Crist backs boost in university spending

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist said he'll ask the Legislature to boost spending on higher education by $100 million this year in a five-year effort to double the state university budgets and transform Florida's economy.

"Everything is about the economy, and it should be," Crist said at the state university Board of Governors meeting in Tampa on Thursday. For too long, Florida depended on agriculture, tourism and housing development for jobs, he said.

"We need a knowledge-based economy. That's what a university system is all about," he said.

Crist's proposal ties into a State University System plan - the New Florida Initiative. Its goal is to add $1.75 billion to the state's 11 public universities over the next five years.

The New Florida spending plan includes tuition increases. Crist didn't propose raising tuition, but the universities have the power to go up 15 percent a year, with the approval of their trustees and the Board of Governors.

At least half of the New Florida money would go for new faculty and facilities to increase the number of graduates in science, technology, engineering and math.

"We are committed not to crawl out of this recession," said university system Chancellor Frank Brogan. "We are committed to slingshot out of this recession by reframing our economy."

Crist, who is running for the U.S. Senate, has pledged to seek record funding for the pre-kindergarten-12th grade education system, saying budget forecasts are improving. He said rising revenues from sales taxes and fees from home sales are beginning to close a $3 billion gap.

State Sen. Evelyn Lynn, R-Ormond Beach, who leads the Senate higher education budget committee, isn't so optimistic.

Revenues are beginning to rise, "but not up to where we were when we started cutting last year," she said. Demands are rising, too, particularly in Medicaid. "If he can find the money, I'm all with him, because we surely need to do something to create more good jobs in this state," Lynn said.

After Crist's announcement, one official after another at the meeting stepped up to praise him and the New Florida plan.

Crist "truly understands the need we have in Florida," said Susan Pereigis, of the Florida Council of 100, a nonprofit Tampa-based group formed to advise Florida's governors.

"More money means more faculty," said Nancy Blosser, Florida Atlantic University Board of Trustees chairwoman. That leads to more research, patents, licensing revenue and high technology jobs.

The Board of Governors hasn't outlined how money will be divided among the universities, but the University of South Florida will no doubt benefit, said spokeswoman Vickie Chachere. "The University of South Florida has long maintained that higher education is essential to the future economic development of Florida and that a strong university system is necessary to transition Florida to an innovation economy."