Leave the Leavitts Alone
The Leavitts have a foundations and they also have rental property.
Their foundation is providng housing scholarships for SUU students. There is another foundation in the middle of this but the end result is that the Leavitt Foundation is providing the funds. The students that get these scholarships are staying at some of the Leavitt's rentals. So the money goes full circle. And here are my thoughts: So what?
1- Students are being helped.
2- The Leavitts are giving the money through their foundation.
3- The Leaviitts are making less money by renting it to students at a "below the market" price, while they could be renting them full price somewhere else!
4- The university has the option to rent somewhere else but chooses the Leavitt out of price and convinience (only one rental contract instead of 12).
5- They are not breaking any laws. They are giving more to the community that what they are getting back. Maybe this is not the case in other areas of their business but it is in this one.
I don't have an issue with this, those that do, please explain.
If the Leavitt Foundation is providing scholarships, and the Leavitt Rentals are providing below market price and convinience, it sounds to me that it is just a good decision from the University standpoint to rent from the Leavitts.
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Comments
RE: point #5: sorry, but you're jumping the gun here.
Whether or not they've broken any law is the main thrust of the investigation. If they haven't, then no harm, no foul. But the investigators are far from determining that they have broken no law. I'm not a lawyer, but what is being done sounds an awful lot like what's normally called money laundering.
If they are breaking the law, then perhaps there should be debate about amending the law. That's worth discussing, but it isn't the issue right now.
Let's also not forget that the university housing is one of several activities the Leavitt Foundation is involved in which have come to the attention of the IRS. The tax deduction being taken for funding an organization studying the genealogy of the Leavitt family can and should be scrutinized. The bottom line is that none of us gets to take a tax deduction for donating to the Me Myself and I Foundation.
Equal treatment under the law means everyone, regardless of their surname.
Posted by: Damien | August 14, 2006 04:18 PM
Persons who hold political office serve as examples to the rest of us. Because of their status, they are looked at with a higher standard. I do not know if Mike Leavitt broke any laws, but i do know that an objective investigation is needed. Just because a portion of these funds goes to college kids does not exempt him from this investigation. Giving to charity does not mean you are above the law or even if you are a cabinet member, you are not above investigation. let us wait and see the results of this investigation before we get too carried away.
Posted by: Raymond HOlt | August 16, 2006 08:55 AM