I used to get more telephone solicitations for various "charities." By chance, I stumbled on the question of how much the supposed beneficiaries of each charity was going to receive--in the usual case of someone calling allegedly on their behalves. The usual figure was "at least 12%." That meant at most 12%. Which meant that the solicitors were helping themselves to 88%.* Nice work if you can get it. On the now-rare occasions when I get calls like that, I tell them that they're thieves and I don't do business with thieves. That's as polite as it gets. Sometimes, if I'm feeling froggy, I fire both barrels.
The second deals with Cornell's legality of suppressing campaigning. Does Cornell accept federal funding? That obligates them to obey the First Amendment. Looks like they've been in violation for some time. With the new sheriff in DC, that funding might find itself in jeopardy.
* On one occasion, when I asked, the asshole who called told me that he didn't know. I'd have to go to their website to find out. See above for responses.
Cornell does accept federal funding, but that does not mean it must follow the 1st Amendment. Same with MIT, Harvard, Yale, etc.
Cornell is a state university, which does require it to follow the 1st amendment. The 1st amendment does not bar a state from requiring people to keep silent if they want a job, though. The Hatch Act, for example, requires federal employees not to talk about politics at work. And running for Trustee is not something anybody is required to do.
Two observations:
I used to get more telephone solicitations for various "charities." By chance, I stumbled on the question of how much the supposed beneficiaries of each charity was going to receive--in the usual case of someone calling allegedly on their behalves. The usual figure was "at least 12%." That meant at most 12%. Which meant that the solicitors were helping themselves to 88%.* Nice work if you can get it. On the now-rare occasions when I get calls like that, I tell them that they're thieves and I don't do business with thieves. That's as polite as it gets. Sometimes, if I'm feeling froggy, I fire both barrels.
The second deals with Cornell's legality of suppressing campaigning. Does Cornell accept federal funding? That obligates them to obey the First Amendment. Looks like they've been in violation for some time. With the new sheriff in DC, that funding might find itself in jeopardy.
* On one occasion, when I asked, the asshole who called told me that he didn't know. I'd have to go to their website to find out. See above for responses.
Cornell does accept federal funding, but that does not mean it must follow the 1st Amendment. Same with MIT, Harvard, Yale, etc.
Cornell is a state university, which does require it to follow the 1st amendment. The 1st amendment does not bar a state from requiring people to keep silent if they want a job, though. The Hatch Act, for example, requires federal employees not to talk about politics at work. And running for Trustee is not something anybody is required to do.