Gov. Charlie Crist Signs Fla. Tuition Increase.... Proud to be Helping Floridians.

[lib2DaBone]

The price of going to a state university in Florida just got more expensive. Florida Governor Charlie Crist has signed a bill into law that allows Florida's state universities to increase tuition rates up to 15 percent annually until they reach the national average.

For a student taking the average 30 credit hours in a year , at 15 percent, the increase would be $369 for a $2,830 total.

Gov. Crist also 'helped' Floridians last week by raising Hurricane insurance 20%. Crist then doubled the fees for license plates and drivers licenses within the State, to the tune of $2.2 Billion.

Florida will continue "Extending tax credits to insurance premium taxes increasing the number of corporate citizens eligible to participate, " said Patricia Levesque, executive director of former Gov. Jeb Bush's Foundation for Florida's Future.

http://cbs4.com/local/tuition.florida.university.2.1027744.html
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Crist is running for U.S. Senator to replace Mel Martinez. The foundation and theme of his campaign is "Fiscal Responsibility". Crist is proud that.. "he has been able to 'Help Florida' without raising taxes."

[Bill McBlueState]

1. pretty typical: fund public higher ed with tuition instead of taxes

But at what point is the balance tipped? If over half the funding comes from tuition, is an institution public in any meaningful sense?

[NightWatcher]

2. Crist can go "help" himself. Hurricane insurance? there's no one left who writes it

State Farm is out and that leaves a couple of companies willing to write a policy in Florida. So when there IS another storm, ods are the two or three companies that exist will fold and we'll all be fucked. If we get hit hard enough to mess our place up in Jax, the rest of the state is already fucked.

[Mojorabbit]

6. State farm is canceling our coverage as of Jan 2010

They still want to keep our auto business but there is no way they will get it. It is a shame because I have been a customer of there's since I got my first driver's license almost 40 yrs ago.

[Not Me]

3. On 1/29/08 Floridians voted in a massive tax 'reform'

via Constitutional Amendment 1. Between that, and the collapse of property values, the only way to keep services alive has been to raise 'fees'. So now I pay about the same, but only 2/3 of it is tax deductible.

Smart state.

[NC_Nurse]

4. But they're so "business-friendly" and have no state income tax so they will

bounce back any minute - according to my Repub Dad.

[ejpoeta]

5. maybe they need to start collecting state taxes. guess that would bite ol' tom golisano right in

the arse! LOL! sorry. it sucks feeling like the screws are just being tightened. i live in ny, and it seems like we are getting it from every direction here.