Today's winner is University of South Florida vice president, Dr. Abdul Rao. He gets the award for the following-
A University of South Florida vice president who makes $384,280 annually is being investigated on charges he stole a $100 mountain bike.Here's the You tube videoDr. Abdul Rao was captured on surveillance video Monday night with a man he says is semi-homeless and does odd jobs for him.
In the video, uploaded on YouTube, the pair approach the loading dock at the Johnnie B. Byrd Alzheimer's Center & Research Institute in a van. They get out and look over some parked bikes.
Rao's companion takes one bike for a very short test ride and rejects it. He settles on another one, and walks it down a ramp.
The minivan drives away.
The bike belonged to a graduate student at the Byrd Institute, Rao later learned.
Rao called his actions a "terrible lapse in judgment," but maintained in an interview with the Times that he was only trying to help a person down on his luck -- "just one of those guys who can't get off the poverty bubble," Rao said.
It isn't Rao's right to take away the property to give it to another. His excuse is lame. This guy supposedly holds a doctorate. In what? Bicycle theft and stupidity?
How about the person Rao was helping?
Victor Waiters, 45, said he'll take the fall. He's the handyman Rao said used the bike.Rao hangs out with the nicest of people, doesn't he. Couldn't he just have bought Waiters a new or used bicycle?*****
Rao came to know Waiters through a friend shortly after arriving in Tampa in 2006.
Waiters, who has a Miami address, has been arrested 29 times since 1988, including 2005 convictions for cocaine possession and resisting an officer, Florida Department of Law Enforcement records show.
He said he travels regularly to Tampa to do handyman work for several people.
The Tampa Tribune supplies this little tidbit about Rao-
Rao was hired at the USF Health Sciences Center in 2005. He is an Oxford-educated transplant immunologist who has overseen millions in research grants. Before coming to USF he was vice provost for research and dean of the College of Graduate Studies at the Middle Tennessee State University.I wonder if he is been giving away any of that money he oversees. In the meantime I name University of South Florida vice president, Dr. Abdul Rao today's Knucklehead of the Day.
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Comments (14)
Most likely a good liberal ... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Jason | February 16, 2009 10:02 AM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Most likely a good liberal this man. Always so generous with other people's stuff.
http://www.rightklik.net/
1. Posted by Jason | February 16, 2009 10:02 AM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on February 16, 2009 10:02
2. Posted by Uh, Clem | February 16, 2009 10:58 AM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Hey, just who does this guy Rao think he is? I thought only the government can confiscate the property of Citizen A and give it to Citizen B.
2. Posted by Uh, Clem | February 16, 2009 10:58 AM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on February 16, 2009 10:58
3. Posted by Double | February 16, 2009 11:27 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
The homeless man, or semi-homeless man makes trips from Miami to Tampa to do Handyman work?
3. Posted by Double | February 16, 2009 11:27 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on February 16, 2009 11:27
4. Posted by Double | February 16, 2009 11:32 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
I did a quick search, I wanted to find out milage, over 200 miles, I thought it was further, but I did see there is a shuttle for $55. Still for a "semi-homeless" man is that worth it?
4. Posted by Double | February 16, 2009 11:32 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on February 16, 2009 11:32
5. Posted by jiznakefoo | February 16, 2009 12:11 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
just goes to show that university heads are just corrupt politicians in the making :)
5. Posted by jiznakefoo | February 16, 2009 12:11 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on February 16, 2009 12:11
6. Posted by GarandFan | February 16, 2009 12:20 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Seeing as this crime is one of "moral turpitude", why isn't the good doctor being fired?
I always like it when a liberal helps some less fortunate. But it always seems the "help" comes at the expense of someone other than the liberal providing the help.
Is there a pattern here?
6. Posted by GarandFan | February 16, 2009 12:20 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on February 16, 2009 12:20
7. Posted by Mike | February 16, 2009 12:26 PM | Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
I go to USF and why am I not surprised? Probably because this school is known for fiscal irresponsibility and hiring terrorists. If it weren't for the fact they have a good cycling team and a good Bio. program I probably wouldn't be here.
7. Posted by Mike | February 16, 2009 12:26 PM |
Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Posted on February 16, 2009 12:26
8. Posted by STaylor | February 16, 2009 4:28 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
And now we know where the cycling team got their bikes. ;)
8. Posted by STaylor | February 16, 2009 4:28 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on February 16, 2009 16:28
9. Posted by SCSIwuzzy | February 16, 2009 6:09 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
When I worked security for a retail store, I nabbed the Dean of Business from Glassboro State, now Rowan Univ, stealing a $125 cordless phone. Followed him right out the door to his BMW.
9. Posted by SCSIwuzzy | February 16, 2009 6:09 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on February 16, 2009 18:09
10. Posted by Rameez | February 16, 2009 9:19 PM | Score: -1 (5 votes cast)
This is Dr. Raos son Rameez and for those who are so angry at my dad or call him the "knuckle head of the day" you are sadly mistaken. My dad did this as an act of kindness if you knew our handyman and what hes done for us you too would help pay his transportation fees from tampa to miami. Although he doesnt have the cleanist past who are we to judge? My dad has worked so hard to get where he is and for people like you to ruin it fills me with anger the most.
10. Posted by Rameez | February 16, 2009 9:19 PM |
Score: -1 (5 votes cast)
Posted on February 16, 2009 21:19
11. Posted by John Irving | February 17, 2009 12:57 AM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
My dad did this as an act of kindness
Sorry, dude, your dad's a common thief, no more. If he had bought a bicycle for the guy, it would be an act of kindness. Stealing anothers to give away is the act of a cowardly cheapskate.
11. Posted by John Irving | February 17, 2009 12:57 AM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on February 17, 2009 00:57
12. Posted by Arthur | February 17, 2009 1:42 AM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
And it gets worse!
How? The Coverup!
Bike Owner: USF Official Said to Lie To Police
12. Posted by Arthur | February 17, 2009 1:42 AM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on February 17, 2009 01:42
13. Posted by Grants | February 17, 2009 7:29 AM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Rao's companion takes one bike for a very short test ride and rejects it. He settles on another one, and walks it down a ramp.
13. Posted by Grants | February 17, 2009 7:29 AM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on February 17, 2009 07:29
14. Posted by Steve | March 1, 2009 12:40 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
My dad has worked so hard to get where he is and for people like you to ruin it fills me with anger the most
That's classic. So, we forced your idiot of a father to steal the bike? We forced him to bully the victim into not filing a police report for a theft, and I am sure by using his position to bully him as well! With that logic, my friend, I think you and your father should submit to drug tests, since I think you're sampling some illegal substances with your illogical thought patterns...
What rubbish. This man is a schmuck, and should have been fired for this. This was no act of charity, especially when he apparently has enough money to buy a new bike for ex-convicts!
I'm just peeved finding out that USF is ending up paying this guy $50K to leave. If someone in a lower position would have done the same thing, you most certainly know they would have been canned immediately with no severance, and the cops would have arrested them. The one thing I am grateful for is this idiot didn't have tenure, or it would have been much worse. And, I'm sure he's glad he didn't do this back in the good ol' land of Pakistan, where he'd be missing a right hand by now for pulling this stunt!
Kudos to the victim here who is sticking with this, not letting pressure get to him, and doing the right thing by reporting this as a theft (which it most certainly is) to the authorities. No one with this type of power should be a bully, and absolutely no one has the right to steal someone else's property.
14. Posted by Steve | March 1, 2009 12:40 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on March 1, 2009 00:40