UW Slush Fund

Kevin Reilly, UW System president, has some big time explaining to do.

From the MacIver Institute:

UW System President Kevin Reilly testified in front of the Joint Committee on Employment Relations about the needed personnel at the UW System and UW-Madison. In light of the recent news that the UW System has over $1 billion in cash reserves, legislators strongly questioned Reilly about why he continued to push for massive tuition increases year after year. Reilly tried to rationalize the surplus to the committee, but lawmakers were anything but satisfied with his response.

From Mike Lowe, FOX6 News:

The University of Wisconsin System president faced a panel of outraged lawmakers at the State Capitol on Tuesday, April 23rd. The lawmakers want to know how the UW System has a $650 million surplus at a time when students are being asked to pay more.

“I cannot see a time when we would say, ‘We trust you,’ because the trust has been broken,” said Assembly Speaker Robin Vos.

One after another, the state lawmakers wound up and unloaded verbal assaults on UW System President Kevin Reilly.

“I just have to ask the question, what were you thinking?” asked Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald.

“I feel like I’ve been played over the last few months,” said State Rep. John Nygren.

“A great lack of transparency is very bad,” said Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca.

Reilly quietly took it on the chin before responding.

“I hear the anger. I think in many ways it’s justified,” said Reilly.

Watch the FOX6 video.

Mike Lowe seems to be accusing lawmakers of abusing Reilly, rather than examining the possible abuse of taxpayers and students.

According to Lowe, "state lawmakers wound up and unloaded verbal haymakers on Reilly."

"Kevin Reilly quietly took it on the chin before responding."

Oh, give me a break!

Where is the oversight? This sort of surplus is something that should raise serious concerns.

But sympathetic Leftist Mike Lowe comes to Reilly's defense.

MIKE LOWE: Were you asking for something that you didn't need when you were asking for tuition increases?

KEVIN REILLY: No, I really don't think so.

LOWE: Reilly says the excess money should really be looked at in three different ways: some of it is restricted — like gifts from donors that have to be spent on specific projects; some is committed, like money in an account that goes to pay bills; and some is saved in a reserve, like money saved for a rainy day.

The outrage expressed by lawmakers, taxpayers, parents, and students is completely justified.

Reilly admitted there were "transparency" issues.

Reilly says the [Board of Regents] was aware of the surplus money and that it is very much needed as a safety net but admitted they didn't do a good job of communicating.

"Let me go back to the who knew what when questions. I think we could have and should have been more transparent about this," said Reilly.

I don't think Reilly realizes that he works for us. That revelation seems to have come as quite a shock to him.

His responses to the lawmakers' questions were inadequate. Reilly contradicted himself, stating with certitude that enrollment is increasing and then claiming that enrollment is on a downward trend and declining.

Not too smart.

Reilly is in over his head.