University of Massachusetts President William Bulger invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during questioning at a Congressional committee meeting today in Boston. Bulger refused to answer questions about his brother, fugitive James "Whitey" Bulger. EDITORIAL COMMENT- Billy Bulger was wholly unqualified to take control of a major university system in the first place, and now the UMass system is reaping the fruit. He had no experience in higher education whatsoever, and was previously President of the state senate, which he ruled with an iron fist to the detriment of democracy. He's turned UMass into yet another Massachusetts patronage haven, hiring friends and relatives of friends for high-paying jobs that previously didn't exist, and for which there seems to be no need. In the meantime, faculty are being asked to teach extra classes due to a shortage of funds to hire new teachers. He's far too arrogant to ever resign, so here's hoping the UMass Board of Trustees grow a collective spine and oust him ASAP. Bruce
I've never met anyone who could adequately explain how Bulger might be qualified, even minimally, to run UMass. It had to be some sort of pay-off job to get him out of the political arena. Now as to his brother, when you talk about a family that has one kid as president of the state senate and the other kid as the head of the local organized crime family...well what do you think this is? Providence? (see ya in 5 Buddy) Jack
Exactly. Not to mention, the $309,000 a year he's pulling down as UMass President is a lot better than the $50K or so he was making as a state senator. As a UMass alum (I got my M.A. at UMass-Lowell), I was disgusted that Grace Fey, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, is backing Bulger to the hilt, going so far as to call his invoking the 5th "a prudent decision", and I've written to her saying as much. Another Bulger backer on the board is a big shot at Solomon, Smith, and Barney, so as Treasurer of the police patrolman's union, I'm pulling all our investments from SSB on Monday. Bruce
