You say termination - I say resignation! Let's call the whole thing off! (Rebel Girl)

Rebel Girl regrets bumping Red Emma's lead story but the Mission Viejo Dispatch continues its coverage of Mathur's departure with a look at the numbers and a consideration of the word choices used by the various parties.

highlights:

"It is costing the South OC College District a quarter million dollars for the early termination of Chancellor Raghu Mahur, so why is Board President Don Wagner telling the Register this is a retirement initiated by Mahur? (sic - name misspelled throughout) Wagner hasn’t yet returned a couple calls from the Dispatch.

The settlement agreement (SA) includes a mutual non-defamation clause and a mutual non-disclosure provision intended to keep the facts quiet, but the agreement itself and Mahur’s existing contract are public records. The SA conveniently characterizes the departure as a resignation for the purpose of retirement, but neither Mahur nor Wagner use those terms in written statements released Tuesday. If Mahur simply wanted an early exit from his contract, which expires June 30, 2011, the Trustees wouldn’t be paying him over $250,000 to leave. That amount is one year’s salary of $237,231 plus employee benefits, and plus Mahur’s attorney fees regarding the separation agreement...

...A question lingers whether Tom Fuentes and Dave Lang opposed the Board’s 5-2 action because they approved of Mahur’s performance or instead because they opposed paying over $250,000 dollars to end the relationship one year early.

Gag agreements are common in the private sector, but in the public sector don’t necessarily serve voters well, because the secrecy hides accountability of elected officials. The privacy rights of the employee must be preserved, but the Board unfortunately avoids accountability for describing how the District expects to benefit from its quarter million dollar investment for a one-year period."

To read the article in its entirety, click here.

UPDATE: evidently, Board President Don Wagner has returned MVD's calls. The updated MVD piece includes this paragraph:

Wagner tells the Dispatch he disputes the conclusion that Mathur was fired or that the Board is buying out the remaining year of the Chancellor’s contract. His logic is that Mahur might perform some duties after being required to leave the college on “compensated leave” at the end of June. But under the settlement Mahur is under no obligation to perform any duties and still will receive his $20,000 monthly salary each month for a year. The spin is obviously designed to minimize controversy, but it just isn’t credible.

‪Comments

Anonymous‬ said... ‪ Wagner should return those telephone calls and clear things up.
‪Anonymous‬ said... ‪ With these people, the deceptions never end.
‪Penny Pincher‬ said... ‪ But Don is a fiscal conservative! Here it is, quoted from his website:

 "Every month California families stretch their budgets and pinch their pennies to make ends meet. Not so in the State Capitol. There, budget gimmicks and creative tax schemes encourage the state's spending spree. This has got to stop. 

When pet projects, political handouts to special interests, and ineffective programs take priority over California citizens putting gas in the car, buying new school clothes, or repairing the water heater, something is seriously wrong in our state. I will not stand by silently while the liberals in Sacramento put their interests - like lining their crony's pockets or buying off interest groups - ahead of the interests of California's families. "

How could Wagner fork so much moolah over to his crony (or special interest, take your pick) - Raghu Mathur while Californians are pinching their pennies?
‪Anonymous‬ said... ‪ Gag agreements are common in the public sector, especially when they involve faculty sexual harrassment complaints from their students. Many esteemed professors think it better they just go away quietly.
Anonymous‬ said... ‪ Howard Zinn has died, yet Fuentes lives on. Where is God?