Wow at the spending by Sasse!

[Orangeandblue2001]

This is unbelievable if true. I liked him but hate to see this

Sasse’s spending spree: Former UF president channeled millions to GOP allies, secretive contracts - The Independent Florida Alligator

In his 17-month stint as UF president, Ben Sasse more than tripled his office’s spending, directing millions in university funds into secretive consulting contracts and high-paying positions for his GOP allies.

www.alligator.org

 

[scubagator]

Kinda what you'd expect from a politician...liked him and now that's gone.

 

[2blades]

NOT ME , better than giving it to trans left nut cases.

 

[E3PO]

These allegations are reprehensible if true.

I don't care what your political affiliations are, if you exploit, defraud, or fleece my alma mater, I wish you nothing but hell in life.

 

[Orangeandblue2001]

These allegations are reprehensible if true.

I don't care what your political affiliations are, if you exploit, defraud, or fleece my alma mater, I wish you nothing but hell in life.

Agreed! That’s horrible and can’t believe we allowed it to be honest

 

[ausbran]

NOT ME , better than giving it to trans left nut cases.

You heard it here, only two options on the table:
1. Money hungry politicans
2. Trans left nut cases

Spoken like a true idiot 2blades. This type of speak shouldn't be allowed on here. Go to the Parking Lot.

 

[E3PO]

The number of preposterous things in this story:

Wegmann, Sasse’s former Senate communications director, is UF’s vice president of communications, a position he works remotely from his $725,000 home in Washington, D.C.

Salaried at $432,000, Wegmann replaced Steve Orlando, who made $270,000 a year in the position and had nearly 30 years of experience in media relations at UF before he was demoted to be Wegmann’s deputy.

Additionally, Sasse hired Alice James Burns, former scheduler for Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC), as Director of Presidential Relations and Major Events. Burns, salaried at $205,000, also worked for UF outside of Florida.

In Sasse’s first full fiscal year at the university’s helm, travel expenses for the president’s office soared to $633,000 — over 20 times higher than Fuchs’ annual average of $28,000. Sasse spent more on travel in his 17 months at UF than Fuchs’ entire eight-year tenure.

Taylor Sliva, Sasse’s press secretary, was the only one of Sasse’s political hires to work in Florida. His employment contract, obtained from a public records request, included a $15,000 relocation stipend. He currently rents out a house in Gainesville.

 

[scubagator]

You heard it here, only two options on the table:
1. Money hungry politicans
2. Trans left nut cases

Spoken like a true idiot 2blades. This type of speak shouldn't be allowed on here. Go to the Parking Lot.

@Gator-B we have a request to move this thread to the parking lot

 

[GatorMosc]

The number of preposterous things in this story:

But hey, at least he wasn’t giving it to trans left nut cases, am I right?! (Huge sarcasm here).

 

[gatorfan9696]

Unbelievable - I liked him in the Senate and as UF President until I read this. What a sleazeball and I wish Desantis could have kept him in check somehow.

 

[PragmaticGator]

@Gator-B we have a request to move this thread to the parking lot

It’s already in the locker room btw

 

[Gatorskin21]

You heard it here, only two options on the table:
1. Money hungry politicans
2. Trans left nut cases

Spoken like a true idiot 2blades. This type of speak shouldn't be allowed on here. Go to the Parking Lot.

Your first item is redundant

 

[Orangeandblue2001]

I didn’t post in locker room since I saw this as more of a university item than strictly political.

 

[OrangeNdBlue]

At a time where the university of Florida was politically vulnerable with all the republican arm twisting happening in the state coming off Covid, we went and hired a republican senator and thought that would solve everything. Like wtf were we thinking!?!? Instead the hole got deeper and the university has further become a political fire point for the state when we need to stay our asses out of it. Hire someone good at being president, not a half ass politician. UF has been bent over repeatedly by the politics of Florida.

 

[Hutchzone]

I will withhold judgement until there is a more reputable source.

 

[rms_theman]

NOT ME , better than giving it to trans left nut cases.

How bout not giving it to either side? F*ck politics.

 

[E3PO]

What a sleazeball...

Even more spineless was exploiting his wife's condition as the reason he had to abruptly and immediately step down.

