Ben Sasse of Nebraska will become president of the University of Florida next month because Kinkyboots Mussolini wants an ideologue in control of the state’s flagship university and because installing Sasse is bank-shot “fuck you” to Kinkyboots’ erstwhile mentor and possible 2024 rival Trump. But that doesn’t mean the students at UF have to like it:
[Marge Gunderson voice]: For Pete's sake — he's fleeing the interview! He's fleeing the interview! 😂 https://t.co/0WTFgxpHEw
— Betty Cracker 🐊 (@bettycrackerfl) October 11, 2022
Big Josh Hawley energy there! From the Gainesville Sun:
In his first visit to campus as the sole finalist to be University of Florida president, U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse faced questions Monday on his conservative political positions — along with a protest that disrupted a question-and-answer session and ended with him speeding off in a police vehicle…
The crowd of students quickly swelled to close to a thousand, with faculty and staff sprinkled throughout. Many students said they opposed Sasse because of his views and public comments on same-sex marriage. Others questioned his qualifications for the job.
“He was president of a random school in the middle of Nebraska with 1,500 kids,” said R.J. Della Salle, a UF freshman. “I mean, that doesn’t compare to a school as big and diverse as UF.”
Some students expressed concerns about the secretive selection process used in selecting Sasse. A new Florida law, approved earlier this year, allowed UF to conduct much of the process outside of the state’s open meetings and public records laws.
Of course it’s ridiculous to put a Republican hack whose only relevant experience was running a college that’s smaller than most Miami high schools in charge of a university with about 50K students. That is, it would be ridiculous if your aim is to improve education in Florida.
But that’s not Ron DeSantis’s goal. Having received his fancy elite degrees in New England, DeSantis came home to dismantle Florida’s public education system from kindergarten on up because he knows dumb votes red. He knows what Viktor Orbán knows (and Trump dimly sensed) — if you put cronies and sycophants in charge of agencies and public institutions, soon you won’t have to worry about pesky voters.
Still, good on the kids for showing up. Open thread.
Math Guy
Maybe they heard what his salary is going to be?
Alison Rose 💙🌻💛
It’s been 100 years since I watched Fargo, but I could still immediately hear that tweet in Marge’s voice.
In Better Politicians News, the VP was on Seth Meyers’ show last night. Two clips here and here.
JPL
That’s discouraging to say the least. Gov Kinkyboots will continue to destroy education if he is reelected.
This must be good news for trump, cuz he and Sasse are besties. (I jest)
Burnspbesq
The only way this backfires on DeSantis is if the Gators go 3-9 in handegg.
FastEdD
Makes me think that the dismantling of the FL educational system is a part of the “conservative” ideal of the future, aw screw it. There is no climate change, screw it. Who cares about kids, I got mine now.
I often thought my whole teaching career was about leaving the world a better place after I’m gone. It wasn’t about money.
lowtechcyclist
Maybe Sasse should reconsider his desire to be president of a university where he’s going to need an exit plan from every meeting.
ian
Smooth move, sunshine state politicians.
Betty Cracker
@Alison Rose 💙🌻💛: Marge Gunderson will always have a special place in my heart because I was in the final months of a high-risk pregnancy when I saw that movie. I was sick of being treated like a fragile moppet and was amazed that a pregnant lady was portrayed as tough as nails, unflappable and heroic in that film. Go Marge!
C Stars
Regardless of his political positions, he was installed in a way that emanates corruption and his qualifications seem dubious. These students should continue to protest.
Mom Says I*m Handsome
“Dumb Votes Red”. Piquant as usual, Betty.
twbrandt (formerly tom)
Sasse and Hawley should have a race to see who can flee the quickest.
C Stars
@twbrandt (formerly tom): “Running from Democracy” set to the tune of Chariots of Fire…
OzarkHillbilly
@twbrandt (formerly tom): They should be paired up in a sack race.
terraformer
I was surprised to learn that UoF is a state university – usually, state-named universities are run/managed by the state (e.g., Florida State University), while “University of…” names reflect private (non-public or state-managed) institutions.
