College of DuPage – Erin Birt, please resign

DuPage Co. (ECWd) –

What was going through the mind of Erin Birt after the passage of the disgusting $763,000.00 golden parachute during the January 28th Special meeting?  Nothing, as it appears she is dependent on others to do the thinking for her, which points to the very problems we see at COD.

The leaders are being led, instead of leading!  It’s evident that Birt was in over her head as the public outcry about the malfeasance continued to be exposed.  So much so that she begins working with a PR firm months before any approval was given.

The day after the golden parachute vote and almost two months before a formal agreement was passed by the board, Birt gets her talking points from the PR firm.

“We appreciate your interest in the College of DuPage. The Board has overwhelmingly spoken to resolve this matter. Please know we have the utmost respect for the process and the principles that govern this outstanding institution, and we look forward to beginning a new chapter.”

The current COD Chairman, Kathy Hamilton, assured the public that their questions will be answered, which is consistent with the law is it provides for the public to ask questions of the board.  I asked during the last meeting under what authority a board member can independently incur a debt. I have yet to receive an answer to my questions that I was directed to provide to the interim President Mr. Collins.

The reason for the question was based on the fact Birt was getting her talking points from a PR firm that had not been hired. The date on the above referenced communications from Res Publica is January 29th, 2015.

According to the billing from Res Publica, the first billable action was March 2nd, 2015.  (Click here for the invoices)

• Can anyone explain why Res Publica would be providing PR service for Erin Birt yet not billing for those services provided on January 29th, 2015?
• Who really brought Res Publica to the table?
• Why would they not bill for those services?
• Are there other billing records that have been kept from the public that show billing for the January 29th, 2015 services?

Birt’s failures as the Chairman of COD continue to be exposed and it is becoming clearer than ever she has the honor of being responsible for bringing multiple criminal investigations to the campus of COD.  Her inability to listen to input for months and take corrective steps to fix the very problems she was told about is a perfect example of a public official who has no business in public office.

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