The Palm Beach Post’s Editorial Page editor has yet to figure out that people in prisons don’t like being there, and they complain about it. A lot.
In his editorial, “FAU can’t talk its way past the GEO stadium controversy,” Randy Schultz joins the attack against The GEO Group and its $6 million gift to Florida Atlantic University. In return for the donation, The GEO Group gets to put its name on the stadium for 12 years.
GEO Group is one of the largest private prison operators in the country, if not the world. It’s headquartered in Boca Raton, and CEO George Zoley is an FAU alumnus.
Schultz acknowledges that FAU needs the money, and that no other corporate entity has offered the school as much. That’s why I call it a gift and not a straight-up naming rights business deal.
But he acknowledges those key points in typical snide fashion:
No surprise there. FAU needs that $6 million. FAU and GEO have described the donation as “philanthropic,” but Dr. Saunders acknowledged that the amount is the minimum needed to make bond payments on the stadium. She also acknowledged that FAU had received no comparable offers in its effort to sell naming rights to what critics now call “Owlcatraz.”
Schultz blathers on about the charges and questions a small group of students has hurled at FAU President Mary Jane Saunders like, “What about the charges that GEO has mistreated Hispanic immigration detainees?” or “Was Dr. Saunders aware of the many abuse cases GEO has settled?”
What a farce.
The very small group of FAU kiddie malcontent protesters need to learn a few things about life, and Schultz could use a remedial course himself.
Corporations often settle lawsuits when the cost to litigate is more expensive than settling the case. That’s standard operating procedure in the business world. It doesn’t mean a damn thing, and Schultz knows that, even if the students might not.
Just about every prison in the country, whether public or private, has some group or individual screaming about “human rights abuses.” Prison is not a fun place, and prisoners will do or say anything to try to get out, or improve their privileges while incarcerated.
The students are trying to play the race card, and so is Schultz, who repeated their loaded descriptions of “mistreated Hispanic immigration detainees” like they were legitimate.
Being Hispanic, or an immigration detainee, has nothing to do with anything.
Running a prison is a tough business. Its job is to lock up the people government says should be locked up. GEO doesn’t make the laws that determine who should be in prison; politicians do.
Mistakes are made at every prison in this country, and while they should be reported and corrected, the FAU flap is not about any alleged or manufactured wrongs committed by The GEO Group. At least it’s not for Schultz.
What really bugs Schultz and the rest of the left-wing media attacking GEO’s generosity is the word “private.”
Schultz and his progressive buddies have long opposed prison privatization, and just about any other plan to privatize government services and save taxpayer dollars.
So they’re all going to attack FAU for taking the money, and do their best to assassinate the character, and the reputation, of the people offering those badly needed resources.
There isn’t anything a private prison operator like GEO, or FAU, could possibly do to appease Schultz or the gift’s other critics, and they shouldn’t even bother to try.
Find Schultz’s editorial “FAU can’t talk its way past the GEO stadium controversy”, here.
About Jack Furnari
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There is an answer to the controversy.
Great name calling comments on the “controversy”! The article not only bashes and labels nicely, what with Hispanics, kiddies and left wing, but it also begs the question: is BizPac due for a gift from GEO. Or is Jack lining up for something else?
Nothing wrong with GEO giving a gift to FAU for it’s stadium, that is called business. Nothing wrong with private prisons -we need criminals put in prison. Prisoner abuse- give me a break. I say it helps the community to have a stadium -so bravo GEO.
Mr. Editor,
First mistake was your labeling the Palm Beach Post a left-wing publication, completely false!
Second, your quote, “The very small group of FAU kiddie malcontent protesters need to learn a few things about life, and Schultz could use a remedial course himself.” sounds belittling to students who are learning, as I did at the Executive MBA program at FAU, in the Corporate Social Responsibility course, about the critical importance of the for-human ethical responsiblity versus for-profit flavor of business!
Third, your attempt to rationalize settling lawsuits for business crimes, confirms the notion that many has not learned a thing from the global financial collapse and the primary role of business malpractices in it.
Fourth, dismissing the racial sentiments is insensitive.
Fifth, justifying the need to pay recurrent bond obligations is not a sound defense to FAU’s business decisions, if those decisions were not strategically pre-planned and payments secured before the construction phase.
Sixth, defending incarceration abuse, again, is not justified when it is now a common knowledge that the criminal justice system has been wrongfully putting people to death.
Seventh, in staying away from the privatization political issue, I believe that the ethical issue for FAU is to consider the value of its diplomas and graduates, especially that of the Schools of Business and Public Administration.
Eighth, it concerns me about Dr. Mary Jane Saunders, the new FAU president, that FAU could not have leveraged its relationships in cooperation with the business community, and the lack of better alternatives thereof.
This blemish is not going away any time soon, whether President Saunders prevails in her position or moves on, and remains to be seen.
Respectfully,
Michael Hamze
Hamaze the ‘financial consultant’ is giving lessons on ethics. Isn’t that a laugh. As we all know, no ethical abuses ever occur in financial services. NOT!
Give me a break. If every Business that had some controversy or lawsuits against them were denied naming rights or gifts there would be NO revenues and taxpayers would pick up the tab.
GEO is one of the top rated private prison services companies in the world. They should be thanked for their huge gift.
Mr. Shultz should do an editorial on why the post should not take ad revenue from “companies with lawsuits” or controversy – I’m sure his Publisher would love that.
Good for FAU’s new President not passing up a $6 million gift – GO OWLS!! Hoot, Hoot.
THE “PALM BEACH PRAVDA” IS SO FAR LEFT IT FELL OFF THE EARTH YEARS AGO. IT’S VIEWS ARE NOT WORTH DISCUSSING AS THE EDITORS STILL THINK OBUBBLEHEAD IS THE MESSIAH AND A GENIUS. THIS RAG IS SOMETHING TO SPEND TEN MINUTES WITH IN THE EARLY A.M. AS YOU SIT ON THE THRONE DOING YOUR BUSINESS.THE ENTIRE PAPER CAN BE READ DURING A NORMAL BOWEL MOVEMENT..TOO BAD THE INK RUBS OFF ON YOUR BOTTOM.
Clearly the author knows nothing about Geo or CCA and their well documented abuses. There is an organized movement to push the private prison industry out. This is a joint move of public workers, activist, those affected, and smart law enforcement and politicians. I recommend people find other industries to invest in.
“public workers, activist, those affected” In other words, prisoners and socialists. You pretty much proved the authors point.
I am an FAU student and I support GEO Group and President Saunders in this deal. There should be no controversy. GEO Group is a locally owned business based in Boca Raton, and the CEO is an alumnus as well as a former member of the BOT. These liberals whining about this are the same ones who would have been up in arms if the school budget had to be cut… Let me ask all of you opposed which would you rather: more money for education or better conditions for CRIMINALS!