Wellmark Rescinds Gift

This has been a good day to update a story I commented on the other day and it is a perfect ending to this story.

On Tuesday, John Forsyth, CEO of Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, wrote a letter to the Dean James Merchant of the University of Iowa College of Public Health, informing them that they were rescinding the offer of the $15 million gift to the school. Mr Forsyth wrote that until there is unwavering support from both college and university administrators for a major gift, as orginally solicited by the college's capital campaign committee leadership, the gift will remain withdrawn.

How sweet! It is a special gift for the college from the gods of Karma, and it could not happen to a better group of elitist's. Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!! Yes, I am sorry that I am gloating over this turn of events, but I do hope that this puts my offer to Wellmark higher on their lists of things to do for company awareness!!

Truthfully, I do have a small bit of conflict of interest, in that I want the $15 million dollars, and also several years ago I was in a near fatal accident and I was lucky enough to have company provided insurance, and the insurer was Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and THEY were wonderful and covered nearly every penny of a nearly $80,000 hospital bill, so I have a soft spot for this company.

I hope that if I do not get the gift, that Wellmark finds some good smaller college that needs the money, and would be proud to have a gift from a such a Good company.

In another response to this gift, former University of Iowa President Gary Fethke said in an email to reporters said that having been the dean of Tippie College of Business to develop University of Iowa partnerships with corporate leaders and businesses in Iowa, he was proud of named programs. He continued with a regret that the discussion of such a generous donation failed to focus on the substantial benefits of corporate partnerships would have for the students, faculty, and staff.

Hopefully, others who were considering whether or not to assist the University in their money drive will think twice about assisting such a group of arrogant and ungrateful people!