Monday, May 15, 2006
Is a Right-wing Takeover of Johnson County Community College in the Offing?
Via The Kansas City Business Journal: The departure of Johnson County Community College President Charles Carlsen could leave the college leadership ripe for takeover by religious conservatives, political observers said.
"I think the religious right wing in this county may very well target Johnson County Community College as its next victim," said Steve Cloud, Republican National Committeeman for Kansas.
Cloud, CEO of IBT Inc., a Merriam-based distributor of industrial supplies, said Carlsen has been a key fixture in the county's pro-business, politically moderate power structure since being named as JCCC president 25 years ago. If the process of naming a successor goes beyond April's JCCC board of trustees election, he said, Carlsen's successor could be picked by a board controlled by "right-wing zealots."
Such a swing could curtail the college's emphasis on business partnerships, end its support for the Kansas City area's life sciences initiative, dial back spending on its growth, weaken its role in local economic development efforts and turn JCCC into an academic laughingstock, he said.
"I think the religious right wing in this county may very well target Johnson County Community College as its next victim," said Steve Cloud, Republican National Committeeman for Kansas.
Cloud, CEO of IBT Inc., a Merriam-based distributor of industrial supplies, said Carlsen has been a key fixture in the county's pro-business, politically moderate power structure since being named as JCCC president 25 years ago. If the process of naming a successor goes beyond April's JCCC board of trustees election, he said, Carlsen's successor could be picked by a board controlled by "right-wing zealots."
Such a swing could curtail the college's emphasis on business partnerships, end its support for the Kansas City area's life sciences initiative, dial back spending on its growth, weaken its role in local economic development efforts and turn JCCC into an academic laughingstock, he said.
