March 1, 2016


News Clips For The Day


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/things-you-didnt-know-about-donald-trump-courtesy-of-john-oliver/

Five things you didn't know about Donald Trump, courtesy of John Oliver
By REENA FLORES CBS NEWS
March 1, 2016, 1:32 PM


Earlier this week, John Oliver devoted his show "Last Week Tonight" to ripping apart Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Here are some of the takeaways about Trump you may or may not have known:

1. His family's last name is not originally Trump. It's Drumpf.

Biographer Gwenda Blair notes that Trump's family name "evolved over the centuries" from Drumpf to Trump.

In "The Trumps: Three Generations That Built an Empire," Blair noted "a prescient ancestor had changed [the name] from...Drumpf," some time during the Thirty Years' War, back in the early 17th century.

Trump has in the past made fun of Oliver's comedic colleague Jon Stewart for changing his name.

Trump has never indicated that he reveres his own ancestors enough to revert to his family's original name, but that didn't stop the internet from having some fund [sic] with the #MakeDonaldDrumpfAgain extension, which turns "Trump" into "Drumpf."

2. He's feuded with John Oliver before

Trump claimed that Oliver's program "Last Week Tonight" had invited him to appear on the show "four or five times."

In a tweet, Trump wrote this:

Donald J. Trump ✔ ‎@realDonaldTrump
.@thehill John Oliver had his people call to ask me to be on his very boring and low rated show. I said "NO THANKS" Waste of time & energy!
7:21 PM - 31 Oct 2015

But Oliver went on the record Sunday to deny Trump had never been invited.

"Who's he trying to impress with that lie?" Oliver asked. "Our show's guests include sloths and puppies. We're basically a petting zoo and a desk."

"It was genuinely destabilizing to be on the receiving end of a lie that confident," the host said. "I even checked to make sure that no one had even accidentally invited him -- and of course they hadn't."

3. He's not entirely "self-funding" his campaign

Trump has repeatedly claimed that he is not beholden to special interests because he was "self-funding" his campaign. The multibillionaire has said he's already given "probably 20, 25 million dollars" to his presidential campaign (it's a few million less, actually).

Averse to fundraising, Donald Trump still rakes in millions

But in fact, he's taken $7,497,984.50 in individual contributions, John Oliver's segment notes.

Oliver pointed out that if Trump didn't want anyone else's money, "maybe he shouldn't have two 'donate' buttons on his website, because money isn't unsolicited when you have to ask for someone's credit card expiration date to receive it."

4. He's had several failed business ventures

Oliver listed Trump-branded businesses that have gone under: "Trump Shuttle, which no longer exists; Trump Vodka, which was discontinued; Trump Magazine, which folded; Trump World Magazine, which also folded; Trump University, over which he's being sued; and of course, the travel-booking site GoTrump.com."

One investigation by CBS News cited by Oliver also exposed several Trump-branded real estate developments that have led to several lawsuits against the New York businessman in the late 2000s.

5. He has a problem with people insulting his hands
Marco Rubio earlier this week poked fun at the billionaire for having "small hands."

"He's like 6'2'' which is why I don't understand why his hands are the size of someone who is 5'2." Have you seen his hands?" Rubio said during a rally in Roanoke, Virgina. "You know what they say about men with small hands?"

Rubio's insult isn't a new one, though -- Oliver dug another iteration from nearly two decades ago. Back in 1988, satirical magazine "Spy" called Trump a "short-fingered vulgarian" -- an insult the real estate developer did not take well.

Graydon Carter, the editor for the now defunct magazine, wrote that Trump for years rememberd [sic]. "To this day, I receive the occasional envelope from Trump," Carter wrote. "There is always a photo of him--generally a tear sheet from a magazine. On all of them he has circled his hand in gold Sharpie in a valiant effort to highlight the length of his fingers... Like the other packages, this one included a circled hand and the words, also written in gold Sharpie: 'See, not so short!'"

The full episode is worth a watch -- and you can do so here.


