Bush no catch for Judson

I find it laughable that Judson University has invited George W. Bush to speak at a World Leaders Forum in connection with entrepreneurship. I don't know who is more gullible Tory Gum at Judson for hiring Bush for this gig or Jameel Naqvi at the Daily Herald for his fawning description of Bush as an oilman and baseball executive.

Two quick Google searches of “Bush Texas Rangers Arlington eminent domain suit” and “Arbusto Spectrum 7 Energy Harken” will let anyone find the truth that belies the myth of Bush as a successful businessman.

His oil ventures only survived while they were propped up by wealthy friends of the Bush family and others who wanted favors from then President George H.W. Bush. This is old news.

The only “success” that George W. Bush ever had in business came at the expense of the citizens of Arlington, Texas. Bush and his buddies used the power of eminent domain to grab a prime piece of real estate for the Texas Rangers stadium, cheating some of the prior land owners out of fair market value. By getting taxpayers to fund the construction of the new stadium, Bush was able to cash in his $600,000 investment, mostly borrowed, for $15 million.

To any student contemplating paying $225 to hear Bush speak about business, I would recommend that he or she first invest a few hours reading the delightful book “Shrub The Short but Happy Political Life of George W. Bush,” by Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose. At less than $10 a copy new, free if borrowed from a public library, this would be a far better use of a student's time and money.

Thomas K. Johnson

Gilberts