Deseret News | Fee no Moore than usual

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Fee no Moore than usual

UVSC also paid Bush's mother $40,000 to speak

By Laura Warner

Deseret News

Published: Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2004 2:41 p.m. MDT

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Transportation costs for Larry King, who received an honorary degree from UVSC in 2003, totaled $15,000.

All expenses are generally covered for Utah's political leaders. Elected officials such as Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett, both R-Utah, do not charge when they appear on campus — but they don't draw huge crowds, either.

"With most speakers, if there's not extra credit offered by professors, then it's a crap shoot if you get 50 or 100 students," said Bob Rasmussen, UVSC's dean of students.

"We brought in Gov. Olene Walker, and there were 25 students. And they were mostly student government officers."

But all the seats will be filled when Moore comes to the sold-out McKay Events Center next month, thanks to his controversial reputation, Rasmussen said.

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And UVSC isn't the only school paying big bucks to hear Moore, who is expected to read letters from soldiers in Iraq opposed to President Bush, conduct a karaoke sing-a-long to John Ashcroft's "Let the Eagle Soar," and give audience members a chance to win their own "pet goat," according to a statement from Moore.

Dozens of other universities, including the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of North Florida, have paid Moore $40,000 to come to their schools as part of his 20-state, 60-city "Slacker Uprising Tour."

And the student government at Cal State San Marcos raised more than $40,000 to have Moore speak at a nearby fairground after the university's president canceled plans to have Moore speak on campus.

Other schools, however, negotiated with Moore and got him to lower his asking price. At the University of Arizona, his asking price was whittled by $12,500.

"To get any big name speaker is going to cost money," said Joe Vogel, vice president of UVSC's student government. "Whether you like (Moore) or not, he is a nationally recognized figure."

To be sure, Moore's speaking price looks like peanuts next to some high-profile speakers. Former President Bill Clinton takes home $100,000 every time he speaks. That's twice what conservative newsman Bill O'Reilly and liberal comedian Al Franken each make when they address a crowd.

Even Star Jones, co-host of ABC's "The View," gets a check for $40,000 every time she speaks.

"Newt Gingrich is over $100,000. Jimmy Carter is over $100,000," Rasmussen says. "But no one would pay huge speaker fees if these speakers haven't been proven to draw a huge crowd."