Dear Dixie State University and Legend Solar: Show me the money
In the latest of a litany of controversial issues surrounding Dixie State University, it was announced in the last month that the school’s ties to local business Legend Solar would be severed. This is due to the company potentially failing and possibly being investigated for financial malfeasance and irresponsibility.
The obvious egg-on-the-face element of this for DSU is the fact that their new athletics stadium is, at least for a little while longer, named after Legend Solar. And this came at the mere price of an announced $10 million donation the company committed to making for the construction of the stadium.
There have been conflicting reports about just how much of the $10 million was actually given to the school, but it is generally being reported at present that the donation was being paid in installments and that only around $150,000 had been given so far.
That is 1.5 percent of the original amount committed and given annually for argument’s sake would take the “legendeers” roughly 66 years to fulfill the commitment. They managed to be rendered somewhat out of business in fewer than five years — but more importantly, they are not being held to the debt now, it appears.
Sounds OK, right? DSU graciously, albeit strategically, letting them off the proverbial hook and even going as far as to suggest giving the stadium a new name?
Maybe they can procure the services of an advertisement firm to do a “nationwide” search for the best stadium name and pay them handsomely to do so. It seemed to work when the college went through several rebranding expeditions over the last couple of years.
Something about lipstick on a pig comes to mind here — but I digress.
And with all of the carefully released statements about the matter — with the understanding that it is not at all an isolated incident of changing the subject and turning your attention elsewhere — one might think that there are a couple of questions that arise from this unfortunate termination of a the relationship with DSU and the self-professed “legends.”
Did it not seem that when the stadium rebuild was announced in conjunction with the donation that the it was in fact money being given in total for construction costs? Regardless that a company that was fewer than five years old and reporting annual revenues that would make such a lump sum donation demonstrably infeasible, did it not have the appearance at least that this is where the money was coming from?
This, of course, leads to the next and more obvious question: If it was not a lump sum donation, and if in point of fact only a fractional percentage was actually given, where did the money for the construction come from?
The stadium is finished. Big “Legend” sign and all.
And for the sake of posterity and transparency, would it not be prudent to see the books? This was a transaction between a public entity and a private business. The public — that’s you — has a right to know, among other things, what money was used to pay for the stadium.
What was the vetting process used for choosing Legend Solar as a partner? Was the same process used in the recent collaboration with Teallach Partners and their initial $1 million donation?
Who owns Legend Solar? Furthermore, does said owner(s) have any ties to individuals at the school?
Surely the desire for absolute transparency would compel the school to answer such questions without hesitation or even the hint of a GRAMA request.
Because of the many possible perceptions of what is taking place, the one we most surely want ruled out is that the money for the stadium was procured using monies not for building a stadium and that someone who knew someone who owned a legendary company helped facilitate the facade that a donation was being made.
Surely, we would not want to discover that some financial malfeasance was taking place and involving the crown jewel of St. George — its university.
Let it be discovered that perhaps a loan was procured, guaranteed by the donation or a bond, and that all of this is really just an unfortunate happenstance.
Absolute transparency would quell any doubts, right?
So, DSU, how about an explanation of where the money came from accompanied with a copy of the books? You have my email address.
See you out there.
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