I'm known not to be a leftist, populist or unionist around here.

Nevertheless, ideology apart, I tell you: you are completely right.

The nerve on this Hogan opportunist, to ask for (everything considered) ONE MILLION $$ annually is just beyond common sense. The stupidity of the U of I Board of Trustees to offer it is even worse than that.

One does not have to be a communist (and I abhor communism) to be appalled by this whole hypocrisy.

Mr. Hogan? Are you a money-hugging "professional lover"? "Give me my Fat Check or no love"? Or a man who applied for this job out of passion? If the former, by all means, nest out on your greedy million bucks while this school is bleeding. If you're a human being, if you care about this school, SHOW IT. My guess is that the former President's $450,000 salary is enough to grant you a decent living. More than enough, in fact.

Do you care about anyone else but yourself? If so, show it through your acts.

If not, don't be surprised if you start your new job on a background of contempt and lack of trust.

complaining about the University's money handling. How about asking the Senator why he and his fellow legislators have held up funding for the University? If he and his friends were able to balance a budget tuition would probably be lower. Also - why does he and others in the legislature continue to give out tuition waivers to politically-connected students, especially large campaign contributors? $600,000 is nothing next to what he and his cronies are costing the state universities.

"Technically these are not scholarships. No money is attached. Winning a legislative scholarship doesn't come with a check for tuition from lawmakers or the state. Instead, the university the recipient attends is told it cannot charge tuition. The school must eat those costs or pass them along to other students.

Each lawmaker can award up to eight such waivers annually. The cost alone to the University of Illinois is pegged at $9 million, said state Sen. Michael Frerichs, a Champaign Democrat who supported ending the program." Daily Herald 2/23/2010

Guess how Sen. Sandovar voted when it came to eliminating these perks. i agree that this increase in salary for the position is untimely but sadly I think Sen. Sandovar is protesting mainly to protect his union campaign contributions, not out of ethics.

I'm opposed to the new presidents outrageous salary too.

Correct me if I'm wrong - but this union is saying "Don't give him the money, give it to us!". I don't agree with that either.

Given the financial mess the state is in, how about "Take less money from the taxpayer, pay fair salaries (which would mean reducing many current public employee salaries), and fair benefits (which again would be reducing/eliminating fully funded healthcare and pensions)."

Public unions are robbing the taxpayers in Illinois. Something needs to be done about that. The system is broken when the elected officials are the ones in control of taxing/spending and accepted $42 million dollars from teachers unions last year alone. I think all public contracts should be put to a voter referendum.

While you might not like "public unions," I think if you knew more about the protest and the broader issues at play here, you would probably have supported the stance taken by many of those who rallied outside the Board of Trustees meeting.

Those protesting (and no, not everyone there was representing a union--there were many students and other community members there, as well) were speaking out about a number of issues that the Board of Trustees has mishandled in the past year(s). The confluence of events at this week's meeting--the 9.5% tuition hike coupled with the approval of Hogan's exorbitant salary--illustrated to many the absurd priorities of this administration. In a sense, I suppose the union members were saying, "Don't give him the money, give it to us!," but in reality, the "us" isn't just unionized university employees--it's all working and middle class families in Illinois.

The administration's efforts to address the current budget shortfall (furloughs and job cuts, for example) have unfairly put a burden on the lowest paid workers in the university system, and now the 9.5% tuition increase will put an increased burden on working and middle class families. These are the issues that the union members were speaking out about. You can criticize "public employee salaries" in the abstract all you want, but I would suggest you look at the reality facing university workers at the moment before making assumptions about their goals.

I am so tired of the SEIU...they think they are so tough...wait till real Americans get pissed off then the SEIU will go hide in their tribulation caves...

If you're worried about Hogan's salary, I have bad news for you. That's just the tip of the iceberg. Once his wife finishes redecorating their home(s), you'll be paying for Himself to redecorate his office. Where did the money come from at Connecticut? Tuition payments! He only dipped into the slush fund after he was caught. Good luck, Illlini! The good news? This guy is an investigative reporter's dream!