending so much time talking about Hannibal Lecter, crowd size, and the IQ of his opponent (Kamala Harris graduated from the University of California College of the Law, was elected district attorney of Alameda County, served two terms as California Attorney General, was elected to the U.S. Senate, and is currently the Vice President of the United States) instead of talking about policy. He doesn’t have to. Project 2025 has Trump’s policy completely covered.
Christian Nationalists erroneously believe that our country was founded as a Christian nation for them to rule while some affluent Republicans pine for a Russian-style oligarchy, which serves big corporations and moneyed special interests, over average Americans. Project 2025 has them covered as well.
Project 2025 is the Heritage Foundation’s radical, far-right 920-page plan to replace American democracy with MAGA authoritarianism, starting with purging the federal workforce and replacing them with “an army of Trump loyalists.”
Project 2025 priorities include: revoking FDA approval of mifepristone; further restricting abortion access; redirecting public funds to private and religious schools; restricting DEI and LGBTQ rights; eliminating government agencies that protect consumers and address climate change; and giving the President vast control over the DOJ, FBI, Federal Reserve, and the tax code.
Trump disavows any knowledge of Project 2025 despite the fact that 140 former Trump administration officials helped write it.
Every voter who values our freedoms and American democracy should read Project 2025. You’ll understand what’s at stake — and why Trump is disavowing it.