This article is fun. It doesn't change my opinion of anything, but it's good reading. Trump and his small hands is apparently more than just a new version of a vulgar old saw. I've heard two versions -- feet and noses. It's fun to see that the financial genius Trump hasn't always succeeded. But the best is "Drumpf." That sounds like me sneezing, and it's very German. I had figured Trump would be Irish. But enough about him for tonight. It's supper time.




http://www.cbsnews.com/news/mom-arrested-after-3-year-old-tells-texas-cop-i-need-a-beer/

Mom arrested after 3-year-old tells Texas cop, "I need a beer"
By CRIMESIDER STAFF CBS/AP
March 1, 2016, 12:18 PM

18 photographs -- Shauna Bennet CBS AFFILIATE KOSA
18 PHOTOS -- Parents in trouble with the law


LUBBOCK, TX -- A Texas woman was arrested Saturday for abandonment of a child, after a 3-year-old girl allegedly told police that she was hungry multiple times, and at one point said, "I need a beer," reports CBS affiliate KOSA.

Police were called to Shauna Lee Bennett's home on a report that her 3-year-old daughter had been left alone. They said the girl was dirty and covered in red bumps.

Officers knocked on the door but no one answered. So, officers went inside.

"As soon as I entered I was overwhelmed by the filthy state of the apartment," an officer wrote in a police report.

"There were piles of dirty and moldy dishes on the counter, stove, and sink," the police report said. "There was trash on the floor and counter. There were cockroaches absolutely everywhere. The kitchen was in no way sanitary or functional."
The girl repeatedly told officers, "I'm hungry," and said, "I need a beer," according to the report.

"I had probable cause to believe that [the little girl] had not been fed, washed, or provided with any type of general medical care or treatment for an unsafe amount of time," the officer wrote.

The child was placed with Children's Protective Services and Bennett was held Monday morning in the Lubbock County Detention Center in lieu of a $15,000 bond.



“Police were called to Shauna Lee Bennett's home on a report that her 3-year-old daughter had been left alone. They said the girl was dirty and covered in red bumps. …. "I had probable cause to believe that [the little girl] had not been fed, washed, or provided with any type of general medical care or treatment for an unsafe amount of time," the officer wrote. The child was placed with Children's Protective Services and Bennett was held Monday morning in the Lubbock County Detention Center in lieu of a $15,000 bond.”


The 18 photos attached to this article give 18 different photos of neglect that are as bad as this one. I have often said that perhaps people should have to pass a national psychological test to be given the right to have a child. I don’t really mean that, because it is unconstitutional and immoral, but perhaps if we had more supervision of women who have babies the situation wouldn’t get to this point. Unfortunately, sometimes there are no family, alert neighbors or friends to intervene. Most of these cases are in poverty stricken homes, but some insane parents are actually wealthy.

In the early years of my life states could and did sterilize mothers who were intellectually, psychiatrically or economically considered incompetent. Shamefully race was also used to determine which women should have the radical operation. It was part of a eugenics program that was in operation in some European areas and in the US, with the most radical example being Nazi Germany. I do want to see social services be more proactive, however, in known or suspected cases.

I read in an article some twenty years ago that an animal welfare worker started child welfare activities in the 1800s. See the article below on that subject. We simply must think beyond the viewpoint that neighbors should never interfere in the life of a family. That is often how these cases are caught. The stories of the good Samaritan and of Cain and Abel makes clear that point. If we don’t use our intelligence to prevent evil and do good, it is wasted in my opinion.


http://www.americanhumane.org/about-us/who-we-are/history/mary-ellen-wilson.html
Mary Ellen Wilson

How One Girl's Plight Started the Child-Protection Movement

Mary Ellen’s story marked the beginning of a world-wide crusade to save children. Over the years, in the re-telling of Mary Ellen Wilson’s story, myth has often been confused with fact. Some of the inaccuracies stem from colorful but erroneous journalism, others from simple misunderstanding of the facts, and still others from the complex history of the child protection movement in the United States and Great Britain and its link to the animal welfare movement. While it is true that Henry Bergh, president of the American Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), was instrumental in ensuring Mary Ellen’s removal from an abusive home, it is not true that her attorney -- who also worked for the ASPCA -- argued that she deserved help because she was “a member of the animal kingdom.”

