Remember all that talk about Florida's universities being an answer to the state's economic troubles? The New York Times points out that Florida lawmakers have a funny way of showing their commitment to that, with both the House and Senate now proposing big budget cuts to universities for the fifth year in a row.
Even so, it seems the state universities are doing a pretty good job with what they've got. A report from the Florida Board of Governors released this month shows that the system has a total economic impact of nearly $80 billion.
The report says 7 percent of Florida's more than $700 billion gross domestic product is directly linked to the state university system. It employs more than 58,000 faculty and staff. And its graduates account for more than 771,000 Florida-based jobs, or 8 percent of Florida's total workforce.
Download Economic Impacts of the State University System of Florida in FY 2009-10_gov
The governor and his comrades would see Florida transform into a diversified growing economic paradise if they would concentrate on valuing education and Florida's natural resources as much as they value their special interest sugar daddies.
Posted by: Anti-Tallahassee | February 21, 2012 at 10:22 PM