leatherneck

I agree that businesses plan. But still, this situation has played out at bookstores across the country for the last several years with high minimum wage or not. Just ask Border's, Waldenbooks, B. Dalton's, Encore, Media Play or any of the other bookstore chains that have closed in the last 10 years. He was already operating barebones to begin with, and only paying himself about 28k per year according to an article I found Borderlands Books in SF announces closure, cites minimum wage increase | Other News | San Francisco | San Francisco Examiner. And that was last year, his best year ever. So he's running a super small business, in a rapidly dying industry, in one of the most expensive cities in the country to live in. Again, I agree that the increase in minimum wage is bad. But this is a poor example of a business that's being impacted to the point of closing. This bookstore was on it's way out regardless of whether minimum wage went up or not. Sorry, this just isn't the best way to prove the point.

With all respect, this is a perfect example of the impact of jacking up the minimum wage. There are many small businesses barely making it, but making it and providing jobs. Jack up any operating costs (be it wages, rent, etc) that can't be passed on to the customers because of competition pressures (bookstores are a great example) and they close. And when they close, the jobs are lost and another option for the consumer is lost.

People complain about big box stores on here all the time. Jacking up minimum wages will shut down the small independent businesses and the big box stores will be all that is left. Small bookstores, hardware stores, butcher shops, etc, etc, etc.that rely on a low minimum wage in order to exist are going to disappear in SF. And then the wackos out in SF will be stuck with the big businesses that they love to vilify. Bittersweet irony.

Noble idea to raise minimum wages but the doctrine of unintended consequences rears its ugly head again.

Congrats David. Mercer got a great one and Mason lost a great one.

Possibly the most honest President in recent memory was Jimmy Carter. How many BGPers would rush to pull that lever again?

If given the choice between Carter and Hillary, I'd vote for Carter. I believe Hillary is a very dangerous, treacherous, evil person.

The Shawnee and Cherokee want their hunting land back; we moving?

No fan of Rove but also no fan of Beck. Unfortunately, the issues facing this country are no where near as black and white as Beck and others would like them to be. They just aren't. If 60% or more of Americans felt the way Beck and others do on a lot of issues it would be much easier for the leaders of Congress to govern. But they don't. To me at least, there are about 25% of Americans on the far left; about 25% of Americans on the far right; and the remaining Americans are in the middle, leaning one way or the other (leaning one way at times and other ways at times).

A leader of Congress pushing an agenda too far either to the right or the left satisfies the 25% on that side, but loses not only the 25% on the other side but a large portion of the 50% in the middle. Which doesn't work. It just doesn't.

Beck and those feeling similar want Congress to move this country dramatically and quickly back to the right. Such won't work, as big, fast steps to the right "scare" a lot of folks in the middle. If this country is going to be moved to the right it will be a result of gradual, baby steps. Those advocating dramatic, quick and big movements to the right sometimes do more harm than good in my opinion. Principles are great I guess, but practicality has to come into play in order to govern and manage a country (or organization) that lacks a really strong and committed consensus on issues and direction.

Perhaps the Americans in the middle are so fed up with the current President and the condition of the country that someone like Cruz could get elected. But I don't think so (at least not yet).

I think your thoughts are spot on. This year's recruiting strategy seems to be different. In year's past, it seems like UK spent a lot of time early going after the "big time", highly rated players. Last year after several of those commits decommitted, Stoops and Co. had to do some last minute scrambling in order to bring in a decent class.

This year it seems, at least to me, that Stoops is spending a lot of the "early" time going after the not so highly rated players (perhaps not highly rated yet) in the hopes of being able to lock them up so he and the other coaches can spend more of the "later" recruiting efforts going after the very highly rated players.

I think UK fans have to acknowledge that UK football is not at the position where every one of its recruits will be either a 4 or 5 star. Which means a lot of 3 stars will be in the class. One approach is to go after just the 4 and 5 stars early and then hope like hades that you can at the last minute pick up 3 stars if you don't get the 4 or 5 stars (which sort of happened last year). Another approach (the approach seemingly being taken by Stoops this year in my opinion) is to go early after the 3 star players that you believe are under rated and capable of playing in the SEC, and then start swinging for the fences going after the 4 and 5 star athletes.

Anyone have any historical data to support or refute the theory that 4 and 5 stars are more likely/much more likely to make last minute changes in their college choices than 3 stars? If the data supports that theory, it may explain why Stoops has taken the commitments from so many 3 stars at this point and feels he can pick up/flip some 4 or 5 stars later in the process.

I honestly feel that recruiting is much more complex and complicated than the game of football itself.

