As the Senate budget committee discusses its $400 million in cuts proposed to the state university system, more lawmakers are coming out in support of the University of South Florida, which says it's being hit with a disproportionate share.
Sen. Jim Norman, R-Tampa, spoke out harshly against the cuts at the committee meeting today. Sens. Paula Dockery and Mike Fasano, Republicans from Lakeland and New Port Richey, issued a joint statment yesterday opposing the cuts. Rep. Will Weatherford, R- Wesley Chapel, speaker designate, said he would not let the cuts happen. Now Rep. Janet Cruz, also from Tampa, says it seems budget chair Sen. JD Alexander targeted USF in a "vindictive budget proposal."
TALLAHASSEE -- "Senate Republican leaders have proposed devastating funding cuts to the University of South Florida. A Senate budget proposal calls for more than $100 million in cuts to USF, a reduction of nearly 60 percent.
"While all of Florida's public universities would suffer under the proposed budget, the cuts aimed at USF are 25 percent greater than those aimed at any other Florida school. In my view, Senator J.D. Alexander, the Senate budget chairman, has clearly targeted USF. It is disappointing that some of his colleagues in the Senate approved his vindictive budget proposal.
"Today, I call on members of the Florida House of Representatives to stand up in bipartisan fashion and defend the University of South Florida.
"I am hosting today three USF students who have arrived in Tallahassee to voice their concerns about the budget proposed by Senate Republican leaders. These students, along with my two interns who also attend USF, have echoed the concerns raised by USF President Judy Genshaft about the potential devastation the university could soon face.
"As it concerns USF, the Florida House must stand firm against the proposed devastating Senate budget and the threat that it brings to USF and the entire state of Florida."
Ain't it amazing how the hierarchs and mandarins atop the state education bureaucracies (i.e., the universities and colleges) can't stand to have their budgets cut.
They try desperately to hang on to whatever they've got (e.g., USF's talons clutching the Lakeland campus).
What are they afraid of? Perhaps they realize that students won't pay enough in tuition increases to let them keep overpaying their good buddy university administrators.
Posted by: whasup | February 15, 2012 at 02:20 PM
I believe the concern is about disproportionate cuts to one campus. What the story doesn't cover is why Alexander is after USF.
Posted by: west coast guy | February 15, 2012 at 03:18 PM
I am concerned about the disproportionate cuts to USF. Please do not do this as it hurts the students and many employees will lose jobs.
Posted by: Phyllis Teschel | February 15, 2012 at 04:05 PM
'Cause Alexander is a mean, hateful, S.O.B. - Plain and simple!
Posted by: tallyguy1 | February 16, 2012 at 08:19 AM