New York Scraps $27 Million Contract With Murdoch Education Affiliate Wireless Generation

The state of New York has scrapped a controversial $27 million contract between Rupert Murdoch's Wireless Generation and the state's Education Department, the New York Daily News reports.

Wireless Generation tracks student test performance and is an independent subsidiary of News Corporation. The New York City Comptroller's office first approved the contract last month amid investigations surrounding Murdoch's involvement in the News of the World hacking scandal.

The amount from the contract was to come from the state's $700 million Race to the Top grant. State Controller Thomas DiNapoli "quietly rejected" the contract, citing News Corporation's "incomplete record" for qualifications, the Daily News reports.

DiNapoli's decision to sever the deal comes after teachers union leaders urged state officials early his month to drop the contract, according to HuffPost reports.

"It is especially troubling that Wireless Generation will be tasked with creating a centralized student database for personal information even as its parent company, News Corporation, stands accused of engaging in illegal news gathering tactics, including the hacking of private voicemail accounts," Michael Mulgrew and Richard Iannuzi, who respectively head New York City's and New York State's teachers' unions, wrote in a letter to state officials Aug. 4.

Comments

[abbadabba]

04:04 PM on 08/29/2011

Yahoo! At first, I couldn't find any NYDN story to confirm this is true, but it's TRUE! It's a BEAUTIFUL DAY!

[BruntLIVE]

08:06 AM on 08/30/2011

I bet 98% of america never knew this was going on, focused on Caylee's release. We are so easy

[miriamfl]

02:59 PM on 08/29/2011

This is exactly what the rightwing is out to do. Destroy public schools, public services ,healthcare, privatize everything and put it in the hands of CORPORATIONS owned by clowns like these. Once our Federal/Government is destroyed and there is nothing else but to become dependent on these CORPORATIONS they will set the price, the standards, the pay etc... for WE THE PEOPLE. If any of you think it is bad now wait till everything is turned over to cold, greedy souls like this man.

[docketeer09]

02:18 PM on 08/29/2011

"Incomplete record" for qualifications, indeed! Had any one of us had an Incomplete on our transcripts, we wouldn't have gotten our diploma. About time they scrapped this Murdoch-backed plan to re-educate the masses. Murdoch scorns the educated set, prefers the TV set. ...

[Merri]

12:17 PM on 08/29/2011

It sends a bad message when schools deal with a man who's corporation has employees doing illegal phone hackings and bribing police officers. All schools should follow and cut Murdoch's contracts.

[swimmer1957]

11:39 AM on 08/29/2011

cuomo would rather deal directly with the unions and the mafia....works for him

[miriamfl]

02:47 PM on 08/29/2011

Better than a foreigner who is married to a Chinese national who is trying to destroy and devide this country and the second largest share holder of his monopoly is a Saudi Prince!!!!!!

[Theatrixnyc]

03:17 AM on 08/30/2011

I love when you do that....I just got a thrill up my leg.

[sjj734]

05:14 AM on 08/31/2011

I suppose you let an identity thief hold your credit cards for you?

[Djay0252]

11:31 AM on 08/29/2011

The State would never admit to the error but it comes down to the same thing...agreement with the Unions.

[sjj734]

05:16 AM on 08/31/2011

So you think it should contract with a company that has a history of violating people's privacy to be responsible to store and protect personal records? Yea, that makes sense. Bet you invested with Madoff too.

[WillofthePeople]

10:01 AM on 08/29/2011

Under the laws of our nation prior to the Civil War, people like Murdoch would have been shut down, if not imprisoned. News Corp and other corporations engaged in criminal activities would not be allowed to function or exist. Now, thanks to the Supremes and our complicit politicians, Murdoch & his ilk are allowed to function with impunity just as Hitler and his crew employed Joseph Goebbels et al.

Those of us who accurately perceive what is happening thru the predators and parasites in politics & the justice system using corporations like News Corp are obstructed from EXERCISING our RIGHT to CONSENT to the laws we live by that empower them. We are obstructed from EXERCISING our RIGHT to CONSENT to what laws are enacted and enforced against us. Instead of being limited to complaining and petitioning, wouldn't we prefer to be EXERCISING our RIGHT to CONSENT to the powers of government... the laws enacted and enforced against us that are used to enable people like Murdoch to harm individual citizens and our society? If you agree, google "RIGHTtoCONSENT".

We the People have way more integrity than politicians or judges.

[AveragePatriot]

09:54 AM on 08/29/2011

Murdoch's and the GOP's arrogance will haunt them for years to come... One can only hope...

[abbadabba]

04:01 PM on 08/29/2011

Tea Pot Dome took Republicans out for thirty years, but it also took eight years to resolve.

Could this be Murdoch's Tea Pot Blown?

[lindabear]

09:47 AM on 08/29/2011

Oh poor evil Rupert, what's the matter, is the rug being pulled out from under you?

[miriamfl]

02:48 PM on 08/29/2011

We can only HOPE :)

[The Dude67]

09:27 AM on 08/29/2011

Too much heat on News Corp these days to pull off a bribe.  Wait 'til next year Rupert, we will have forgotten all about this hacking thing by then and you can go back to controlling our media (and maybe even our children's education) soon enough.

[miriamfl]

09:22 AM on 08/29/2011

I am not a NY resident but if I were I would of been outraged at the thought that this Joker and his Rightwing Propaganda Businesses would be involved in any way with private information on our citizens with grant money from tax payers in the state. We need to make sure that this does not happen to any other state or city!!!!!

[warsaw]

09:11 AM on 08/29/2011

The one that controls the word, controls the world.

This man is dangerous. Not only does he control the message, but his influence knows no bounds. He has money in so many different parts of government, not just ours, but UK and Australia, that we'll probably never know to what extent.

[The Dude67]

09:28 AM on 08/29/2011

You need to change your micro blog, in all fairness, to the Obama tax cuts.  They belong to him now.

[papa224u]

09:41 AM on 08/29/2011

People tend to forget!

[fanofariana]

09:45 AM on 08/29/2011

It was either the tax cut OR the 99ers checks.

[Harvee Wallbanger]

08:59 AM on 08/29/2011

Aw poor Rupert... just another victim...

[karenmmn]

08:39 AM on 08/29/2011

A poor illegal from Mexico working in our country has more patriotism and honor than this joker.
Murdoch has only one allegiance to this country and that is to make money, no matter how many lies and reputations he has to destroy. I put him in the same category as Cheney. scum.

[NoSandwiches]

09:42 AM on 08/29/2011

Patriotism toward what country? He is not American.

[canobserv]

09:48 AM on 08/29/2011

he is an American citizen

[bettybp]

08:30 AM on 08/29/2011

Finally, some Justice where Reprehensible Rudy's concerned.
Hope he'll get more and more "Just Deserts"