A source intimately associated with the HCC District trustee races said Houston Community College District II Trustee Bruce Austin and challenger Dave Wilson met with the Houston Chronicle board last week. Unlike the City of Houston Controller race where incumbent Ronald Green and his “helper” met with the Chron board separately from challenger Bill Frazer, this meeting had Austin and Wilson in the room at the same time with the Chronicle.

Speaking under the condition of anonymity, the source stated Austin told the Chronicle board that HCC is looking into two accounts; one is associated with the Qatar campus and the second is associated with the 2008 bond election.

Through the Facebook page Missouri City Concerns, I suggested my fellow Missouri City residents ask Missouri City’s own HCC District VII trustee Neeta Sane if the results of the investigation …err, audit would be made public.

Statement: “HCC District II trustee incumbent Bruce Austin went before the Houston Chron board the other day. According to a source with intimate knowledge of the meeting, Austin admitted HCC is looking into two accounts; one is the account associated with Qatar and the second is related to the 2008 bond money….someone needs to ask incumbent HCC District VII Neeta Sane (Missouri City-area) if the results of the “investigation” will be made public….”

Neeta’s response: “The HCC bond program is designed to bring necessary courses and programs based on growing regional needs to produce an educated and skilled workforce. Implementation of the bond program will increase the educational offerings that are relevant to students and industry needs.
Over the past 20 years, one of the greatest accomplishments for our community has been that HCC has been offering low cost education that gets easily translated into employment or academic advancement.
Other trustees’ comments are their own responsibility. As your trustee for the past six years, I have ensured that HCC conducted its business with transparency and I will continue to do so. Again, my objective is to ensure that our students are college-ready and workforce-ready for the 21st century job market. More information about me is on www.NeetaSane.com“

One of my concerns with Ms. Sane’s response is her assertion that Houston Community College has been offering low cost education easily translated into employment or academic advancement.

Let’s parse out her statements.

First, her claim about HCC’s low cost.

Fort Bend County residents, especially those in Sienna Plantation, would be wise to pay close attention.

According to HCC’s own website, the in-district tuition rate for 6 semester hours is 410.40 while the out-of-district tuition rate for 6 semester hours is 842.40 and the out-of-state tuition rate for 6 semester hours is 941.40.

So if you live in Sienna Plantation outside the HCC taxing jurisdiction, like I do by less than one mile, you and I would pay DOUBLE the rate of an in-district student.

Low cost? To whom?

Phooey.

One of the things with a high cost to you HCC taxpaying residents that Neeta Sane should know about comes straight from her fellow HCC Trustee Carroll Robinson’s own website:

” HCC’s Contract with Qatar The Qatar contract was not reviewed by any lawyer before $43 million of local taxpayers money was committed to help a foreign government while tens of thousands of Houston area residents still need financial help to attend HCC to secure an associate degree or workforce retraining. This happened before I was elected last year – November 2011. I support terminating this contract immediately.”

C’mon Ms. Sane. Your other claim—easily translated into employment or academic advancement —-for whom?  Residents of a foreign country?

Phooey.

Fort Bend ISD made public initial results of the iAchieve program; surely instead of dodging the question Ms. Sane would support making public the results of an HCC Qatar and 2008 bond election account investigation.

Would the Chron board agree?