Sunday, May 03, 2015

Higher Education Hustle Series in The Miami Herald. By Geniusofdespair

Mike Vasquez took a year to write this series
We would be remiss if we didn't mention the fine reporting by the Miami Herald in their 40 part report (it seems that long but I think it is a little shorter) on bogus higher education schools and their tactics: Higher Ed-Hustle by Michael Vasquez.


Students are a prized commodity at Florida’s for-profit colleges. Just two dozen can generate a million dollars in tuition by the time they are done.

The Miami Herald: Always going for those Journalism awards. This might snag one for them.

I wouldn't give a shit, except these kids, some improperly trained, are doing tests ON YOU like ultra-sound and they might be your nurse at a hospital.

Seriously, I urge you to read the series especially because Eric Fresen is in it -- changing his tune now.

Jim DeFede interviewing Mike Vazquez

7 comments:

Philip Stoddard said...

I do "give a shit". The best reason I have found for continuing to work at FIU is the positive difference we make in the lives of students and families in this community. Same goes for Miami Dade College. Public colleges and universities exist to serve the people, not the wealth owners. There's no incentive to lie or cut corners when your primary mission is to provide a quality education. A local church here in South Miami has spent a lot of time and money rescuing students who were ill-served and put into debt by some of Miami's for-profit colleges. These students should have gone to Miami Dade, FIU, Barry, or NOVA, etc. to begin with, but did not have the sophistication to know better (they lacked a college education, and still do). Kudos to the Herald for investing in this series, thanks to EOM for the mention, and shame on elected officials who trade on their name and influence to pander to for-profit colleges that pay for their campaigns.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Dr. Stoddard. This remains a pay to play system and Michael provides the evidence. The favors done on behalf of the school administrators by politicians completely neglected the neophyte students. Taking advantage of people with the lack of resources and using the government to fund lavish lifestyles and campaigns is a fraud.
Where are the legal authorities? These cases are a lot easier to prove than most political corruption, unless.........

Skip Van Cel said...

30+ year ago the mantra of "the government needs to act more like business" was begat by the Reaganistas. This is the result of that mantra being taken to its zenith. It is time for government to govern and NOT act like big business.

Anonymous said...

Great comments, all of the above!

Britches and Boots said...

I shall always remember and never forget that the Homestead City Council bought the Ernesto Perez and Dade Medical College story to revitalize downtown. Now they are winging it to Las Vegas to buy more flim flam artists bullshit. When 1,800 people out of 65,000 vote this is what happens. Don't think for a second that in Homestead the city council wants that to change.
The uneducated electorate has damaged Homestead since 1994, a quarter of a century. Let's look back, baseball stadium built without a team and now a quasi police station. Multi million dollar speedway with one race annually that does not bring the alleged $250,000,000 to the area. Millions for a theater with no acts, millions for low income housing blown at some roller coaster in Appalachia. A city owned bowling alley with millions in debt now being converted to a car lot. A new city hall that has taken more than a decade to build despite mold, radon and asbestos in the old building for all of that time. Millions wasted on the antique relic of a power plant. Millions in insurance and pensions for city workers and they do not contribute. The ridiculous and criminal scandals of non-profits, mayors and police. The lack of college graduates on the council contributes to the poor decision making. Perhaps some of them should be forced into the University of Southernmost Florida's political science classes even though it is most likely unaccredited and they can get their degree as soon as they cast their vote for Ernesto Perez's next scheme downtown. Then there are the police scandals of shredding documents and illegal civil rights violations of citizens from all walks of life, Phds to migrant workers. Yeah, it is a hell of a place to live. How could we be so blind to miss all of this? Clueless politicians elected by even more clueless voters.
Anyone heard about the ICONIC DISTRACTION also known as the Homestead Space Needle that was going to bring in more hundreds of millions? Some ride into the sky where you can watch shootouts, streetfights and drug sales downtown from safety a few hundred feet above all of the action. In 2013 and 2014 this was going to turn Homestead around. Now it's Las Vegas' turn. I could be wrong but after seeing what these guys fall for Homestead's future could very well hinge on the construction of a Cockfighting Hall of Fame in the downtown area right next to a Chick Fil A that sounds about right. Those who live in Homestead should feel lucky and well represented by the 1,800 voters who decide everything for you.

Anonymous said...

Britches and Boots has it right! But as long as the good old boys can continue to elect the 4 or 5 they currently control, nothing will change. This is a great dovetail piece to go with the poverty entry above about Homestead. The White Knights, with a little help from the boys from the island, like things in poverty and ignorance.

cheap crap from china said...

And Goldman Sachs invested in Education Management Corp. a top for-profit education company and soon thereafter recruiters were given quotas and high pressure sales tactics to bring in more suckers, i mean students. And guess who is a top contributor to Marco Rubio, Goldman Sachs of course. And was is the last legislative session that Marco, like the grifter that he is, introduced legislation that would require the U.S. government to hire students from these "alternative" schools. But meanwhile, don't expect Goldman to take any of those students, they still look for their talent at New York University, Harvard, Cornell, Cambridge and Oxford. Sickening