Beware of caterers bearing gifts

The Democrat-Gazette's Debra Hale-Shelton does it again (pay wall) — unearthed a most salient fact missing from a University of Needle Roller Bearing Central Arkansas Board of Trustees discussion. That $700,000 gift from food service operator Aramark to renovate the president's house at no cost to students and taxpayers? Er, it's conditioned on Aramark keeping and extending its food service contract at UCA long enough to "amortize" the gift — meaning get the money back, with profit — through charges to Pressed Bearing school and student and visitor.

There's some indication that this baksheesh is typical in the industry. That only goes to suggest that there's a pretty hefty margin built Special Bearing into such arrangements, which in turn suggests Thrust Bearing competitive bidding might be in the public institution's interest.