Unsportsmanlike conduct
Remember Coach Scumbag from the University of Washington about whom I ranted last Thursday? After days of weaseling by both the coach and the university, he has finally been fired. Or has he? A Seattle newspaper says he’s toast. The coach and the university say he’s still on board, but Neuheisel admits his position is “tenuous.”
Why is this taking so long? It shouldn’t have taken more than five minutes. He clearly violated NCAA rules against gambling. He even admitted it, although he claims the NCAA rules are unclear. About as unclear as a bunker buster bomb.
The coach, who has a law degree, managed to come up with a memo from the university official responsible for compliance with such regulations. That memo seemed to exempt the type of gambling in which the coach engaged. Unfortunately, it did not agree with the NCAA rules, which clearly state no gambling, no exceptions.
So in his efforts to save his own job, he managed to tarnish the university and one of its officials, as well. Deservedly so. The university should take its lumps for issuing such a memo and for trying to wiggle out of the situation instead of doing the right thing right away. Neuheisel has a long record of questionable conduct and should never have been hired in the first place.
The stench surrounding the whole affair is exceeded only by the one emanating from the state capital. I wrote about corporate extortion last week and the potential for that crime seems to be alive and well among the state’s legislators. Boeing, as you may remember, made its home in Washington for over 90 years before moving its headquarters to Chicago, a more business-friendly location.
Now rather than building the proposed 7E7 jet at already existing facilities in this state, Boeing is demanding extraordinary concessions or it threatens to fly to Texas, which is far more cooperative in being raped. Governor Locke, in a shameless exhibition of ass-kissing, sent a sweetheart Boeing deal to the legislature. The legislature is meeting in special session in order to hammer out a budget that already cuts social services, education and infrastructure maintenance to the bone. How much worse is the Boeing deal going to make it? How high is up?
The special session is scheduled to end at midnight. The governor and Boeing obviously hope that the legislature will cave in under the pressure of a last minute deal. Organized labor is confused. They want those high paying jobs, but are also aware that the Boeing deal will effectively emasculate the state’s admittedly generous unemployment insurance program.
Constitutionally, the governor and the legislature are expressly prohibited from making deals that benefit only one business. So much of the package is couched in language that grants incentives to “the aerospace industry.” Since Boeing is the aerospace industry in this state, the effect is obvious. And it is obvious who will pay for this giveaway.
Basically, Boeing is telling Washington, “Bend over, sweetie, and I’ll drive you home.” No deal has been reached as of this writing, but I know which horse to bet on.
11:47:25 PM 
|
