As this paper has stated numerous times, Bob Ney failed his constituents, his state and his party. He abused his legislative power for personal gain and was involved in one of the biggest Washington scandals in the last quarter century.
He is a convicted felon whose name is synonymous with disgrace and shame. His name also adorns a building on Ohio University's eastern campus, and it's time for it to be removed from its edifice.
The naming was part of a donation deal, in which Ney helped facilitate the construction of the building. His financial assistance to the university can't ' and shouldn't ' be denied, but this is a situation where the perception might be more important than the reality.
Continuing to allow his name to be so strongly connected to the university is an implicit validation of his activities. That seems like a stretch now, while his name is still appearing in the news as often as it is, but in 10 years, he will be even less known as a once-politician, and more reviled as someone in Jack Abramoff's pocket.
OU needs to break the connection with Ney now instead of later. It needs to right the perception that it endorses the fallen congressman's actions and his legacy as quickly as possible.
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Removing former congressmanG