The real story -- which can be pieced together from court documents, newspaper articles, and personal accounts -- is quite compelling, and it illustrates the impact that a caring and committed individual can have on the life of a child.

Mary Ellen Wilson was born in 1864 to Francis and Thomas Wilson of New York City. Soon thereafter, Thomas died, and his widow took a job. No longer able to stay at home and care for her infant daughter, Francis boarded Mary Ellen (a common practice at the time) with a woman named Mary Score. As Francis’s economic situation deteriorated, she slipped further into poverty, falling behind in payments for and missing visits with her daughter. As a result, Mary Score turned two-year-old Mary Ellen over to the city’s Department of Charities.

The Department made a decision that would have grave consequences for little Mary Ellen; it placed her illegally, without proper documentation of the relationship, and with inadequate oversight in the home of Mary and Thomas McCormack, who claimed to be the child’s biological father. In an eerie repetition of events, Thomas died shortly thereafter. His widow married Francis Connolly, and the new family moved to a tenement on West 41st Street.

Mary McCormack Connolly badly mistreated Mary Ellen, and neighbors in the apartment building were aware of the child’s plight. The Connollys soon moved to another tenement, but in 1874, one of their original neighbors asked Etta Angell Wheeler, a caring Methodist mission worker who visited the impoverished residents of the tenements regularly, to check on the child. At the new address, Etta encountered a chronically ill and homebound tenant, Mary Smitt, who confirmed that she often heard the cries of a child across the hall. Under the pretext of asking for help for Mrs. Smitt, Etta Wheeler introduced herself to Mary Connolly. She saw Mary Ellen’s condition for herself. The 10-year-old appeared dirty and thin, was dressed in threadbare clothing, and had bruises and scars along her bare arms and legs. Ms. Wheeler began to explore how to seek legal redress and protection for Mary Ellen. Click here to read Etta Wheeler’s account of Mary Ellen.

At that time, some jurisdictions in the United States had laws that prohibited excessive physical discipline of children. New York, in fact, had a law that permitted the state to remove children who were neglected by their caregivers. Based on their interpretation of the laws and Mary Ellen’s circumstances, however, New York City authorities were reluctant to intervene. Etta Wheeler continued her efforts to rescue Mary Ellen and, after much deliberation, turned to Henry Bergh, a leader of the animal humane movement in the United States and founder of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). It was Ms. Wheeler’s niece who convinced her to contact Mr. Bergh by stating, “You are so troubled over that abused child, why not go to Mr. Bergh? She is a little animal surely” (p. 3 Wheeler in Watkins, 1990).

Ms. Wheeler located several neighbors who were willing to testify to the mistreatment of the child and brought written documentation to Mr. Bergh. At a subsequent court hearing, Mr. Bergh stated that his action was “that of a human citizen,” clarifying that he was not acting in his official capacity as president of the NYSPCA. He emphasized that he was “determined within the framework of the law to prevent the frequent cruelties practiced on children” (Mary Ellen, April 10, 1976, p. 8 in Watkins, 1990). After reviewing the documentation collected by Etta Wheeler, Mr. Bergh sent an NYSPCA investigator (who posed as a census worker to gain entrance to Mary Ellen’s home) to verify the allegations. Elbridge T. Gerry, an ASPCA attorney, prepared a petition to remove Mary Ellen from her home so she could testify to her mistreatment before a judge. Mr. Bergh took action as a private citizen who was concerned about the humane treatment of a child. It was his role as president of the NYSPCA and his ties to the legal system and the press, however, that bring about Mary Ellen’s rescue and the movement for a formalized child protection system.