To the OP: I think a lot of Democrats have beliefs founded in compassion for their fellow man (and I do not mean the Democrats whom use issues like race to further line their pockets or to get re-elected). The Democrats I'm referring to support welfare programs, higher taxes on the rich, a higher minimum wage, etc because they want to help the less fortunate and the needy and believe that such policies will indeed help the less fortunate and the needy. Which, while I disagree with a lot of their policies, I find their compassion to be laudable.

You're kidding, right. This is mild. This kid wants to wade in the deep end he needs to be able to take the heat. And this wasn't even harsh. Please.

Agreed. I realize it was a student reporter, but it was kind of a stupid question.

Very, very sad news. I'm really bummed.

Yep. Give me Spring and Fall year round. Upper 60's - Mid 70's year round. That's my kinda weather.

The good side to where we live is that we get to really experience all four seasons; the bad side is that we never really get used to the Winter cold or the Summer heat, and because we know Fall and Spring will be following, we wish Winter and Summer away.

I assume that look was familiar to you. I get that look often.

Yes Sir, it was.

Guy sitting in the Dr's office this morning next to was grumbling about the weather. I told him to enjoy the winter; embrace it, because he couldn't do anything about it other than move. The look he gave me indicated he didn't agree with my philosophy! :banana:

To answer the original question: whatever I blooming feel like drinking it out of.

Bourbon snobs really crack me up.

Centre has a program in place with several engineering schools. Attend first 3 years at Centre and then attend two years with the affiliated engineering schools. When complete your son would have 2 degrees. Since I represent several engineering firms I can say this with extreme confidence: the 3 years spent at Centre would make him a much more complete and well rounded business person and engineer. See: Centre College | Engineering - Centre College

Not the kid, those adults advising him. Please review post #59.

 

As to those flipping? They may have had just that advise.

 

I have not said once that Louisville didn't do anything wrong, here. I find they're actions deplorable.

 

However, what I'm seeing is everybody just piling on Louisville. I expect that here, but the columnists bother me.

 

What should be being transmitted, by these pontificators of knowledge and advice, to those being recruited and the adults advising them, now, is "There is no such thing as a sure thing in life and prepare yourself accordingly."

And for the record, I haven't said that Louisville did anything wrong. My prior post was my first post on the subject. I am certainly not a UL basher; not even close.

I just don't accept the defense of: if kids can change their commitment, so can the coaches. I hold adults to a higher standard than teenage kids.

I meant 2 days, but the point is the same. 2 days, 2 weeks, 6 months, it makes no difference. Offers get rescinded. My question about the coach remains the same.

 

Your right, commitment is not commitment for either side. Look at how many recruits flipped on signing day and the weeks and days leading up to it.

Any credibility to the theory that adults and institutions of higher learning that have dealt with the recruiting process many, many times should be held to a higher standard than a teenage aged boy dealing with the recruiting decision for the first and only time in his life?

I can tell you no player is getting removed for those especially when you consider the "firearm" from a legal standpoint is essentially a BB gun. Note: Before anyone reacts, no, I am not diminishing the fear many had due to the shutdown of campus.

 

It does sound worse though when you say "discharge of a firearm."

 

Details matter. Those are "show up at 5:00 in the morning, son, and do some more conditioning" offenses.

I've never considered the "discharge of a firearm" incident to have been a criminal act. Stupid, given today's heightened sensitivities to gun related incidents on campus. But a criminal act? No. Not close.

I would with the Team Cov Cath had!

I don't mean to be disrespectful but CovCath had an okay team in 09 but it wasn't great. At least it didn't look like a great CovCath team to me in the couple of games I saw them play (including the game against Highlands, and I feel comfortable saying I've watched that game tape as much as anyone). Don't think I saw LexCath in 09 but did see Ryle twice that year (Highlands played them twice). Ryle and CovCath were pretty close to one another but if I had to pick one over the other, I'd probably pick Ryle to be honest with you.

What parts are you skeptical of?

If this was anywhere near as prevalent as the author indicates, wouldn't there would be a big number of players that have out of the woodwork and reported it? Sure, there have been some players that have alleged that they were paid money to attend such and such college. Just think about it: how many kids become dissatisfied and leave programs, often times angry at the schools and coaches. If the practice is as rampant as the author would have me believe, I just believe we'd be hearing about it from a lot more from players.

Furthermore, don't you think that at least some supporters dropping $10,000-15,000 a year are going to become dissatisfied with having to stay in the shadows, or would have a true change of moral heart, etc. and decide to fully disclose the matter (instead of doing so in the manner he did)? Heck the bag man source is obviously fine with what he's doing, so it doesn't seem to me that he made the disclosure to the author in the hope it would end the practice. So what would be the motivation for the source to tell all this stuff to the author?

Get the NCAA to start paying athletes $40,000? Yeah perhaps. But to me at least, the source seems to relish his role as the bag man. Besides, the source said that even if the NCAA started paying the athletes, this stuff would continue on anyway. So what exactly is the motivation of this source (and supposedly other sources) to tell the author about the practice?

