Progress Now Action

Two things strike me as important lessons following the GOP coup of elevating Bruce Benson to CU President: that this could have been foreseen in the GOP indignation to removing BB from the Metro State Board, and that this is the price Colorado pays for GOP dominance of any governing board like the CU Regents. The end result remains that Colorado has reduced the CU President from being a distinguished post for an accomplished leader in high education to an opportunistic prize for a marketing driven and profit focused political activist.

Every Congressional District nominating assembly/convention must take a closer look at candidates for CU Regent. Removing the GOP Regents currently representing districts of Democratic members of the US Congress should now receive higher priority. The holder of a CU Regent's seat does matter.

It is not unreasonable that GOP operatives have been maneuvering to this conclusion from the moment BB was denied reappointment to the Metro State Board. Not a hard scenario to imagine: BB is out at Metro, Hank Brown is on a short calendar for CU, the CU Regents are majority GOP, and the GOP wants to desperately restore prestige to BB. Dick Wad**** must be barely able to hold back the gleeful celebration.

This yet another event that showcases the evidence that the future of higher education in Colorado is in doubt. While the supposed "flagship" university is now firmly under the control of GOP led business interests, we can only hope that the other public institutions maintain some higher commitment to academic ideals and pursuits.

The era of Bruce Benson's leadership of the Sate GOP saw the establishing of CSAP and the reduction of our children from people to industrial products to be managed like ISO-9000 commodities. What innovations and efficiencies can we expect BB to introduce at CU? Reversing the majority on the CU Regents board is a vital necessity to keep BB in check.

It's hard to conceive how, or if, Bruce Benson will be accepted by other University Presidents within and outside of Colorado. Every one of the incumbent Community College Presidents have more substantial academic credentials than BB and most are having great success with foundation fundraising.

This is a sad day for CU and Colorado. The CU system is arguably off my list of colleges for my kids or my plans for a PhD.