A LITTLE MORE KOCH-FUNDED THOUGHT CONTROL

I'm surprised that the brothers proposed this deal and more surprised that Florida State University approved it. 

Billionaire's role in hiring decisions at Florida State University raises questions

By Kris Hundley, Times staff writer
In Print: Tuesday, May 10, 2011
St. Petersburg Times

A foundation bankrolled by Libertarian businessman Charles G. Koch has pledged $1.5 million for positions in Florida State University's economics department. In return, his representatives get to screen and sign off on any hires for a new program promoting "political economy and free enterprise."

The contract specifies that an advisory committee appointed by Koch decides which candidates should be considered. The foundation can also withdraw its funding if it's not happy with the faculty's choice or if the hires don't meet "objectives" set by Koch during annual evaluations.

Here's a nice little contradiction:

A separate grant from BB&T funds a course on ethics and economics in which Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged is required reading.

Said Rasmussen [David W. Rasmussen, dean of the College of Social Sciences], "I have no objections to people who want to help us fund excellence at our university. I'm happy to do it."

BTW, Princeton has a mini wingnut think tank, the James Madison Institute.