Author may have the highest integrity in the world, but unless and until I met him and got to know him really well, I wouldn't automatically assume he does. Perhaps the Glass/New Republic incident is impacting my reasoning.

Or perhaps it's my cynical nature caused by being an attorney! Or perhaps it's because of all the allegations of cheating I heard when I was on the KHSAA Board. Obviously some cheating does occur but I don't think it's anywhere near the level alleged. If Mueller and Beatty illegally met with parents and players living in other districts to recruit them (as some have alleged over the years), you don't think that just one of those parents or players would have been smart enough to have the meeting/conversation recorded and then turn the recording in to the KHSAA or the local news? Ky as you are probably aware is a one-party consent to secret recording state.

Again, it all may be true. The sources may all be completely honest and the same with the author. I have no idea if the article is legit and I'm certainly not alleging that the sources or author are dishonest. But something just doesn't set right with me.

This just in - looks like the NKU President is at it again, and the SGA President is trying to cover up Mearns' buffoonery! Link with story! That poor Jose kid is being manipulated by the NKU higher-ups, another example here!

 

The Northerner : Jose hushes rumors about new rec facility employment

 

Jose hushes rumors about new rec facility employment

 

Gavin Colton

SGA President John Jose shows students how to sign the petition to #SaveOurRec. Jose held a forum Friday, Jan. 23, to discuss recent news of NKU's outsourcing of management for the Campus Recreation Center.

Gavin Colton, Reporter

January 23, 2015

Filed under Breaking News, Featured Story, News

Students and employees are concerned about the future of the Campus Recreation Center (CRC), the largest employer of students on campus. With submissions open for bid from private firms to take over management and operations of the facility, students and employees have expressed their discontent with the possibility of students’ jobs being cut.

SGA President John Jose held a public forum today to inform students about management plans for the newly renovated Campus Rec.

Jose wanted students to know how important of an issue the future of students’ jobs is to his office. He also wanted students to know how transparent he and his office are being with the student body.

“When you all elected me as student body president last year, that’s something I harped on [transparency to the student body],” Jose said. “No matter how tough the issue might be or what it will be, I still need to inform you guys of what’s going on.”

Jose’s purpose was to inform students of the facts surrounding the issue and of a petition SGA has created to keep staffing and management the way it currently is without a third party. SGA hopes to get 7,500 signatures on the petition.

“I want to suppress the rumors and what people have been hearing through the grapevine,” Jose said.

As of now, the university has submitted a request for proposal (RFP) for a private firm to come and submit a bid on how they would run the CRC.

He told students that President Mearns has assured him that this [a third-party takeover] is not a done deal.

“They would have to be in a far superior state than we are now [for us to pick a third party],” Jose said, quoting Mearns.

“We will still own the building,” Jose said. “This is just to see who will run the everyday logistics, operations, management and programming of the facility.”

Submission is open until Feb. 4th 2015.

The $45 million, student-funded project will continue to be paid off for another 16 years.

Current staff in the CRC have an opportunity to submit and they are currently making their own RFP to be submitted to the university according to Jose.

The SGA President wanted to be very clear that he has spoken to President Mearns, and nobody has been fired or lost their job.

In 2007, students started requesting additional space in the CRC, according to Jose.

“On Oct. 11, 2010, SGA passed a resolution for a feasibility study to make sure NKU was equipped to expand the recreational facility, and who was going to pay for it,” Jose said.

The findings from the study came back on March 10, 2011 and they gave NKU the go ahead to start building the new facility, but at the students’ expense.

SGA held open forums from March to April of 2011 to inform students of this proposed new facility and expenses.

“On the SGA ballot that same year, students could vote if they were agreeing to introducing the fees so that we could expand our rec center,” Jose said. “The majority of students said yes on the vote.”

SGA recommended the expansion to the Board of Regents and Council for Post-Secondary Education, which looks over all the public institutions in the Commonwealth, and they approved it as well, according to Jose.

At the end of the same year, the Board of Regents approved the proposed rates.

“Fifty-one percent of students have used the CRC,” Jose said. “Last year alone over 7,000 distinct users used the the facility. It was expanded because it was too small for the growing student population.”

“The rec center expansion is a $45 million dollar project that is nearing its completion by August 2015,” Jose said. “It is funded by all 16,000 students on this campus.”

Students who are enrolled in 12 credit hours pay $384 a year towards the building of the new facility according to Jose.

“We are still in the process of waiting to see who will submit bids for our rec center,” Jose said.

He empathized with current CRC staff and other student workers about how unsatisfactory this can be; how they have no idea whether they will have jobs in the next six months or not.

