The following letter is posted on behalf of our sister chapter, the Moraine Valley Support Staff Association.
Dear Moraine Valley Support Staff Members,
This past weekend there has been some negative literature distributed by Tom Cunningham and Michael Murphy regarding the College and the money spent to build the new Health Fitness Center. The issue raised is the fact that the Fitness Center is still missing a health care tenant in the building to help offset the costs of the building.
We want to inform our membership of the facts regarding the FitRec Center. The College sold bonds in order to finance the building of the FitRec Center. In addition, an $8 per credit hour infrastructure fee was added to students taking classes at Moraine. A portion of the $8 fee goes towards repayment of the bond. In exchange, full-time students receive free membership to the fitness center and part-time students can purchase membership at a reduced cost. In addition, membership is also open to Moraine Valley employees (also at a reduced cost) and the community. These membership fees help with the repayment of the bonds over the next thirty years.
Mr. Cunningham, who is a current board member, is pictured celebrating the ribbon cutting of the FitRec Center last year. He has been a member of the Board for the past two years, and up to this point, has not once voiced his concern of the lack of a health care tenant in the FitRec building. In 2011 when the Board voted to give approval of the building, there was a health care tenant who was to be part of the facility, however, due to financial difficulties the proposed health care tenant dropped out. Over the past two years, the College has been actively seeking another tenant for the building.
If Mr. Cunningham has been so concerned about the lack of a health care tenant in the building, why has he not brought this issue up for discussion at any of the board meetings these past two years? Mr. Cunningham is a real estate broker. Given his background in real estate, it is our feeling that he may have been able to use his expertise in this area to assist the College in finding a tenant for the building. But instead, he sat silent for two years and chose now to publicly smear the College.
It is for this and many other reasons why the Support Staff Association has chosen NOT TO ENDORSE Tom Cunningham for re-election to our Board of Trustees. After interviewing all of the candidates, our Association has chosen to endorse Kimberly Hastings and Michael Murphy in this very important election. We hope you will exercise your right to vote tomorrow and follow our recommendation by voting for Kimberly Hastings and Michael Murphy.
In solidarity,
Lynn Doulas
Chapter Chair
Moraine Valley Support Staff Association Executive Committee
