But here it is, in South Dakota. Bravo.
Austin Kaus, The Daily Republic:
A state senator says that if the Board of Regents doesn’t take care of a potential conflict of interest involving the president of South Dakota State University, the Legislature will.
Sen. Frank Kloucek, DScotland, a family farmer, said he is concerned about SDSU President David Chicoine’s appointment to the board of directors of the Monsanto Company, which produces crop seeds, herbicides and pesticides. For his role on the board, Kloucek said Chicoine will receive nearly $400,000, an amount that surpasses Chicoine’s salary as SDSU president by $80,000.
Kloucek said he wouldn’t object to Chicoine’s dual roles if the money from Monsanto went to the university. Chicoine’s private acceptance of the money, however, “leaves a foul taste in the mouth.”
“It’s just totally inappropriate to give that money to an individual rather than to the university for research,” Kloucek said. “It appears pretty clear-cut that they’re trying to buy influence at the university by buying influence with the president.”
In a letter that appears on Page 4 of today’s Daily Republic, Kloucek calls upon the state Board of Regents to resolve the issue.
“If the board does not act,” Kloucek wrote, “this issue will be presented to the South Dakota Legislature for a more permanent solution that will address it fairly and reasonably.”
In a telephone interview Thursday, Kloucek clarified, saying he and other legislators already are at work drafting potential legislation to deal with the issue.
“There will be at least one bill,” Kloucek said. “I just think it’s better … to make it clear the we’re not in that kind of game at South Dakota.”
The appointment of Chicoine to the Monsanto board negatively affects the credibility of the university, Kloucek said, since crop research reports from SDSU could easily be assumed as skewed.
“This research must not be tainted in any way, shape or form and this certainly taints that research,” Kloucek said. “It … jeopardizes the integrity because it makes it look like we’re in the hip pocket of Monsanto.”
Until the session begins, Kloucek said he’ll be taking input from other South Dakota residents on potential solutions to a problem that he said “smacks very hard of … conflict of interest.”
“It’s a tough issue, but I just think it’s wrong and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure to correct it in one shape, way or form,” Kloucek said.
We’re not in that kind of game at South Dakota.
Kiss the man.
… And… uh… where’s the response from the president? This story has been kicking around for weeks. If there’s no problem with what he’s doing, why isn’t he defending himself?