Charlie Crist victory will end current gubernatorial attack on FAMU

Carole Crist, Ramon Alexander, Charlie Crist, and Daryl Parks

Over the past four years, FAMU has been under constant attack from a gubernatorial administration that is hostile to the university. Today is Rattler Country’s chance to strike back and put a big injection of venom in Gov. Rick Scott’s reelection campaign.

Gov. Rick Scott has jeopardized FAMU’s accreditation, attempted to bully the Board of Trustees, and shown disrespect to FAMU students.

Scott has also used his veto power to take away three line items that the Florida Legislature voted to give FAMU. He vetoed $2M for Infrastructure/Capital Renewal and $500,000 that would have saved the John A. Mulrennan, Sr. Public Health Entomology Research and Education Center in Panama City in 2011. He also vetoed $1.5M for the Crestview Education Center in 2012.

The legislature did not approve any line items for FAMU in 2013. But for 2014, Scott permitted FAMU to keep $10M for Phase II of the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences just in time a reelection bid that has seen him constantly brag about his “commitment” to public education.

Rufus Montgomery, Scott’s top crony on the FAMU Board of Trustees, continues to fight to try and make the university a place where the governor’s agenda will be followed with complete obedience. He led Scott’s power struggle against former President James H. Ammons and began attacking current President Elmira Mangum before she even reported to her first day at work.

Like the president who preceded her, Mangum has made it clear that she will not give up control of FAMU’s administration to Scott. When the Tallahassee Democrat asked her comment about Rufus’ close ties to the governor, she presented the question: “What does that say about the people that appointed him?”

The term of board Chairman Chuck Badger, an original appointee of Gov. Charlie Crist, ends on January 6, 2015, the day of Florida’s gubernatorial inauguration. If Scott is reelected governor, Badger will stand no chance securing a reappointment, which will create a vacancy in the FAMU chairmanship. Rufus, as vice-chairman, will then immediately become the board’s acting leader. Mangum then might not even get the chance to complete the second year of her presidency.

While that is happening, FAMU will be facing one of its toughest legislative fights ever at the hands of new Florida State University President John Thrasher, former chairman of the Scott reelection campaign. Scott did nothing to oppose the crooked tactics that Thrasher used to try and break the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering apart. A second Scott term would give Thrasher four additional years to finish the job of getting his harmful proposal to his buddy's desk.

An election victory for former Gov. Charlie Crist will put a stop to the current gubernatorial war on FAMU. FAMU will get better trustees, have no problem getting its line items from the legislature approved by the governor’s office, and will benefit from smarter economic policies that will boost the budget for the university system.

Every registered Rattler voter in Florida should cast a ballot to elect Charlie Crist and end the madness of the Rick Scott years.