The University of Florida is getting better and better these days in large part due to the increase in the scholastic aptitude of its incoming freshman classes.
The acceptance rate for my class was around 39 percent, and this year's rate will likely be even smaller. For the first time ever, the Honors Program at UF has had twice as many applicants apply and be eligible as there are seats. This increase in the average quality of UF students, while great for the school in general, underlies a tragedy about the state of higher education in the Florida.
The Sunshine State decided long ago that the best way to attract people to live here and attain economic growth was to have no income tax and rely on tourism to generate the lion share of necessary revenues. The danger is that in economic downturns, such as the one we are experiencing, tourism takes huge hits because people realize they'd rather pay their mortgage payments, and as a result the state budget collapses. Florida has become a victim to its own success with its development strategy. Huge numbers of retirees have moved here, and the low-tax pressures they exert on Florida politics are keeping our state from being the most innovative in the nation.
Job growth and economic innovation that result in long-term economic growth are powered by strong universities. Just when UF was reaching critical mass to become the next Berkeley, the state pulled the rug out from under us by slashing millions.
If Florida wants to be anything beside the perpetual snowbird nest, it needs to institute a state income tax. It doesn't have to be steep, just enough where our universities can be adequately funded. Even with such a tax, our state would still be very attractive compared to the frigid high tax environments up north. It is time to lose our archaic Mickey Mouse tax system.
State policy-makers either need to give UF the funding it needs to succeed, or get out of the way, abolish the Board of Trustees, and let us govern ourselves.
Travis Hornsby is a political science and economics freshman.
