To appease students, faculty and staff who may have questioned UF's hiring of state Sen. Mike Haridopolos as a lecturer, a former state representative proposed Tuesday to pay for Haridopolos' UF salary with private money.
Bob Casey, who served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1992 to 2000 representing Alachua County, said he would collect private donations to fund a one-year "legislator-in-residence" position at the university. Casey said he would write a check for $1,000 to get the ball moving.
On Feb. 11, Haridopolos, a Republican from Melbourne, accepted a $75,000 offer to lecture in UF's political science department and coordinate student internships at the Bob Graham Center for Public Service.
UF faculty responded with concerns about Haridopolos' qualifications, a lack of faculty consultation and a potential conflict of interest posed by UF paying an active politician.
By using private funds instead of UF money, Casey said he hopes to ease the concerns.
"For the university to pay him $75,000, I see some problems with that, and I think that would be wrong," he said. "I think private funding would be a better approach."
Casey said he discussed his idea with "a very important individual in town" who is "well-known throughout The Gator Nation."
He said he couldn't name the individual, but the two will meet today to hammer out the details of the proposal.
Afterward, he said they will present the idea to Haridopolos and UF President Bernie Machen.
Casey, who said he first encouraged Haridopolos to get involved in politics nearly 10 years ago, said he hopes the senator will be the first legislator in the new position.
He said whoever takes the position would need to be in Tallahassee for legislative sessions. In that case, Casey said he and other local former legislators would probably be willing to step in and perform the UF duties, maybe even free of charge.
Steve Orlando, UF spokesman, said he hadn't heard about Casey's plan and didn't want to comment on it without knowing all the details.