Recognizing the value of public opinion and awareness in furthering the cause of the humane movement, Henry Bergh contacted New York Times reporters who took an interest in the case and attended the hearings. Thus, there were detailed newspaper accounts that described Mary Ellen’s appalling physical condition. When she was taken before Judge Lawrence, she was dressed in ragged clothing, was bruised all over her body and had a gash over her left eye and on her cheek where Mary Connelly had struck her with a pair of scissors. On April 10, 1874, Mary Ellen testified:

“My father and mother are both dead. I don’t know how old I am. I have no recollection of a time when I did not live with the Connollys. …. Mamma has been in the habit of whipping and beating me almost every day. She used to whip me with a twisted whip—a raw hide. The whip always left a black and blue mark on my body. I have now the black and blue marks on my head which were made by mamma, and also a cut on the left side of my forehead which was made by a pair of scissors. She struck me with the scissors and cut me; I have no recollection of ever having been kissed by any one—have never been kissed by mamma. I have never been taken on my mamma’s lap and caressed or petted. I never dared to speak to anybody, because if I did I would get whipped…. I do not know for what I was whipped—mamma never said anything to me when she whipped me. I do not want to go back to live with mamma, because she beats me so. I have no recollection ever being on the street in my life” Mary Ellen, April 10, 1874, (Watkins, 1990).

In response, Judge Lawrence immediately issued a writ de homine replagiando, provided for by Section 65 of the Habeas Corpus Act, to bring Mary Ellen under court control.

The newspapers also provided extensive coverage of the caregiver Mary Connolly’s trial, raising public awareness and helping to inspire various agencies and organizations to advocate for the enforcement of laws that would rescue and protect abused children (Watkins, 1990). On April 21, 1874, Mary Connolly was found guilty of felonious assault and was sentenced to one year of hard labor in the penitentiary (Watkins, 1990).

Less well known but as compelling as the details of her rescue, is the rest of Mary Ellen’s story. Etta Wheeler continued to play an important role in the child’s life. Family correspondence and other accounts reveal that the court placed Mary Ellen in an institutional shelter for adolescent girls. Believing this to be an inappropriate setting for the 10-year-old, Ms. Wheeler intervened. Judge Lawrence gave her permission to place the child with her own mother, Sally Angell, in northern New York. When Ms. Angell died, Etta Wheeler’s youngest sister, Elizabeth, and her husband Darius Spencer, raised Mary Ellen. By all accounts, her life with the Spencer family was stable and nurturing.

At the age of 24, Mary Ellen married a widower and had two daughters -- Etta, named after Etta Wheeler, and Florence. Later, she became a foster mother to a young girl named Eunice. Etta and Florence both became teachers; Eunice was a businesswoman. Mary Ellen’s children and grandchildren described her as gentle and not much of a disciplinarian. Reportedly, she lived in relative anonymity and rarely spoke with her family about her early years of abuse. In 1913, however, she agreed to attend the American Humane Association’s national conference in Rochester, NY, with Etta Wheeler, her long-time advocate. Ms. Wheeler was a guest speaker at the conference. Her keynote address, “The Story of Mary Ellen, Which Started the Child Saving Crusade Throughout the World” was published by the American Humane Association. Mary Ellen died in 1956 at the age of 92.

Watkins, S.A. (1990). The Mary Ellen myth: Correcting child welfare history. Social Work, 35(6), pp. 500-503.




http://www.cbsnews.com/news/will-massachusetts-stay-hot-for-bernie-sanders/

Will Massachusetts stay "hot" for Bernie Sanders?
By KYLIE ATWOOD CBS NEWS
March 1, 2016, 9:31 AM

Related articles: Super Tuesday: Five things to watch for
State Department finishes Hillary Clinton email release
Democrats gear up for Super Tuesday
Play VIDEO -- Bernie Sanders: South Carolina primary results “as bad as it's going to get”


The night before Super Tuesday, Bernie Sanders felt things heating up at his rally in a humid Massachusetts high school gym. He pulled off his suit jacket and tossed it into the thick crowd behind him. The audience of 3,600 went nuts. "Bernie, Bernie, Bernie," chants broke out. "It's getting hot in here," Sanders said with a smile. Then he adjusted his tie and added, "Alright, we are getting warmed up in here."

But will Massachusetts stay hot for Sanders? His campaign wants to do well in the state - describing it as a "ripe opportunity." Polls have shown that Colorado, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Vermont are the other states where he has a shot at winning, but out of those, Massachusetts is the one with the most delegates.