Honestly, I know this won't happen, but I would hope there would be criminal investigations into this. How sad for the University of Florida.

 

[StubbyGator]

I will withhold judgement until there is a more reputable source.

Agreed.

But also, I’m not hung up on the spending if it results in positive value.

Ex: Increased travel should equate to more donor/grant dollars - did it? Unclear.

 

[capitolgator96]

I was certainly a fan of the hire, but this is beyond disappointing. I understand wanting to bring in your own people, but obviously this seems well over the top.

I have plenty of experience dealing with reporters that have their own agenda so I'm guessing there is more to this story. However, I doubt we get a response here because it won't be enough to address the problem. Too many things that can't be explained satisfactorily.

I will say that pointing out the value of their homes suggests this reporter is clueless about home values. A $725,000 home in DC is not much more than a starter home at best. Why even point that out here? It adds nothing to the story unless your readers are as clueless as you are.

Also, there doesn't appear to be any criminality here from what I can see. Poor judgment and lax oversight, but there are clear processes for these things and hiring your people for fat salaries is not a crime unless it's off the books.

 

[E3PO]

How did the UF Board of Trustees agree to this type of stuff?

There are three unusual perks that we have never seen in a public university president’s contract. While some presidential contracts provide for tuition waivers for a spouse and children, Sasse’s contract also includes these waivers for his parents and his grandchildren. In addition, many presidential contracts provide for spousal/partner travel when this is deemed beneficial to the university. Sasse’s contract includes this benefit for his spouse and for their three children. Finally, the university has agreed to pay for the family’s health insurance for about a month, should he lose the current coverage before the university policy takes effect.

Ben Sasse hit the jackpot with his University of Florida contract

A five-year contract's $10 million value isn't even the most unusual benefit the Nebraska senator will receive when he changes jobs, two experts find.

www.highereddive.com

 

[surreptitioussloth]

There was never any reason to think sasse was prepared to run a university like uf or cared about the university and its academic and athletic success
He was probably here first to get in line for governor, second to line his and his friends' pockets, and anything else was a distant third
A complete identity politics hire, the kind of cronyism that has been afflicting public universities across florida for the last several years under scott and desantis

 

[smac96]

At a time where the university of Florida was politically vulnerable with all the republican arm twisting happening in the state coming off Covid, we went and hired a republican senator and thought that would solve everything. Like wtf were we thinking!?!? Instead the hole got deeper and the university has further become a political fire point for the state when we need to stay our asses out of it. Hire someone good at being president, not a half ass politician. UF has been bent over repeatedly by the politics of Florida.

Yeah because UF and Gainesville and Alaxhua County aren't liberal at all.... Love that the Republicans were doing the Covid arm twisting lol. Shutting down businesses, forcing kids to take "vaccines," shuttimg down the global supply chain, etc. etc.

 

[SwampChomp615]

This is nothing new for either side and they’re entrenched in every institution in this country. The vast majority of politicians are not concerned with political and social ideology. They’re concerned with gaining and remaining in power and the financial benefits that come with it.

 

[IHSGator88]

How bout not giving it to either side? F*ck politics.

that is the way it is supposed to be, but unfortunately Florida the state itself is getting bent over and raped by the head of office down there

 

[SwampChomp615]

Yeah because UF and Gainesville and Alaxhua County aren't liberal at all.... Love that the Republicans were doing the Covid arm twisting lol. Shutting down businesses, forcing kids to take "vaccines," shuttimg down the global supply chain, etc. etc.

Yeah I was a surprised to read that. Thought by now it’s well established that Florida was one of the few that handled Covid about as well as they could under the circumstances. Certainly better than places like New York, California, Michigan, Illinois, and so on. What do those places have in common?

 

[IHSGator88]

Yeah because UF and Gainesville and Alaxhua County aren't liberal at all.... Love that the Republicans were doing the Covid arm twisting lol. Shutting down businesses, forcing kids to take "vaccines," shuttimg down the global supply chain, etc. etc.

uh oh, here we go...someone who didnt care about people dying shows up. Good job, lets try to keep this on point. Sasse was a joke from the beginning. Sorry about his wife, but I have a feeling that is not the only reason he took off.

