Scott reconciles with angry Gators, asks Machen to stay after $41K search process

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Back in late 2012, Rattlers succeeded in fighting off certain Rick Scott cronies on the FAMU Board of Trustees who tried to stop then-Provost Larry Robinson from becoming the interim president. Many Gators are now celebrating a big victory in their war against the governor’s attempted interference in their university.

Just four days before it was expected to hire a new leader, the University of Florida suspended a presidential search that is estimated to cost no less than $41,000. Bernie Machen will stay put as the head of Gator Country.

Scott led the way in pleading for Machen to rescind his resignation and remain in charge. A university press release said that Scott has promised to support Machen’s goal of raising UF to a top 10-ranked national institution.

The move represents a new political strategy for a governor who is plagued by rock-bottom poll numbers as he heads into his reelection campaign. Quinnipiac University’s latest Florida poll found that most voters disapprove of Scott’s job performance and don’t believe that he deserves another term. The poll also showed that 53 percent of Republicans want a candidate to challenge him for the party’s 2014 gubernatorial nomination.

Scott’s hat-in-hand appeal for Machen to remain in office came after numerous UF supporters accused him of interfering in the university’s affairs for political purposes. There was speculation that Machen announced his retirement in June 2012 under pressure from the Scott.

The governor’s attacks against UF’s efforts to increase tuition revenue in order to help it compete nationally provoked outrage inside the university.

Back in February of 2012, Scott vetoed a Machen-backed bill that would have permitted UF to raise its tuition differential above the 15 percent cap.  Machen also chose to only ask the Board of Governors (BOG) for a nine percent tuition differential increase after Scott publicly berated him for his support of the tuition hike bill.

BOG member John Temple hinted that Machen made the decision in response to the pressure from the governor’s office.

Scott also declined to reappoint UF Board of Trustees Chairman Carlos Alfonso, who was dismissive of the “Seven Breakthrough Solutions” plan that has attracted strong interest from the governor. The plan’s critics believe that it indirectly destroy tenure. Machen told Alachua County’s legislative delegation that UF “will quickly become a regional university at best” if tenure is eliminated.

Now that Scott has reconciled with Machen, it looks like UF is in for good news when the governor releases his next budget. It is also likely that Scott will leave UF’s tenure system alone.

This is simply another example that shows how Rattlers have done the right thing by refusing to let Scott and his FAMU puppets like Rufus Montgomery, Bill Jennings, Charles Langston and Cleve Warren take over the school. The real Rattlers will continue to be just as firm in resisting Scott’s  power grab in the State University System of Florida as the real Gators have been.

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