"It isn't a slam-dunk," said Michael Gilbreath, who has been tirelessly mobilizing the Sanders support in the state since this summer. Polls reflect his sentiment. A recent poll by Suffolk University in Massachusetts has Clinton leading Sanders 50-42 percent. But over the past few months, Clinton and Sanders have been running neck in neck in the state.

Clinton won the state by a thin margin in 2008 but there are a number of reasons why Sanders may hold an advantage in the state in 2016.

"There are places that we like our chances and Massachusetts is definitely one of those," said Michael Briggs, Sanders' Communications director.

For starters, it is one of the most liberal states in the country and during the months leading up to the the New Hampshire primary - where Sanders pulled off a decisive victory - many liberal Massachusetts voters hopped the state line to attend his rallies.

"Oh gosh yes, they were there," said Arnie Arnensen, a liberal radio host from Concord, New Hampshire. She added that if Sanders loses in Massachusetts, it means Sanders "hasn't sold them on the long game."

There is also a substantial Elizabeth Warren coalition behind Sanders in Massachusetts. When Warren came into the scene, she was a "breath of fresh air," Gilbreath said. As someone who had never been deeply involved in a campaign, he saw her as a candidate who was reviving the FDR values of the Democratic party, so he got involved in volunteering for the Sanders campaign.

"The only other time I remember the response being this pronounced and positive was during the Warren campaign," he said of canvassing for Sanders over the weekend in Wayland.

The groundswell for Sanders stared [sic] early on in Massachusetts -- Gilbreath hosted a meeting to talk about Sanders in June and expected eight or nine people to show up, and 20 came -- but the Sanders campaign did not hire a state director until November 2015. In previous months the campaign was allowing folks to host events on their own. They could go on the website and sign up to host an event and get all the materials that they needed.

Is there worry that they were not on the ground garnering this grassroots momentum earlier?

"Well we always can do better than we have done" Briggs says, but he notes how well they did running campaigns in Iowa and New Hampshire. Now, the situation is different with few full-time troops on the ground for an extended amount of time.

"Those kind of things popping up organically in Massachusetts and all over the country are very impressive and it is the kind of campaign that he's been talking about a lot that comes from the people rather than top down campaign," Briggs said of these grassroots driven events.

On the Clinton side, there is still no official Massachusetts state director but they have a thick foundation due to endorsements from local politicians with their own networks including Mayor Marty Walsh, Senator Ed Markey and Attorney General Maura Healy. They are all knocking doors for Clinton.

However, Massachusetts is home to many colleges and universities so the youth vote could help Sanders in the state. That said, in 2008 less than 15 percent of Democratic in the state primary were 18-29 year olds. Sander will need that 15 percent and more on Tuesday. He made that clear in that hot rally on Monday night.

"If we have a high voter turnout tomorrow, the people of Massachusetts speak loudly, we are going to win Massachusetts," Sanders said. "Massachusetts will help lead this country into the political revolution!"

Sanders, for his part, voted early Tuesday in his own state of Vermont, heading to the polls around 7:30 a.m. in Burlington.

Accompanied by his wife, Jane, Sanders checked in with the polling station's staff. After casting his ballot, Sanders jokingly told reporters and some supporters: "I will tell you after a lot of thought -- I voted for me for president."

So, he said, "I know that Bernie Sanders got at least one vote. I was working on my wife, think I probably got two so we are feeling pretty good."

Of the other states voting in Tuesday's slew of nominating contests, Sanders said "our hope is that we can win a number of states and those states where we don't do well obviously we want as large a vote as possible. The goal of today is to end up with as many delegates as we possibly can."