Eyeroller
@terraformer: AFAIK that is only true for the University of Pennsylvania. Every other “University of” I know is state. Often the “State University of” is the land-grant university.
Hildebrand
@Betty Cracker: Have you seen the Night Manager? Olivia Coleman is pregnant throughout – and she is awesome.
Geminid
Magdi Semrau, aka Mangy Jay, on Gabbard:
twbrandt (formerly tom)
@Eyeroller: That’s certainly true of the University of Michigan – a state-owned and operated university, and Michigan State University – originally a land-grant college.
ETA: fortunately Lansing pretty much keeps its hands off them.
Kent
I don’t think that is generally true. Generally speaking the “State” university is the land-grant institution but they are all public. for example:
University of Oregon vs Oregon State. Both are public but Oregon State is the land-grant institution.
University of Colorado vs Colorado State. Both are public but Colorado State is the land -grant.
University of Washington vs. Washington State. Both are public but Washington State is the land grant institution.
There are exceptions. in California the UC system is the land-grant institution not the Cal-State system.
Alison Rose 💙🌻💛
@Betty Cracker: I maintain that casting Frances McDormand in that role was one of the best casting choices ever made in the history of cinema.
Betty Cracker
@Hildebrand: Haven’t seen it, but I’ll check it out because I adore Colman in anything (same with McDormand).
Alison Rose 💙🌻💛
@Hildebrand: That show was so fucking good.
Cameron
Damn. There are so many things I really like about Florida, but I still can’t stop fantasizing about moving back to the Old Country. Oh, well.
Betty Cracker
@Alison Rose 💙🌻💛: Could not agree more — she is brilliant in that film! I love McDormand in anything, but that role was made for her (maybe literally since her hubby co-wrote the screenplay).
Cameron
@OzarkHillbilly: With the finish line in the Gulf of Mexico.
Kent
Kind of a comment on this sort of thing generally.
I grew up in the blue region of the Pacific Northwest which was purple when I was growing up (lots of GOP Senators and governors in OR and WA) but still relatively civilized. Then my wife and I took a 13-year career-related hiatus to Texas and we finally returned back to the Pacific Northwest 6 years ago.
During our time in TX (2003-2016) I watched it go from a purple state to a bright red state. I fought lots and lots of losing political battles. And finally I just had to say “fuck-it” I want to actually live somewhere where my government at least slightly reflects my values and priorities. Having moved back to the Northwest has just done wonders for my mental health because every time I turn on the news there isn’t some fresh horror at the state or local level like this sort of thing.
Does it mean I want to abandon the good people of TX or FL to the MAGA filth? No, of course not. Lots of good people live in both states. But it means I got tired as hell of always being on the losing end of every issue I ever cared about from education to healthcare to the environment. Now I don’t actually know if the president of UW in Seattle (Ana Mari Cauce) is better than Ben Sasse. But I know she isn’t as political. She was a long-time UW professor of psychology who rose up through the ranks into administration. And seems competent enough.
OzarkHillbilly
@Kent: Missouri University is a land grant university. I don’t know about all the Missouri State u’s
SNCO
Sasse is fleeing Nebraska because he infuriated the Nebraska Republican Party by voting for conviction in the second Trump Impeachment Trial. So he’s not quite as much of a mere hack as is imagined here. . . . He’s fleeing Nebraska for Florida for not being enough of a partisan hack to satisfy the Nebraskans.
Anonymous At Work
Don’t forget that removing Sasse from the Senate will also remove another Republican who has ever been even slightly critical of Trump and increases the odds that Moscow Mitch is replaced with Batboy Scott as Senate Majority Leader.
Alison Rose 💙🌻💛
@Betty Cracker: Did you see the TV miniseries of Olive Kitteridge? Another one where she was just perfecto. I loved the book and was so pleased with the show.
trollhattan
@Betty Cracker: If the Coen brothers are the jewels of American filmmaking the last 40(!) years, Francis McDormand is their queen.
