[B]"No one has done more to enhance our ability to serve our students and our state than Jim. And not once during my tenure as chancellor did Jim ask for, or even hint at asking for, anything in return.[/B]
[B]“I can’t explain the reasons for the criminal acts for which he has pled guilty, and I certainly would not try to justify them. However, I do believe that Jim Black is basically a good human being who has contributed a great deal to the people of our state.”[/B]
[B]JIM WOODWARD[/B],
former chancellor of UNC Charlotte
Thats from Addison Bell, yes that addison bell, yes the guy that started the football fund 2 years ago. He is the one funding Jim Black’s defense fund.
Also, Dubois is wrapped in this thing as well, uptown campus - light rail back scratch swap.
[U]Does it worry anyone that our school is wrapped up in this crap?[/U]
[QUOTE=metro;247767]more poor judgement from Jim Woodward[/QUOTE]
His stance is understandable given his relationship with Black. I don’t think I would’ve gone public with it though.
Jim Black as speaker helped secure funding for many of the new buildings on our campus. A while back UNC-CH was asking for funding for a new building and Black said not without UNC Charlotte getting theirs… That’s how we got the Bioinformatics building approved.
Love him or hate him. He has championed this university and its cause.
That’s why the university is so obsessed with helping him now in his time of need. Woodward and the others are not endorsing his actions. They’re just saying he’s a better person than most who make mistakes.
Any of you guys ever have friends who have helped you out that got busted for something? Did you stop talking to them and sever all ties with them?
[QUOTE=NinerATL2CHA;247770]Jim Black as speaker helped secure funding for many of the new buildings on our campus. A while back UNC-CH was asking for funding for a new building and Black said not without UNC Charlotte getting theirs… That’s how we got the Bioinformatics building approved.
Love him or hate him. He has championed this university and its cause.
That’s why the university is so obsessed with helping him now in his time of need. Woodward and the others are not endorsing his actions. They’re just saying he’s a better person than most who make mistakes.
Any of you guys ever have friends who have helped you out that got busted for something? Did you stop talking to them and sever all ties with them?[/QUOTE]
what the guy did deserves jail time. just because he “championed” UNCC is irrelevant. He did some of the most heinous things a trusted public servant can do. Jim Woodward can be his friend and talk all he wants thru a plain of glass and telephone every 15 minutes once a week during visitation.
I mean come on…the guy arranged for payoffs to switch parties! He won’t be the first “good person” in jail. I am sure there are many that made mistakes too.
Jim Black as speaker helped secure funding for many of the new buildings on our campus. A while back UNC-CH was asking for funding for a new building and Black said not without UNC Charlotte getting theirs... That's how we got the Bioinformatics building approved.
Love him or hate him. He has championed this university and its cause.
That’s why the university is so obsessed with helping him now in his time of need. Woodward and the others are not endorsing his actions. They’re just saying he’s a better person than most who make mistakes.
Any of you guys ever have friends who have helped you out that got busted for something? Did you stop talking to them and sever all ties with them?
I understand the good things that Black did for this University. However, this is a public university, therefore there are a lot of politics involved, and this is not the best time for our university to be putting our (that’s your’s and mine, not just woodward) neck out there for someone such as Jim Black.
Maybe this school needs to chose who they get in bed with a little better next time. This guy has screwed the state of NC for the last 8-10 years.
I don’t know, metro. I support my friends through thick and thin. We all do stupid things, make mistakes, etc… And, I have had friends who have gotten busted for one thing or another.
I think Black should be punished, don’t get me wrong. However, he has done great things for this university. And, I can’t blame the university for not turning its back on him.
I read Page 28. I don’t get what you’re saying. Am I supposed to be outraged or something?
[QUOTE]
I always urged Jim to do what he could to increase funding to the University system but especially to UNC Charlotte where we try to hire most of our graduate engineers…The UNC system has historically spent most of its funding from the Legislature in the Triangle area on Chapel Hill and NC State…I found it a great struggle on the Board of Governors to obtain funding for UNC Charlotte and the other constituent universities. There are in my opinion significant inequities in the system but Jim was most helpful in UNC Charlotte obtaining significant funding for a campus now with some 21,000 students.
…
The recent progress at UNC Charlotte, while still under funded, is directly attributable to Jim Black’s support in the Legislature.
…
It was Jim Black that coupled the $3.1 billion bond referendum…Charlotte got $190 million…
…
It has been my belief for a long time that our political campaign financing system is a national public disgrace. I don’t know how to fix it; but it is such a great tragedy that Jim Black, who has done so many, many good works, has fallen victim to it.
J. Addison Bell, CEO
[/QUOTE]
“Thats from Addison Bell, yes that addison bell, yes the guy that started the football fund 2 years ago.”
So he has friends that are not quick to throw him under the bus. Am I worried about that? Not really.