“The night before Super Tuesday, Bernie Sanders felt things heating up at his rally in a humid Massachusetts high school gym. He pulled off his suit jacket and tossed it into the thick crowd behind him. The audience of 3,600 went nuts. "Bernie, Bernie, Bernie," chants broke out. "It's getting hot in here," Sanders said with a smile. Then he adjusted his tie and added, "Alright, we are getting warmed up in here." …. For starters, it is one of the most liberal states in the country and during the months leading up to the New Hampshire primary - where Sanders pulled off a decisive victory - many liberal Massachusetts voters hopped the state line to attend his rallies. "Oh gosh yes, they were there," said Arnie Arnensen, a liberal radio host from Concord, New Hampshire. She added that if Sanders loses in Massachusetts, it means Sanders "hasn't sold them on the long game." There is also a substantial Elizabeth Warren coalition behind Sanders in Massachusetts. When Warren came into the scene, she was a "breath of fresh air," Gilbreath said. As someone who had never been deeply involved in a campaign, he saw her as a candidate who was reviving the FDR values of the Democratic party, so he got involved in volunteering for the Sanders campaign. …. "Those kind of things popping up organically in Massachusetts and all over the country are very impressive and it is the kind of campaign that he's been talking about a lot that comes from the people rather than top down campaign," Briggs said of these grassroots driven events. …. "If we have a high voter turnout tomorrow, the people of Massachusetts speak loudly, we are going to win Massachusetts," Sanders said. "Massachusetts will help lead this country into the political revolution!"


Sanders is clearly not only hopeful, but excited. I don’t think of a 75 year old man as having the kind of energy that he is showing. I do hope to see his hopefulness and obvious joy answered positively. If he is the candidate by popular vote, and if the old men in smoke filled rooms don’t find a way to prevent his being nominated, perhaps he will pick Elizabeth Warren as his running mate and this country will have another prosperous period for the people rather than for Big Business. At least we do have some good candidates this time. Good night for now, Bernie.



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/mount-st-marys-university-president-simon-newman-resigns/

College president resigns after "drown the bunnies" comment
CBS/AP
March 1, 2016, 7:18 AM

Photograph -- Snow covers the ground in front of Bradley Hall at Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Md., Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016. BILL GREEN/THE FREDERICK NEWS-POST VIA AP
Photograph -- president.jpg, President Simon Newman CBS NEWS


The president of a small Maryland college who likened struggling freshmen to bunnies that should be drowned resigned Monday, nearly six weeks after the student newspaper published the comment and ignited a national firestorm of criticism.

Simon Newman, a former financial industry executive, was in his first year as president of Mount St. Mary's University, the nation's second-oldest Catholic university, about 60 miles northwest of Baltimore. The school of 2,300 was previously known mainly for its four NCAA men's basketball tournament appearances.

Newman caused an uproar over his plan to boost the student-retention rate by identifying freshman likely to fail and offering tuition refunds for those choosing to leave. Critics said Newman was too focused on eliminating, rather than helping, struggling students.

Newman had fired and later reinstated two faculty members amid the uproar over his plan to identify freshmen most likely to fail.

They had been dismissed and the school's provost was demoted after an investigation into the student newspaper's report on Newman's comments.

Board of Trustees Chairman John Coyne announced Newman's departure in a statement Monday night after the board met to discuss its two-week inquiry into the matter. Coyne said Karl Einolf, dean of the college's business school, was named acting president.

"The board is grateful to President Newman for his many accomplishments over the past year, including strengthening the university's finances, developing a comprehensive strategic plan for our future and bringing many new ideas to campus that have benefited the entire Mount community," Coyne said.

Coyne declined an interview request through school spokesman Christian Kendzierski.

Pre-law Program Director Edward Egan, who was removed as adviser to The Mountain Echo student newspaper after the story ran, earlier told CBS News: "It's not just the words, but it's the plan the words described. Weeding out students because we think they might not do well in order to make the numbers look better? That's not Mount Saint Mary's."

Former faculty member John Schwenkler, who helped organize opposition to Newman among college faculty nationwide, said he was celebrating the news.

"I think that the collective efforts of a lot of concerned academics are a big part of this, and I feel privileged to have been part of that," said Schwenkler, an assistant professor of philosophy at Florida State University. "I hope that this is a sign to administrators at other institutions about what the academic community won't tolerate and about the power of that community to unify against certain abuses."

