University Stadium to be Funded by Right Wing Fundamentalist

I haven't seen any local outrage yet about U of Akron taking piles of money to build its stadium from a fellow who raised it by providing telemarketing services to the likes of Jerry Falwell and Rex Humbard. In a long profile today in the Akron Beacon Journal, we learn all about Gary Taylor's rise from humble Firestone Park beginnings to that of right wing fundamentalist telemarketing king.

The Village Green pointed out last fall that Taylor puts his money where his beliefs are, contributing to the state school board campaign of anti-science candidate Debora Owens Fink. We are glad that Owens Fink is no longer on the school board, however Taylor apparently has deep pockets -- enough to pay for a new headquarters in Bath and a new stadium to be named after his business that is based upon hiring Christians to get on the phone and pester a whole bunch of people for money.

This is not the first time U of Akron has taken his checks. Taylor and his wife donated enough big bucks to set up an Institute of Direct Marketing at the university. I can only hope that the next election cycle brings a further decline in fundamentalist influence in our society and that Gary Taylor's telemarketers find their work is make much more difficult as rational citizens continue to turn away from troglodyte belief systems.