If you don't go to ERAU you may just look back on your life and see that may have been one of the best decisions you ever made, especially financially. It is not the be all end all of the flying world. If you really want more flight time around FL... there is several places that rent Duchesses for fairly cheap ($190/hr) and a few senecas ($190/hr) you can build plenty of good multi-time.
I think I've heard of the guy you're talking about... someone said he was an interesting racist type of guy.