Sources: Whistleblower forcing out UT President. Michael Quinn Sullivan, Breitbart Texas
Earlier this week, as an investigation was being launched into allegations that under-qualified students were being admitted into Texas’ flagship institution based on their political ties and relationships, the director of admissions announced she was leaving her job. This new investigation by Cigarroa comes on the heels of a cursory review by the UT System which found examples of inappropriate swaying the admissions process at the Austin campus.
After months of defending Powers as the victim of a witch-hunt led by shadowy right-wing forces, even the TLSPM has decided the latest allegations are too much to ignore.
Cagarroa tells Powers to resign or be fired. Reeve Hamilton, The Texas Tribune
SOME of the TLSPM that is, whereas BadMedia outlets like the Houston Chronicle have decided to double down:
Supporters rally behind UT-Austin President. Benjamin Wermund, Houston Chronicle
Wemund takes the usual path. Find a former Republican politicians who was well liked by the establishment and quote them as being on-board with the current GOP leadership. He also included this little bit of oratory from Houston area trough-feeder State Rep. Carol Alvarado...
"I'm just kind of taken aback by the fact that we've had to remind them a couple of times about not making personnel changes," Alvarado said. "I'm curious if Cigarroa is just having selective memory issues, or if he's completely dissing our request."
Alvarado said working with the UT system has been a "tug-of-war," but that Powers' ultimatum is "the climax of the insubordination." She said whether UT officials could be punished for ignoring the committee is "worth looking into."
The "insubordination" that Alvarado thinks is "worth looking into" is only important if you choose to ignore the very serious alleged admissions issues that have arisen from internal e-mails and now whistleblowers. For those politicians who seemingly are constantly worried about what's "fair" it's amazing that, suddenly, fairness in admissions to Texas' flagship institution is placed so readily on the back-burner.
All in the name of fealty one guesses. Fealty to what I'll leave up to you.
No matter where this story ends up the one thing that is certain is that the Texas Lock Step Political Media has done Texas voters and citizens another disservice by failing to report truly and faithfully on an issue that could be of great importance. If the playing field for admissions to Tier One universities in Texas truly is imbalanced and rigged by powerful members of the political class then it's the poor and unconnected who will suffer the most. This disadvantage is currently being swept under the rug only to be replaced by a system-wide vendetta against a Governor who has out-foxed and out-smarted them repeatedly over the course of his term.
If anything, the total whiff on this story should lead to some TLSPM soul-searching and perhaps a refreshing of the roster. Might it be suggested that someone with the ability for independent thought be considered?
As it currently stands, the mess at UT-Austin is only exceeded by the mess in the Austin bureaus of pretty much every Texas news outlet. Media, professional political media, in Texas is now more about egos and grudges than it ever has been and the public is suffering for it.
