"After the evening election, Johnson said his 28 years of building relationships as a legislator aided his campaign."..........Nepotism is alive and well at the U and the Legislature, while lip service is given to accountability (sic).

Question is Why?

The U will get a "good report". You spend ONLY 48k to a consulting firm that you are already doing business with of course it will be a good report. It would take several million with an objective, outside firm to provide an objective and actionable plan to turn the U around. We need regents who will actually ask the hard questions to improve the U, instead we end up with the status quo.

Former State Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson is a first class public servant. As a State legislator and Regent he always has been respectful to listen to all views before making a decision. It is rare that after all these years of public service Dean Johnson remembers first that the students at the U of M are the customers...not the administrators or the faculty...the students.

And Eric Kaler breathes a sigh of relief: The go-along to get-along status quo crowd prevails. The U sorely lacks in leadership in both the Kaler Administration and the Board of Regents. Too many people with six-figure salaries on the gravy train. Keep at it, Star Tribune. Stay on Kaler. Because the DFL legislature won't.

The Regents and Dr Kaler, don't understand thatthe status quo is not a viable option. The U isin serious decline and they are rearranging the deck chairs! Only the people of the state can make a serious effort toward change. We have to because the legislators will only act when their feet are to the fire. Cut the money and you can at least get their attention. The U has become a mediocre participant in most ever category. Examples: The Carlson School:surpassed by institutions you never heard of, Medical School: fuzzy math and insiders club, Architecture: storied history,nothing worthy of a story today, Athletics: buyouts, and bogus consultancies, contract extensions in the middle of the night,mediocre major sports. And Kaler "offers" to bargain a tuition moratorium for increased funding. He wants to feed the beast instead of reforming it. And he is willing to hold the line on pricing after years of increases that are two and three times the rate of inflation. Does his arrogance allow him to assume those of us alums, who contribute,and who bleed Maroon and Gold are also stupid and ignorant?

How could even the most clueless "legislators" even ignore the gross mismanagement at the U? The athletic department has wassted millions of dollars under Maturi's mismanagement and brunnnks' and Kaler's habit of turning a blind eye to his actions. not ONE of the regents should have been reappointed. Every one should be replaced.

Johnson may have left the legislature in disgrace, but his 'relationships' keep him busy doing jobs he has NO qualifications for. Has the Strib investigated Dean Johnson's relationship with the U of M prior to being nominated as a Regent? Is he an alumni? Had he been active in his support of The U? Does he have a history of major financial contributions? Being a disgraced preacher and politician should not be a qualification, it should disqualify. Yet he gets the most votes of any candidate, from his cronies in the DFL legislature, of course. Color me surprised. I'm sure President Kaler can expect solid guidance from this guy, as long as he's not seeking an honest answer.