“I think student jobs are a very big part of this campus, I think that it is what feeds our campus and makes us very unique,” Erin Donohue, sophomore BFA musical theatre major said. “I think our students definitely depend on these jobs. I know so many people who work here and their rent depends on it.”

Jose stressed the importance of solidarity of students at this time, as well as arguing the case in the right way, should the bid be given to a third-party firm.

“We need to make sure that we argue this as a student standpoint, from student perspective,” Jose said.

He pleaded with students that they should not turn on the administration or President Mearns.

The current renovations will not be affected by the the RFP process.

Either way, Jose is confident that the number of jobs will increase with the expansion of the new facility.

“You shouldn’t hate President Mearns. This is not an NKU Administration versus students issue,” Jose said. “They are just doing their duty to see what could be most effective for our student population.”

“Obviously they’re looking at bringing on third parties to try and improve on some of the things that current students and leaderships are doing there,” Benjamin Reed, junior history major said. “I’d be pretty upset if students in management lose jobs. If a third party did come in and there were benefits to the students and the university such as financial or better leadership or better run rec center, then I’m okay with that as long as some of the standards are met, such as students keeping their jobs.”

On Feb. 4 when the submission is closed there will be a committee put in place to review proposals.

Jose stressed the importance and need for having a student on the review committee.

THE RFP can be found on the NKU website and shows what companies need to be able to do in order for their submission to be considered by the Board of Regents.

Past Bid, Quotes & RFPs: Northern Kentucky University, Greater Cincinnati Region

Jose went through the RFP requirements in brief with students.

“It is the intent of NKU to enter into a five-year contract with the successful responsive and responsible bidder to manage that and will be able to help build and maintain a high-quality collegiate recreational program that will be operated in a student-focused, customer-focused, and financially responsible manner,” Jose said.

RFP Requirements

Respondents must be qualified collegiate recreation management firms that provide comprehensive recreational sport and fitness programming to students, faculty, staff, and guests.

Respondents must provide a student development model for recruiting, hiring, and training student employees.

Respondents must provide learning outcomes and how these outcomes will be measured.

SGA Plan of action

Inform and educate the student body. SGA will be presenting at student organizations’ meetings starting Monday Jan. 26.

Social media campaign. #SaveOurRec. SGA encourage students to tag @PresidentMearns on Twitter.

Petition. SGA hopes to get 7,500 signatures petitions.com - petitions Resources and Information.

- See more at: The Northerner : Jose hushes rumors about new rec facility employment

Where's the buffoonery by Mearns?

I've read the article before, and perhaps its because of my doubting nature, but it just doesn't pass the smell test to me.

That was an okay year.:ylsuper:

Yes it was.:thumb:

Of course that squad had a lot more returning than just the 3 o linemen.

I'm a construction estimator and project manager. I do it professionally, just as Joe played football professionally. Still, I don't think I could teach 80 high schoolers how to do what I do.

Yeah, but if you could teach, the skills and knowledge that you picked up actually being an estimator and manager would be invaluable as you attempted to teach others.

Teaching skills being equal, I'd much rather my teacher be someone that has actually done the task being taught to me.

Which reminds me of an old saying about picking a lawyer: experience, age and treachery beats intelligence, youth and enthusiasm every time. :clap:

I know nothing about this specific situation, but I wonder (and I'd like to know DragonFire's thoughts): did Feggins try to make too many major changes too fast? I've seen multiple head coaches come into a program and in their first year, make big changes. Changes that alienated players, parents, boosters and administrators if for the simple reason, he wanted to do things differently. If that coach can pull off some big wins that first season, he's golden. But if he can't, he immediately faces a lot of criticism. If he's not a "local guy" and he doesn't handle the criticism smartly, he's pretty much done.

Might that have been the case with Feggins?

Funny, nobody was using this excuse when Coach Ray was here, winning state titles. :popcorn:

To be fair to CWB, Highlands football today is completely different than when Ray was coaching the Colonels. AAfter Mueller transformed the Highlands program, Coach Ray didn't have much success against Highlands. CovCath did win state in 94 (Dale's first season) and did win it in 97 (the Mud Bowl year) but that was the last year that Lynn won a state championship at CovCath. The last 7 seasons of Coach Ray's tenure (seasons 98-2004), Coach Ray was 1-9 against Highlands (the 1 win coming in the playoffs in 01 by a score of 18-15 after Highlands had won in the regular season game 52-22). So, at least in my opinion, as Dale lead the dramatic improvement of Highlands football, Coach Ray didn't have much more success against Highlands than either Brossart or Wirth did. Rodenburg I believe is the only CovCath coach with a winning record against Highlands (2-1).

And make no bones about it: having the ability to attract and retain excellent assistant coaches is extremely important to the success of any football program, and has played a huge role in the success of Highlands over the last 20 years, particularly after Highlands went with the two platoon system.