She and Joel must be quite the couple.
Anyway
OT for @HumboldtBlue:
What genius scheduled a playoff game for 1 pm?!?! Some of us gotta work…
Go Phils!
Betty Cracker
@SNCO: I know Sasse voted to convict Trump in the second trial — that’s what I alluded to in the first sentence of this post when I said the pick would be a bank-shot “fuck you” to Trump. Sasse is still a fucking hack and laughably underqualified for the post.
OzarkHillbilly
@Cameron: And concrete boots are mandatory.
trollhattan
@Kent: TBH I believe the only path to rescuing populous red states begins with a Democratic congress that can pass an ironclad voting rights act and a SCOTUS not corrupt enough to overturn it.
Those other red states, the ones with twelve people each…¯\_(ツ)_/¯
OzarkHillbilly
@Anonymous At Work: In any showdown between the turtle and voldemort, my money is on the turtle.
dm
@terraformer: Let me guess: you’re from New Jersey, where the “University of New Jersey” is better known as “Princeton”, and the “State University of New Jersey” is better known as “Rutgers”.
I suspect New Jersey is the only state for which your rule applies.
Anonymous At Work
@OzarkHillbilly: Possibly, but the timing of the retirement might put it on Ricketts (not a Trump fan and term-limited) or the new guy, who overcame a Trump-endorsed serial sexual abuser, but who is new to elective office. Then you’d have the election for the rest of Sasse’s term. Lots of chances for a Trumpist to triumph.
Betty Cracker
@Alison Rose 💙🌻💛: I did — loved it! Usually when I read and love a book first, film/TV adaptations don’t land for me because the character isn’t how I imagined, but it’s McDormand, so… I really need to catch up on Strout’s latest novels.
@trollhattan: They must be! I recently read that Holly Hunter and McDormand were roomies in college and that Hunter introduced McDormand to the Coens via an audition. A lot of concentrated talent in that set.
Betty Cracker
@OzarkHillbilly: Same. Voldemort didn’t exactly cover himself with glory running the NRSC either. Even if they squeak out a win (dog forbid!), Scott hoovered up their money like the crook he is, and they know it.
Rocks
@Eyeroller: Dude! University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Go ZooMass!
OzarkHillbilly
@Betty Cracker: You mean he did the same thing to the NRSC that he did to Medicare? Who’da thunk it!!
Seriously tho, the GOP deserved to get taken to the cleaners putting that vacuum anywhere near the purse strings.
Cameron
@OzarkHillbilly: Snow-white ones, of course.
SNCO
@Betty Cracker: Not saying that Midland Lutheran University is comparable. . . . But Sasse has an independent streak that got him in trouble in Nebraska politics. . . . Personally I think this has more to do with the Harvard old boys club sticking together than it does trying to destroy education.
Sasse was in trouble: DeSantis did him a solid. Of course – the two purposes are not mutually exclusive . . .
lowtechcyclist
Just saw this:
Good for the Biden Administration, and world’s smallest violin for Uber, Lyft, and the rest of the gig economy profiteers.
OzarkHillbilly
@Cameron: Of course.
StringOnAStick
@Alison Rose 💙🌻💛: Funny, that book was chosen by our book club but I won’t be here for that dinner meeting. I wasn’t going to get around to reading it but maybe I should anyway. I’m not really a big fiction reader other than humour/satire.
I voted for the book “Ravenous” about the life of Otto Warburg , a probably gay biologist who told the Nazis to shove it often but the regime was so paranoid about cancer and he was the prominent researcher in Germany so they left him alone. Looks like we’re reading that next.
It’s a book club of couples and the male half is more interested in history or good historical fiction, but at the last meeting one made it clear that 400 pages of anything is his limit. Good thing it’s more a social group than a strictly enforced reading club!