 

[Gator-B]

this is the 3rd thread that has to be moved to the parking lot. pay attention and stop putting these politically charged threads in The Swamp.

 

[NavigatorII]

You heard it here, only two options on the table:
1. Money hungry politicans
2. Trans left nut cases

Spoken like a true idiot 2blades. This type of speak shouldn't be allowed on here. Go to the Parking Lot.

Hello sailor! Welcome to the Thunderdome.

 

[NavigatorII]

At a time where the university of Florida was politically vulnerable with all the republican arm twisting happening in the state coming off Covid, we went and hired a republican senator and thought that would solve everything. Like wtf were we thinking!?!? Instead the hole got deeper and the university has further become a political fire point for the state when we need to stay our asses out of it. Hire someone good at being president, not a half ass politician. UF has been bent over repeatedly by the politics of Florida.

Who exactly was the bitch that banned the Gatorbait cheer? I don't remember your drivel getting sent down to the Thunderdome complaining about that?

 

[jsfgators]

uh oh, here we go...someone who didnt care about people dying shows up. Good job, lets try to keep this on point. Sasse was a joke from the beginning. Sorry about his wife, but I have a feeling that is not the only reason he took off.

Here we go, another slap nut that thinks it’s no big deal to keep kids out of school for years.

 

[NavigatorII]

There was never any reason to think sasse was prepared to run a university like uf or cared about the university and its academic and athletic success
He was probably here first to get in line for governor, second to line his and his friends' pockets, and anything else was a distant third
A complete identity politics hire, the kind of cronyism that has been afflicting public universities across florida for the last several years under scott and desantis

And thank Baby Tebow for that blessing. We could be a shithole like UCLA, USC, or Cal Berkley under Gruesome Nuisance's tyrannical rule. WTF?

 

[Zlatandiego]

Would love to hear why some of the football insiders liked Sasse so much. They made it seem like he was good for football, but I haven’t seen anything he’s actually done for it

 

[NavigatorII]

Would love to hear why some of the football insiders liked Sasse so much. They made it seem like he was good for football, but I haven’t seen anything he’s actually done for it

Didn't UF have the most athletes in the country represent UF in the Olympics? (hopefully none of them were brake dancers). Mullin left us in a horrible place. That being said, CFB, as we knew it, is all but dead now. Championships will go to the highest bidders going forward.

 

[Zlatandiego]

Didn't UF have the most athletes in the country represent UF in the Olympics? (hopefully none of them were brake dancers). Mullin left us in a horrible place. That being said, CFB, as we knew it, is all but dead now. Championships will go to the highest bidders going forward.

I think that UF representation has been pretty consistent in terms of high level athletes at the Olympics. We were something like 7th all time in Olympic medals even before these games. Just curious why there was excitement on the football side or if it was mostly political. I'd love for UF to be the highest bidder.

 

[Capt Ron 1]

Would love to hear why some of the football insiders liked Sasse so much. They made it seem like he was good for football, but I haven’t seen anything he’s actually done for it

Because he stood AGAINTS wokeness. Where mentally ill people try to force their mental illness on people who are not mentally ill. I like him for that reason alone

 

[Zlatandiego]

Because he stood AGAINTS wokeness. Where mentally ill people try to force their mental illness on people who are not mentally ill. I like him for that reason alone

I'm talking from a purely football perspective.

 

[Capt Ron 1]

I'm talking from a purely football perspective.

I am over there a bunch and when this came out that is what most were commenting on. I think they believed he would focus more on sports (than academia like previous) . I think people need to do their own investigating. I can throw the media farther than I trust ANY of them.

 

[NavigatorII]

I'm talking from a purely football perspective.

That's on the AD and not the president. Athletics is just entertainment side.

 

[Hotlanta_Bill]

Unbelievable - I liked him in the Senate and as UF President until I read this. What a sleazeball and I wish Desantis could have kept him in check somehow.

Desantis is the king of cronyism...worse than Rick Scott before him.

Look at Pete Ricketts contributing to Desantis campaigns and connect the dots.

 

[smac96]

Desantis is the king of cronyism...worse than Rick Scott before him.

Look at Pete Ricketts contributing to Desantis campaigns and connect the dots.

He's also the King of the Free State of Florida....