Cigarroa: Chairman Didn't Direct Me to Fire Powers
University of Texas System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa, responding to a news report suggesting UT Board of Regents Chairman Gene Powell had asked him to fire University of Texas at Austin President Bill Powers, said Thursday that Powell "never directed me to fire anyone."
Cigarroa's statement follows a blog post late Wednesday from Texas Monthly Senior Executive Editor Paul Burka. Citing an unnamed source, Burka wrote that the regents are angry at Powers for publicly expressing disappointment with their decision — made with encouragement from Gov. Rick Perry — to reject Powers' request for a slight tuition increase. Burka wrote that Powell ...
Comments (7)
Bill Mintz via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Perry and his appointees appear dead-set on imposing the mediocrity gripping A&M on the state's top institution.
hans5162@ix.netcom.com hans
First, they want to destroy K-12 public education. At the same time, they are trying to destroy our great public universities and replace what they provide with distance learning provided by crony companies of the Governor. They should just be up front about their motives. Pass a constitutional amendment banning support for universities and abolishing universal public education. Why continue to beat around the bush. Gene Powell is nothing more than a Texas Public Policy Foundation lackey and Perry lap dog. Powell and the rest of the TPPF moles should resign now, before they do further damage to the State of Texas.
Class of '84, J.D. '87
Ronald Trowbridge
I have always known Paul Burka to be temperate and cautious in his writings. But in reporting, apparently inaccurately, that Powell directed Cigarroa to fire Powers, he has set off a firestorm that has generated unnecessary harm against Powell, the regents, the governor, the Texas Public Policy Foundation, and, yes, even Powers. If Cigarroa is telling the truth about not being directed by Powell to fire Powers--and I presume he is, we must now take at least with a little suspicion Burka's credibility in the future. He created, unfairly, a lot of ill will. Worse, what's done may not be able to be undone.
T D
The comments immediately above should themselves be taken with a grain of salt.
First, Cigarroa stated only that a particular person didn't direct him to conduct a particular act. In a matter like this, one would expect a blanket statement denying any ill will whatsoever. A reporter or attorney might take this as inviting a follow-up question.
Second, Trowbridge is currently listed as a Visiting Research Fellow of the TPPF.
Gypsy Rose
@Ronald, Burka's original blog never said Powell "directed Cigarroa to fire Powers." It said "Powell asked Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa to recommend that Powers be fired." There is a huge difference in those two statements.
@Hans, You are absolutely correct on all points. Perry and his people have been setting public education up to fail for years so they can move to a privatized ($$$) education system. I wish they would just be honest for once, just once.
gypsy314 ne
Fire the whole staff . Lower rates for students and take away free ride for illegal aliens.
Anyone but the Obama fraud and liar democrats and sorry rhinos!
Texas Longhorns
I've always known Ronald Trowbridge's research and proposals on higher ed to be flawed and half-baked. The TPPF think thimble is a hot mess, a total disaster for higher education in Texas.
Cigarroa may not have been "directed," but we can see where this trajectory starts and ends. The governor's idiotic cronies/regents are just dying to get rid of Powers. Their failure to dispel this rumor only proves how true it was in the first place, and Powell has shown just how much of a liar he really is. He testified before several lawmakers that there weren't any plans to fire Powers. The man is unethical and needs to resign.
Go read some Shakespeare.