Betty Cracker
@SNCO: There may be an element of Harvard boys solidarity in the pick — I don’t know since I’m only a woman who went to a state university (UF). But DeSantis is definitely hellbent on destroying public education in Florida, and this is the latest in a long series of actions in that vein. Sasse’s alleged political independence aside, this is objectively an absurd pick. As one columnist memorably put it, it’s like hiring the manager of a Shoney’s to run Commander’s Palace.
StringOnAStick
I saw a tweet last night from the sage of Vermont telling D politicians to stop talking about abortion rights so much. Ever the savvy race winner, that guy.
geg6
@terraformer:
Penn State is not of that model, for sure. The University is what is called a “state-related” university, as is Temple, Pitt and Lincoln. This means they get a small amount of their budget from state funding (at Penn State, it’s less than 4%) but are not controlled by the state university system. In fact, Penn State gets the least funding from the state of any “public” college or university in the state. Probably in the nation, for that matter.
catclub
The job of a University President is fundraising. I think his qualifications for that are probably excellent.
trollhattan
@lowtechcyclist: Good.
The CA legislature passed a law reclassifying a lot of gig workers as employees. White-hot screeching Uber, Lyft et al bought themselves a proposition/initiative (forget which) overturning it the very next election. The ad campaign for it was something to see.
geg6
@Eyeroller:
I listened to an interesting podcast about the Alabama/Auburn rivalry. It apparently had nothing to do with football in the beginning. It came about because they were both vying to be the land grant university after the Civil War and Auburn won. The Crimson Tide never got over it.
Omnes Omnibus
Two presidents of my tiny undergrad moved on to be president of Harvard as their next gig.
ETA: This does not mean that I think Sasse is qualified for anything.
trollhattan
@Betty Cracker: Not telling you anything you don’t already know, but Reagan did as much damage to California higher education in his eight years as governor, as he possibly could. The impacts are felt even today. Fun fact, since 1965, UC has added ONE campus for a state that has doubled in population. Those damn Berkeley commies!
DeSantis could well do similar, more or less permanent damage there.
Kent
Rather than fussing about classification of employees, the simpler and more comprehensive alternative would be to actually consider ALL forms of income the same when it comes to taxes so that you pay social security, unemployment, disability, etc. the same regardless of whether you are a wage employee, gig contractor, or bond investor. That way there is zero financial difference whether Uber and other gig employers classify their drivers as employees or contractors. The taxes are all the same either way. And they are equally entitled to workplace benefits like unemployment and workman’s comp regardless of whether they are getting a W2 or 1099.
geg6
@catclub:
It is certainly part of the job. But not, in my 24 years of experience in higher ed, the main thing. Probably much more true of private college presidents than that of public colleges or universities.
Kent
That is sort of true. But I’m willing to bet that the number of public college students within California has more than doubled since the 1960s. There is more than just the UC system. The Cal State system has hugely expanded. For example, San Diego State had about 15,000 students in 1965. Today it has more like 35,000. I expect you will find similar growth across the entire Cal State system.
Likewise, according to this web site: https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/about-us/information-center/historical-enrollment the UC system had a total enrollment of about 80,000 in 1965 compared to about 295,000 today
So there are likely a much higher percentage of Californians attending college today than in the 1960s.
JCJ
In Indiana I believe both Purdue University and Indiana University are land grant schools while Indiana State is not.
Eyeroller
@geg6: Unfortunately the fraction of public funding isn’t the criterion (so it can keep shrinking) — it’s who appoints the Board of Regents or Visitors or whatever they’re called.
Betty Cracker
I invite anyone who’s skeptical about what a deliberately catastrophic pick this is to examine the academic credentials of Sasse’s predecessors, then come back and tell me how his appointment makes any goddamn sense. It doesn’t, and the so-called “nationwide search” that yielded one candidate (thereby letting the DeSantis megadonor board off the hook for publicly justifying this choice) stinks to high heaven.
apocalipstick
@Eyeroller: University of Southern California is an example of a private “U of” institution, and many of the “University of”s are land grants: U of Missouri, U of Arkansas, U of Massachusetts, U of Vermont, U of Maine, U of Georgia, and U of Florida are some of the examples.
apocalipstick
@Betty Cracker: You should. It’s excellent. Hugh Laurie and Tom Hiddleston are both crackerjack as well.
apocalipstick
@JCJ: Purdue is, IU is not.
