Former Professor of Math at HCC Speaks

Ignacio, you can write. Get each one of these employees to tell their story and send it to the BOT members. I have their addresses. I got them from a little fill-in staff person during the lunch hour--always the best time to get unexpurgated information.

While the cat's away the mice will play.

As soon as I can locate the Board's addresses, I will forward them to you. They can't cut you off at three minutes.

Call the SPTimes and the Tribune and find out who covers the HCC Board and send them copies. You have to educate reporters about what's going on. There is very little investigative reporting in the Bay Area. It's more like press stenography for those in power because that's easier to do.

Also, ask Stephenson for a public-information copy of the meeting notes that Maida refers to in the email to with Sue Flaig and some flossy attorney. Ask for the attorney's name and a copy of his bill. Ask for his report. Ask for everything connected with that meeting. I believe Maida felt the administration contingent engaged in lies in this meeting. That's the kind of thing you write the Ethics Commission and the Bar Ethics Committee about. Nobody is going to kill you if you write these commissions. I wrote about Garner's chasing secretaries around the desk, a move that contributed to his demise.

Ask for a list of the Foundation members and their addresses. Send a copy of the women's stories to them. What the HCC administration is doing is equivalent to outsourcing. No wonder the country is going to hell. Soon we will be South America: the oligarchs and the peasants working for bread and company shack.

Get on this, Ignacio. People who don't squawk get walked on.

lee
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Hello, I see that you are as active and feisty as when we were at the Airport Collegium. I was the coordinator of Math at the time.

My wife is the third manager being fired, she did not address the board, but I did. I am enclosing the gist of my message, which was promptly interrupted by the head lady of the board: Three minutes, please. I thought that after working in the soap factory for 33 years, they would give you the decency to at least let you finish your presentation.

Anyway, the text is enclosed.

Later, the Hawkeye did an article (one of the administration minions claims that they are not putting the money the outsourcing will produce in their pockets). Of course not, but it does give administration travel and entertainment money derived from the back of the employees being fired. Then... the editor of the Hawkeye got fired. Coincidence? Possibly. I am also forwarding his letter to me.

You are as good with the language as ever, too bad I am just a mathematician!

Hope all is well, I still see some of the USF people that were in the Tampa Now and they used to read your articles in La Gaceta.

Have a joyful Christmas season, and keep up the good work!

Ignacio Bello

Professor, Mathematics, USF

Retired, HCC

Bookstore Report: Contents 1. Save the Bookstore.org 2. Deconstructing BRC report (10 Key Benefits) 3. Myths and facts on outsourcing 4. Six facts for Faculty 5. Ten facts for students 6. Save the Bookstore report When visitors come to Ybor, where do they go? The White Administration building across the street or the Ybor Room? They go to the bookstore, where loyal employees that have been there for 10, 15, 20 years can knowledgeably talk about HCC. Will an outside vendor have employees like that? Let us look at the USF model, a bookstore outsourced to Barnes and Noble. A. Employees: 3 in Buyback 5 in ordering Many in sales Only one (1) stayed. What was the procedure for hiring the USF bookstore personnel? You were given a description of the positions available at Barnes and Noble, and then you picked the ones you thought you qualified for. B. Students (look at 10 facts for students) Looks like a Barnes and Noble, with its ubiquitous Starbucks, not USF Looks like Barnes and Noble, not HCC Separate and unequal, visit HCC Ybor and HCC Brandon. USF Facts for College Algebra, Precalculus, Precalculus/Alg-Trig, Business Calculus, Engineering Calculus Spring 2005 Books ordered by Dept 3036 Ordered by BN 1012 Results: Ran out of textbooks 1st day because orders were 1/3 of request. Fall 2005 Books ordered by Dept 3988 Ordered by BN 1190 Results: Ran out of textbooks 2nd day because orders were 1/3 of request Spring 2006 Books ordered by Dept 3335 Ordered by BN 1112 Results: Ran out of textbooks 1st day because orders were 1/3 of request Response from BN: They buy limited quantities, the rest made up with buybacks. Question: How many of you have seen a used book at BN? Fact: The publisher offered to ship the entire order and take the excess back. Who is affected at HCC? Seniors over 50 or 60 near retirement age, women, and minorities. Their retirement will be impacted (No DROP). Will BN hire over 50 or 60 when they can get young people at minimum wage? WHY OUTSOURCE? Some Financial facts New books: 3.6 million in 2001  4.8 million 2006 33% growth Books: 4.1 million in 2001  5.8 million 2006 41% growth Total Revenue: 4.9 million in 2001  6.4 million 2006 31% growth Total Personnel: 765,000 in 2001  796,000 in 2006 4% (a meager $31,000) Includes Fringe Benefits Excess Revenue: $209,000 in 2001  $244,000 in 2006 17% Hospitality Fund: $90,000 in 2001  $200,000 in 2006 55% growth SUGGESTIONS: 1. New outside Responsive Committee without gag order Sarah Emerson, Ralph Castellano, Diane Ferreira 2. Give profits back to students. 3 book Bello Developmental Series: lowest price in market Bello $78 BN ($50 to BN) $73.75 at Amazon Martin Gay $111.35 ($75 to BN) $87.32 at Amazon Bittinger $111.35 ($75 to BN) $118.00 at Amazon Saving to students: $33.35 for each book in series Loss of potential revenue to Bello: $200,000 By the way, before I left, I gave thousands to the foundation!