Medical School Startup May be Delayed

[pumaconcolorcoryi]

Not good news. Crist is proposing delaying the medical school startup because of the state revenue shortfall.

Posted on Thu, Sep. 06, 2007
Crist outlines $1.1B in state budget cuts

BY MARY ELLEN KLAS AND GARY FINEOUT
Gov. Charlie Crist's solution for the state's budget woes: Build new roads and schools, assist low-income homeowners, tap cash in sacred-cow accounts and slice pet projects -- including several in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
Those are the highlights of the governor's proposed budget cuts released Thursday in preparation for a special legislative session that has now been put on hold.

In a letter to House Speaker Marco Rubio and Senate President Ken Pruitt, Crist said he was disappointed they decided to postpone the session because ''the people of Florida expect us to act prudently to keep our fiscal house in order'' and he wants a new date soon.

But his suggestions are sure to cause a commotion in a legislature already divided over what approach to take to cut $1.1 billion from the state budget to balance it.

Crist proposes spending cuts as well as spending initiatives designed, he said, ``to re-fire up Florida's economy.''

His plan is to bond $315 million to build schools, spend $50 million on down payment assistance and reduced mortgage rates for low income first-time homebuyers and expedite the I-95 Express project and the ports expansion projects. The new spending ``could substantially increase the economic vitality of this state while not increasing the tax burden on our citizens.''

In addition to budget cuts, Crist proposes spending unused money in special accounts and trust funds on school spending to avoid deeper cuts to education, and he hopes to persuade legislators to agree with him.

Crist called the approach a ``short term(>>) fix that uses the money ``as a bridge to a refired economy.''

In his letter to Pruitt and Rubio, Crist said his recommendations attempt to ``maintain essential state services to Florida's most vulnerable citizens, ensure the continued safety of our people, and preserve direct classroom instruction for our children.''

Pruitt and Rubio had no immediate response.

The governor proposes avoiding deep cuts to education by spending $120 million in cash available only this year and spending it on classrooms. He believes the money will be there next year, he said, ``in anticipation of economic recovery.''

The proposal to boost the housing market rests on helping lower income and first-tiem homebuyers. Under the plan, outlined in a letter to Steve Auger, the director of the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, Crist wants to give an estimated 3,000 families, who are qualifying first-time homebuyers, $10,000 in cash for down payments and closing costs. They would also be offered home financing at one-quarter less than the market.

''A previously robust housing market has produced an increase in the supply of available housing,'' Crist wrote to Auger Thursday. ``We must re-stimulate Florida's housing market and help Floridians achieve home ownership.''

The governor's 15-page budget document includes cuts or delays to several local programs. Among them:

• Delaying the startup for the Florida International University medical school;

• Merging the Florida Department of Law Enforcement field offices in Miami-Dade and Broward counties;

• Eliminating the FIU Hispanic Crime Prevention program;

• Delaying the $400,000 hurricane research program at FlU and the $4 million life science program; and

• Cutting the $500,000 medical-training simulation lab at the University of Miami.

He also proposes cutting projects of former Gov. Jeb Bush and legislators as well:

• $10 million from the Byrd Alzheimer's Center, the research organization started by former House Speaker Johnnie Byrd;

• $345,000 for selling and leasing back a state plane.

• Shifting work on Medicaid support from a private company to the state, requiring the hiring of 75 state employees, a reversal of the privatization efforts that Bush championed.

Crist also proposes:

• Cutting $375 million in the Medicaid reimbursement increase expected by hospitals and nursing homes; and

• Reducing more than $30 million for beach restoration and other environmental programs.

• Cutting 174 probation officers and $11 million due to ``low caseloads.''

Crist emphasized that the recommendations met his objectives to shield schools from deep cuts, keep public safety a top priority and not harm the ``most vulnerable.''

''I think we have put it together in a responsible way that didn't cause pain,'' he said.

[Xpedition]

they're royally screwing fiu in 3 areas. this is why i hate that tally dictates anything that happens in south florida, they have no clue. south florida always gets the shaft yet way pay for most of the state's bills.

[FIUFootballer]

Why delay the FIU medical school and not the UCF medical school? I hope this is not all-inclusive because it smells fishy.

[kevinkagy]

This is what happens when our state is run by a bunch of hicks in Tallahassee, South Florida ALWAYS gets SCREWED and of course FIU is always the university that pays the most. FIU is always getting screwed by the government and the board, this is ridiculous!! I am completely outraged, if they're going to mess up our programs they should also mess up UF, UCF, USF, FAU, FSU, etc. WTF?!!

[FIUFanatic]

Some wahoos in Tally have been actively advocating for the "elimination" of FIU's and UCF's medical school, and research capabilities. They don't want these schools to grow into a full fledged research college.

[fiulife]

From the office of Modesto

We are very disappointed at Governor Crist's state budget cut recommendations, especially his proposal to delay funding for the FIU College of Medicine. At FIU, we have already hired nationally-recognized faculty members, chairs and deans; we have signed an affiliation agreement with Jackson Memorial Hospital to provide care to the indigent; and we have received approval for an accreditation site visit by the Liaison Committee for Medical Education (LCME), the accrediting agency in medical education.

Any move to postpone the opening of the College of Medicine in 2009, would be a breach of an agreement ratified by the Governor and the Legislature, and will deal an enduring blow to economic development in Miami-Dade and the State of Florida. The College of Medicine will not only offer educational and healthcare opportunities to South Floridians, but also literally generate more than a billion dollars in economic activity. Given our unique mission of caring for the disadvantaged in this community, the impact will be felt for many years to come. The Legislature already approved funding for the College of Medicine and we fully expect that they will honor that commitment to Miami-Dade.

Overall, FIU and Miami would sustain the largest cut in higher education. In addition to the College of Medicine funding, the Governor is also cutting funding for our pre-med program and hurricane research.

The university community is already working on a thoughtful, sober plan to make the required cuts to our overall university budget, based on the state's financial reality. These additional cuts undermine our common goal of providing affordable educational opportunities to students throughout South Florida and fostering the economic development of our state.

We remain confident in the Legislature's commitment to FIU and the College of Medicine. However, it is now time for the entire South Florida community to act. Contact your elected officials immediately by visiting this web page
government.fiu.edu

Florida International University is committed to providing South Floridians access to a great public education. Your support is needed now.