Schwenkler started an online petition, signed by more than 8,500 people, calling for reinstatement of Egan and Thane Naberhaus, a philosophy professor, after Newman fired them in early February. They were fired, and the university provost was demoted, after a board investigation concluded the Echo story was a deliberate attack on Newman, perpetrated by a small number of faculty and recent alumni. Egan, fired for "violating the code of conduct and acceptable use policies," was reinstated as a faculty member, but not newspaper adviser, Feb. 12. Naberhaus, who had publicly criticized Newman, was also reinstated after he was fired for violating "a duty of loyalty" to the university.

The story that triggered the firings described Newman's plan to identify struggling freshmen and offer them help, or tuition refunds if they chose to leave school early in their first semester. The story quoted from a Newman email saying he hoped 20 to 25 students would leave before the cutoff date for reporting the school's enrollment to the federal government, thereby boosting the student-retention rate, one of the factors publications such as U.S. News & World Report use in ranking desirable colleges. Critics said the plan seemed more focused on weeding out struggling students than helping them succeed.

The newspaper reported that Newman had told a faculty member opposed to the plan: "This is hard for you because you think of the students as cuddly bunnies, but you can't. You just have to drown the bunnies ... put a Glock to their heads." Newman later acknowledged he used those words and apologized for them.



“Simon Newman, a former financial industry executive, was in his first year as president of Mount St. Mary's University, the nation's second-oldest Catholic university, about 60 miles northwest of Baltimore. The school of 2,300 was previously known mainly for its four NCAA men's basketball tournament appearances. Newman caused an uproar over his plan to boost the student-retention rate by identifying freshman likely to fail and offering tuition refunds for those choosing to leave. Critics said Newman was too focused on eliminating, rather than helping, struggling students. …. "I think that the collective efforts of a lot of concerned academics are a big part of this, and I feel privileged to have been part of that," said Schwenkler, an assistant professor of philosophy at Florida State University. "I hope that this is a sign to administrators at other institutions about what the academic community won't tolerate and about the power of that community to unify against certain abuses."


Colleges have always been businesses, so an eye to profits is good, but their product and raw material are not widgets, but people. This story reminds me of the one about the pharmaceuticals guy Martin Shkreli, who raised the cost of an old but helpful drug which was a matter of life and death for those who needed it all to bring in higher profits. He used his “duty” to make money for the company as his reasoning. Business is and always has been corrupt, but things getting worse, I think. It’s also true that with the Internet there is immediate pressure put on executives who do unconscionable things to either retract their move or, this cases, just pack up and leave. His comment about bunnies was unbearable for most decent citizens who heard it, and I’m sure that the university regretted their backing Newman. He failed to realize that there is a huge difference between the investment market and ones’ Alma Mater, which generally is a beloved home for idealistic young adults. How can you love a college that makes a hardcore move like this? Newman forgot that the money for a University comes from students, parents and alumni. A bad reputation will make a college start losing money rapidly. I was also glad to see that over 8,000 university profs around the country and perhaps the globe as well signed a petition to get him out of power. As for the professors, they are less well paid nationally than most physicians and lawyers, according to the size of the practice and specialization, and they probably were enraged by the Simon Newman’s callous statement.

Professors and, even more so, Instructors are not as well paid for their extensive years of college training as are medical doctors and attorneys. They have always lived under the fear of losing their jobs if they didn’t publish papers on new research -- “publish or perish.” For first year professors’ pay scales, see the following article: http://work.chron.com/average-pay-entry-level-college-professor-5192.html, which states, “The average salary of an assistant professor is $66,564 for the 2011 to 2012 school year, according to the American Association of University Professors. This organization surveyed over 1,200 colleges on how much they paid their full-time faculty. The amount contrasts with the $113,176 per year averaged by full professors and the $82,556 per year made by all higher education teaching ranks.”

Doctors’ pay scales for their first year are given in the Atlantic article: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/08/a-junior-doctors-salary/375642/, first year doctors, before they go into independent practice, make from $51,000 before they are out of their residency and fellowship periods and up as high as $405,000 for the average orthopedic surgeon.

Lawyers also start out struggling, but they usually get $78,242 to $152,887. That variance comes from years of experience, firm size and specialization, as with doctors. in their first year, according to the size of the firm they join and their specialization. Those figures are taken from the following:
http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Attorney_%2F_Lawyer/Salary.