Interesting parallels between this story and the recent payment to
University of Oregon Athletic Director Mike Bellotti of $2.5 million to
- basically - resign. In both cases, there appears to be a backlash
between students/parents and what is seen as lavish spending in only
certain areas of the university (in Oregon's case, non-academic sports),
as well as some potential violations of public records laws, and a lack
of clarity on the particular institution's status as a public entity.
Having a high visibility party involved (Bellotti/Palin) only adds fuel
to the fire. Its notable that the Palin contract is only the latest in a
string of other allegations of mis-appropriation of public funds. The
Bellotti affair can similarly be put in a context that includes recent
completion of an expensive athletes' only study center on the UofO
campus. 

In light of dramatic on-going tuition increases happening in all
universities (which I think may be driving this more than the politics
of this particular instance - note the other examples cited in the
story), its possible that these types of issues will continue to come
up, having an impact on records keeping through increasing public
interest, litigation, and auditing, particularly of financial records
and/or records related to these "semi-public" foundations, alumni
associations, etc.... From a strategic standpoint, that would put
related records into a higher risk category, potentially requiring
greater attention/investment in good records keeping practice.

Dwight Wallis, CRM
Records Administrator
Multnomah County Records Management Program
1620 SE 190th Avenue
Gresham, OR 97233
phone: (503)988-3741
fax: (503)988-3754
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