Published: May 19, 2008 10:23 pm         

Editorial: Swirling current

Waves are getting higher, but Garrison’s still at the helm

Editorial: Swirling current

Waves are getting higher, but Garrison’s still at the helm



Opinion: The Register-Herald, Beckley, W.Va.



Brrring! Brring! Brring!

Hello.

Mike, this is Mike. You know, it’s really starting to get hot in here, but I’m not going to budge. I had nothing to do with this, but they’re really trying to hang me for it. What do you think I should do?

- - -

Now that little ditty is just a part of us imagining the beginning of a phone call between embattled West Virginia University president Mike Garrison and Milan “Mike” Puskar, Mylan Pharmaceuticals boss, a major WVU benefactor and Garrison’s former employer.

We don’t know if the two have had any phone conversations lately — if they have, you’d think Garrison would be smart enough to go to a pay phone so he can’t have his phone logs traced — but you have to wonder what’s really racing through their minds right now.

The Heather Bresch degree controversy is like a brick free-falling and it’s zeroed in on Garrison’s noggin.

Overwhelming votes of no confidence by the Faculty Senate, and then by the larger Faculty Assembly, followed by a number of graduating students refusing to shake Garrison’s hand or to recognize him during last weekend’s commencement exercises, are adding fuel to the fire.

West Virginia University’s Board of Governors held an emergency, closed-door meeting Monday afternoon to discuss personnel matters. When asked by a media member if it dealt with Garrison, board chairman Steve Goodwin replied that it didn’t take too much of an imagination to cypher that notion.

But the BOG took no action after three-plus hours of discussion.

Goodwin said the group will wait until Garrison delivers his report on June 6 and it relates to how his administration will address and correct institutional problems which were fleshed out during an independent investigative panel’s report surrounding the issuance of an unearned executive MBA degree to Bresch, she also of Mylan employ and daughter of Gov. Joe Manchin.

So Garrison’s still captain of the ship. He’s refused to resign and, like we said a few days back, don’t look for him to go voluntarily.

And yes, we talked about his connections. Those connections are still in place, but the cannonballs being fired at a variety of the ships in the armada have to be causing concern around Stewart Hall.

Perhaps Garrison’s strongest confidant, BOG chairman Goodwin, has been sharply criticized as well and has announced his intention to step away from the board chairmanship when the term expires later this year. Not good.

Then on Monday, while the BOG was huddling, Gov. Manchin issued a rather lengthy statement on the matter, trying to separate himself from the board and indicating they are “free” and “may act as they wish” on issues “as long as it is within legal and ethical reason.”

He also said he and his wife Gayle “are both angry, in particular, at the fabrication of grades that took place, because it unfairly damages our daughter’s reputation as much as it does the university’s.”

Manchin’s stated he remains confident in Garrison, but understands that the concerns raised by many “must be addressed in some meaningful manner.”

Not too good either.

The water is getting deeper, it’s choppy and the attack is still on.

We said it before and we’ll say it again, the best salve for WVU would be a Garrison resignation — but we still don’t expect it.

If he survives this, you’d have to believe he is a modern-day Houdini.