My take on Jim Black was that he would fight on behalf of the school and the school would tell him, “Thanks, but we don’t want to make Chapel Hill mad at us - so keep your trap shut.” In the past, Black was an advocate of the school with some muscle. Now let me ask you - who is going to take his place as the person who is going to take a stand against the UNC system in order for the school to get the funding it deserves?
I want Black to get the max, but it does look good for our U. to help him so the other crooks in gov’t. will think we’re loyal, & we can get rewarded for being loyal.
I read Page 28. I don't get what you're saying. Am I supposed to be outraged or something?
“Thats from Addison Bell, yes that addison bell, yes the guy that started the football fund 2 years ago.”
So he has friends that are not quick to throw him under the bus. Am I worried about that? Not really.
My take on Jim Black was that he would fight on behalf of the school and the school would tell him, “Thanks, but we don’t want to make Chapel Hill mad at us - so keep your trap shut.” In the past, Black was an advocate of the school with some muscle. Now let me ask you - who is going to take his place as the person who is going to take a stand against the UNC system in order for the school to get the funding it deserves?
QFT…
And, Stonecold is somewhat right (not about the crooks part… although there are probably many… I’m sure they all do crap like this in the General Assembly… Black just got caught… And, I’m not even a democrat, lol)… What would it say/signal to others who want to support UNC Charlotte and help its lack of funding/current circumstances if they see when someone who championed its cause makes a mistake, the university says, “Jim? Jim who? Who’s next to help us?”
I agree with Bell and Woodward. Black has often times been the ONLY legislature on our side of funding issues. I hope all the people wanting him to go “up the river” remember that when no one in Raleigh is looking out for us!.. Also, give me a break about how “heinous” his crimes are, when we have repeat rapists and murderers walking our streets everyday! He also had no previous criminal record (to my knowledge atleast). …Oh by the way, I am a die-hard Republican conservative!!
[QUOTE=919R;247805]I agree with Bell and Woodward. Black has often times been the ONLY legislature on our side of funding issues. I hope all the people wanting him to go “up the river” remember that when no one in Raleigh is looking out for us!.. Also, give me a break about how “heinous” his crimes are, when we have repeat rapists and murderers walking our streets everyday! He also had no previous criminal record (to my knowledge atleast). …Oh by the way, I am a die-hard Republican conservative!!
[/QUOTE]
so you think high ranking govt officials should be allowed to receive checks for 500k from lobbyists and refuse to report where the money is from? and bribe officials to switch parties? … and not go to jail?
who gives a shiit what he did for UNCC.
I’m sorry, but even in my piddly job serving on my neighborhood HOA board of directors, if someone offered me $100 or a case of my favorite beer to influence my vote, I would never do it.
If Black doesn’t do some hard time, it will just further embolden other corrupt politicians, including the one’s that want to screw Charlotte and Western NC. He has to go to jail, Woodward and Bell need to put their emotions aside and think.
the University does get screwed over, but its not the University as much as it is the anti-Charlotte hatred in Raleigh. he was obviously a “for sale” politician, so it makes you wonder what if anything Woodward and the University did to get him to strong arm money to the University? Or if he did it not as a corruption thing but because Charlotte is from his region and he wanted to screw over all the Eastern NC interest that usually screw us over.
We need a Governor from Western NC
anyone been in the Capitol Grill restroom since this went down? I wonder if they’ve renamed after him or something?
so you think high ranking govt officials should be allowed to receive checks for 500k from lobbyists and refuse to report where the money is from? and bribe officials to switch parties? .... and not go to jail?
who gives a shiit what he did for UNCC.
I’m sorry, but even in my piddly job serving on my neighborhood HOA board of directors, if someone offered me $100 or a case of my favorite beer to influence my vote, I would never do it.
Reading the letters, I don’t see anyone condoning Black’s actions.
Reading the letters, I don't see anyone condoning Black's actions.
no but what they are doing is showing the good he is done in hopes to outweigh the bad. The guy is a crook.
He is going to prison for 63 months, thank God. Now Woodward and Bell’s words of how much good Jim Black did for this school are just a worthless embarassment for this school.
This whole “don’t turn your back on your friend” talk is a joke. What the guy did was wrong, and this school needs to quit trying to justify it publicly. Like someone said earlier, its okay to support him and give him a phone call, its another thing to write a letter to the judge and then have it placed in an editorial to the local paper to have printed for all to see.
I don’t think anyone is trying to “justify it” publicly. They were requesting leniency based on the amount of good he’s done over his life. I don’t see anything wrong with it, considering what he’s done for the university… IMO.
Metro, I’m not saying I think what he did was right OR even that he should get off with NO jail time, I just find it ridiculous that people are acting as if he’s a murderer or something. He should lose his job (he already did), he should have to pay back all $$$ he gained (including the gains he made from getting the speaker’s position), and some jail time but, I think 63 months is too long (coupled with the other things) when I see violent criminals getting much less time, if any at all…and I for one, do give a “shiit” what he did for Charlotte!!
