We're pretty harsh on reporters we think are terrible (see: Allison Sherry), but there are some great scribes out there doing bang-up investigative work that deserve recognition. Brittany Anas of the Daily Camera has been killing it lately, exposing pension double dippers, tuition hike media strategy and now today, the $100,000 in raises the CU-Boulder CFO got despite nearly being fired for financial problems at the university.
We need more of this reporting, and less on Hickenlooper's freudian sexual slips that The Denver Post somehow finds a way to blame on House Speaker Frank McNulty.
From today's Daily Camera via Anas:
University of Colorado officials have defended an arrangement that retains retiree Ric Porreca as the Boulder campus chief financial officer — saying he is a vital administrator — but CU system officials called for his firing in 2006 after the discovery of a deep budget shortfall in the athletic department.
Still, over the next three years leading up to his retirement, Porreca's salary increased 43 percent, from $228,416 to $327,110, according to a document that outlines the 100 top-paid CU-Boulder employees.
In the document, prepared for the regents at the request of Jim Geddes, R-Sedalia, a note shows that Porreca was given $36,000 a year in additional pay from 2007 to 2009. Explanations for his increasing pay included "merit," "additional job" and "retention."
Allison: this is what reporting looks like.
There is no political vendetta or partisan angle to this story, just good, old fashioned investigative work exposing payments to a public university official that would bother most people who don't receive an extra $100k after nearly being fired.
We're betting things like this are not rare occurrences across the vast tundra of non-transparent public spending. If reporters spent more time digging into stories like this, the public might trust the media more.
In this case, Anas is doing a vital public service in exposing the payments.
If only we could say the same about more in the media.
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Hat tip to Lynn Bartels for first covering the Daily Camera’s CU-PERA investigation.
(Pic via Anas' Twitter account)
Great story about the great stories about the not-so-great happenings at the University of Colorado.
Great to see good investigative journalism get recognized.
Brittany Anas at the Boulder Daily Camera has exposed the fact that many of the CU Regents are asleep at the switch – or have gotten a bit too cozy with the administration (or both).
Colorado citizens and taxpayers deserve better –
strong, principled leadership understanding the proper role of the Regents in providing oversight and insisting on accountability to the people who gave them the job:
the voters of Colorado.
Colorado can make a choice this year –
more “rubber-stamp Regents” or a strong, principled leader:
Matt Arnold for CU Regent (At-Large) http://www.arnold4colorado.net/