In the wake of one of the most dysfunctional and ego-driven legislative sessions in state history, our state's Criminal-in-Chief and Voldemort stunt-double Rick Scott announced earlier this week that the efforts from his Hollywood-haired, Reagan-idolizing minions to hack away at Florida's budget didn't quite go as far as he would have liked.
With a budget that's about $4 billion lighter, the Prince of Darkness still wants to find "additional savings." One of his targets: state university and college building projects.
We understand that this state cannot afford to ride a gravy train of taxpayer revenue given the current economic climate and its affect on the Sunshine State. This is a recession and sacrifices need to be made. However, Scott's decision to once again take a swing at Florida's university system illustrates an ideologically driven pseudo-politico's disenchantment with reality. For an educational system that, through poor management and oversight, already has one foot in the grave and the other one slipping, this move represents another kick to the crutch by state government.
If there is one person who would probably love to deliver Sweet Chin Music to Slick Rick, it's Bernie Machen. He already faces the tall task of finding a way to bridge a deficit that stands at $33 million, following proposed tuition hikes, without laying off any personnel or cutting any programs. Now he faces the prospect of having Tallahassee further tightening its purse strings.
We don't say this often, but we feel for Bernie.
Our hearts don't bleed at the thought of losing out on another magnificent stroke of architecture. It's the message behind the governor's move that troubles us. He has once again demonstrated a gross sense of apathy toward the state's higher education system. Through his numerous stumbles in logic, he believes that turning a cold shoulder to the public university system will somehow expedite his pledge to create private sector jobs.
If the governor was truly serious about "additional savings," he would focus his financial crosshairs on the numerous pet projects of those who have been charged to write our laws. If he wanted to show the state his no-nonsense approach to our state's ability to toss taxpayer money like Pacman Jones at the "scrip club," he would wield his hatchet against some of his most loyal apostles, the ones who think government has grown to the size of a Macy's Thanksgiving Day balloon.
But surely that wouldn't be the most politically savvy thing for our governor to do. In fact, it would just be downright inconvenient. One could even got as far as to call it - wait for it - "common sen--."
Oh wait, we forgot. You don't say that when speaking of the Great Carnival at the Capitol.
So instead, on behalf of all the universities who are feeling the cold hand of the Dark Lord growing tighter around their necks, we are going to extend a highly-cultivated, well-educated, double-fisted, "line-item-this" middle-finger salutes toward Tallahassee.
If things keep going the way our state government wants them, it will be the only thing that both they and our students will be able to read.
