Looting higher education (updated)

By Thomas Lifson

Liberal elites often demonstrate contempt for ordinary Americans, on the assumption that rules for proles don't apply to them. The University of California System has been looted by senior managers over the last several years, something we have noted repeatedly.

The latest example boggles my mind, though. A highly paid executive, Linda Morris Williams, with a rather squishy-soft community relations job (shades of Michelle Obama's $300k+ job

Worse, the University now admits that it misled the public in its explanations of the way the job switch was handled. Previously it maintained that this all happened innocently, and that Ms. Williams didn't know about the second job when she left the first one. Now it develops that she did indeed know that she had the new job waiting for her when she left the old one, thereby arranging for herself a six figure bonus. At taxpayer expense.

Education is one of the largest industries in America, and there are plenty of people in it helping themselves to high salaries while performing undemanding jobs, the kind of things called "associate chancellor - government, community and campus liaison."

Incidentally, Ms. Williams also received a $44,000 relocation allowance and a low-interest $832,500 home loan earlier.

Read Jim Doyle's article in the San Francisco Chronicle describing the outrageous looting of the public treasury, and the misleading statements put out by the University's management in an attempt to cover its tracks. Then give yourself a treat and read the comments posted by outraged Californians.

Update:

To prevent further administrative compensation problems, in September 2007 the Regents hired a very high paid ($425,050) Chief Compliance and Audit Officer. Her name is Sheryl Vacca.

You can find her at the www.ucop.edu website, if you scroll down to the Updates on UC Compensation box, select Salary Action Page, then Sept 2007 Regents Meeting Approval Items, then Vacca.

The job description compensation components are described, with a Total Annual Employee Compensation of $425,250.

Why didn't Vacca look into this scandal? Why must it be left to a much-lower-paid SFChronicle reporter?