Almost Retired
Max Nikias from USC is available to bring all sorts of new forms of corruption to UF. Don’t know why he was overlooked.
trollhattan
@Kent: Think you don’t appreciate how openly Reagan declared war on the state’s universities.
Between Reagan and Prop 13, California public school funding and higher education funding have never recovered.
Eyeroller
@apocalipstick: Southern California isn’t a state. Not currently, anyway. The University of California is public.
There are several “University of” that are the land-grant institution. It’s not a hard and fast rule — in fact sometimes the land-grant school is called A&M or Tech, and the <state> State University is something else entirely. It’s just a moderately common pattern, especially when the University of <state> was established fairly early.
Betty Cracker
@trollhattan: I didn’t know even half of that — damn, what a dick! And then America went and made that dickhead a two-term president, Jesus H. Christ, what is wrong with us?
California’s trajectory gives me some hope for Florida eventually throwing off the shackles of Republicanism. Seems like it had to get really bad there for a while before it got better.
Paul in KY
@JCJ: I thought Purdue was private.
geg6
@Eyeroller:
I actually knew that, but maybe didn’t make it clear. Penn State has a 38 member board. It’s made of up ex officio members (the university president, the governor, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Natural Resources and Secretary of Education), various alumni members appointed by the governor from various backgrounds, a large slate elected by alumni, elected delegates chosen by state agricultural societies, elected delegates from business and industry, a few at-large delegates, a student chosen by students, a professor chosen by faculty and the immediate past president of the Alumni Association. The vast, vast, vast majority are alumni, regardless of who they represent.
Burnspbesq
@Eyeroller:
For a long time, people failed to realize that Rutgers was the state university of New Jersey, because “New Jersey” wasn’t part of the name. That was changed a while back. Now it’s “Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.”
tokyokie
@OzarkHillbilly: The University of Missouri-Columbia not only is a land-grant school, it is the oldest public university west of the Mississippi. As a journalism major, I never had a lot of dealings with the ag students (except the guy from my dorm who had a standing order for a case of Coors back when it wasn’t distributed nationwide), but I appreciated their presence all the same because they hated the frats even more than I did and tended to keep them in line. The school now called Missouri State was previously Southwest Missouri State. Same transition as the similarly named college in Texas.
Burnspbesq
@dm:
Princeton is now known as “the alma mater of that cocksucker Alito.”
Burnspbesq
@lowtechcyclist:
That’s going to unleash a storm of litigation. I imagine Paxton will file some piece of shit no later than tomorrow.
Burnspbesq
@trollhattan:
And it’s in Merced, of all places. Of course, all the campuses except Berkeley have grown exponentially since then. There’s a reason why UCI stands for “under construction indefinitely.”
Burnspbesq
@Burnspbesq:
Queen of Lurkers
@Betty Cracker: Definitely way underqualified. Typically, a President of a large public university will have been a full professor at one or more prestigious schools and then risen through administrative ranks (Provost etc.). Ben Sasse is going to find himself completely at sea. The task of steering a huge university is monumental, especially if the student body is against you from the outset.
WaterGirl
@Kent: yeah but as a contractor you have to pay the employee part of the taxes and the employer part. So if everyone gets paid the same in your model does that mean employers employees are paying both parts or does it mean employers are paying the contractors part of their taxes?
Kent
@trollhattan: I’m not arguing that Reagan wasn’t a disaster as a governor. But he left office in 1974 or nearly 40 years ago.
Kent
Just make the taxes the same across the board whether you are a 1099 or W2. Have all employers required to issue a 1099 do the same withholding as employers who issue W2s. You want to hire 1099 contract employees? Fine. go for it. But your tax hit is the same either way.