By Barney Bishop, Strategic Public Affairs, Expert Out Loud

If you are an eternal optimist then Governor Rick Scott’s veto of enhanced education funding for the University of Florida and Florida State University last week was an omen of good things to come.  For in his veto letter the Governor clearly laid out a roadmap of how this concept could pass his muster the next time it comes to his desk.

Much was written by the mainstream press about the Governor’s veto and that it was wrong-headed to do.  Yet, on Friday the Governor announced a seven member Blue Panel Task Force on State Higher Education Reform led by the very capable Dr. Dale Brill, President of the Florida Chamber Foundation that along with SUS Chancellor Frank Brogan and the Florida Board of Governors will provide recommendations that would allow FSU and UF to raise their tuition higher than the other universities in the state.  The much lauded goal is to help boost FSU into the league of UF and other major universities that already are members of the prestigious AAU – the finest research universities in America.

In the span of five days the Governor has gone from being scorned by the press to being recognized that he will always adhere to his principles but, if possible, will suggest a remedy if there is a way to overcome his objection.  This is exactly the way we should all expect all of our Governors to act and this Governor with his uber- Chief of Staff David McNamara has pulled the rabbit out of the hat that will set this up for a victory in next year’s legislative session.

I believe in what the Governor is trying to achieve and both our PreK-14 and higher education system is ripe for continued reform.  It’s less really about the amount of money than it is about how we spend the money we have but you’ll never convince the left and the press that is so.  Failing public schools must endure competition if they are to become better otherwise they will continue to wallow in mediocrity simply to make the teacher union happy and keep poor performing teachers employed.  Speaker of the House Dean Cannon said as much in his opening remarks to the Joint Session this past January.

Too many of our next generation of children are only getting a modicum of what they need in reading and writing skills.  As a result our higher education system has to “pay” $172 million dollars a year to “remediate” high schools students who are not yet up to par to perform in college.  Yes, that’s how much we spend every year for failed-to-be-ready-to-compete high school graduates.  If there isn’t a bigger admission of institutional failure in our educational system, I’m not sure what it will take to convince you.

Our higher education system while good is not very, very good and so the key question for the future is are we going to help produce the skilled workforce needed for the future?  While we have America’s first high-technology industry right here in our state – the Space Program – and Florida has smartly been investing strategically in and around Kennedy Space Center.  Along with aerospace, we have still emerging bio-life; bio-medicine and bio-science industry clusters growing that will be synergistic with a top-notch skilled workforce.  And, Orlando especially has become home to many small but cutting-edge computer simulation companies doing work for the military since all four branches have their simulation commands at the UCF Research Park.  And across town in Winter Park, Electronic Arts, the giant in the gaming business, is growing its operations in a race for supremacy in high technology.

Yet, our State University System (SUS) needs to be producing more of these STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) graduates that can then feed into these cutting-edge jobs than what we are doing now.  Thus, the initiative this past session to allow differential funding for FSU-UF based on certain criteria being met which only they could meet. The Governor, opposed to tuition hikes in principle, vetoed the bill.

Tuition hikes are always controversial which is why it’s the third rail of education in Florida and it rightfully revolves around access versus quality.  But have you seen what kind of cars college students are driving these days?  Most don’t work but go to school full time.  They don’t even take 18 per semester credit hours like I did when I was in college because federal grants only pay for 12 hours of study.  So with higher education becoming more expensive by the year why do we still cling to four years when we should be getting them out in three?  In the end though, if the college grads don’t have the skills that employers of the future will need then few will become employed here.
The Blue Ribbon Task Force will have its collective hands full trying to wade through the education battlefield of turf-defense.  Nevertheless, it must have strong and defensible recommendations that will serve our state well if we are to continue the much-needed education reform that will produce the outcomes we all say we need.

Barney Bishop III, who just founded his third company – Barney Bishop Consulting, LLC, is an outspoken, lifelong Democrat with a strong fiscally conservative streak. He is the former President & CEO of Associated Industries of Florida and he believes that government is not the answer to all of our problems, that civil discourse is obligatory, that compromising on details will not undercut one’s core beliefs, and that a resilient, robust private sector is the elixir needed for a true democracy to grow and survive. You can contact him at barney@barneybishop.com .

Politics is a contact sport. A bloody and brutal one. But it doesn’t always have to happen that way and two recent examples remind us of why politics can still be a noble profession.

Redistricting is the bane of any legislator’s dreams because whenever you move the lines of a district you are playing with their ability to get re-elected. Survive it and you can have a new lease on public life. But if the lines go the wrong way, you have a tough choice to make.

Twice within recent months, we have witnessed the personal ambitions of two elected officials – Reps. Brad Drake, R-DeFuniak Springs, and Eric Eisnaugle, R-Orlando – be set aside because they didn’t want to run against their colleagues, Reps. Marti Coley, R-Marianna, and Steve Precourt, R-Orlando, respectively.

This is a rare event in politics and one of the consequences of the once-a-decade redistricting process. Brad Drake is an astute, affable young businessman who was growing in seniority in the House while representing Washington County, one of the state’s most rural districts. But the new lines for the House meant Brad and his next door neighbor, Marti Coley, would have to run against each other. Marti took her husband David’s seat after his shocking and untimely death.

Coincidentally, both Brad and David worked together as legislative aides; Brad for Don Brown and David for Jamie Westbrook, before becoming elected in their own right. In an eloquent farewell speech on the floor of the House, Brad spoke about the love and affection he had for David and Marti and knowing that she wanted to finish her commitment of eight years, he voluntarily stepped aside. It was a class act by a statesman who put his respect for public service and the common good before his own political desires.

In Orlando, Rep. Eric Eisnaugle recently came to the same conclusion and made the announcement in a simple letter to the editor. Not a press conference. Not even a press release. I got the opportunity to work with him over this past session and found him to be tenacious with a determined spirit. Eric was a major player with a bright future in House leadership, yet he, too, cut his career short to forgo a contest with his cross-town friend, Steve Precourt.

And he did it by talking about the seat belonging to the people, not him. Rarely do you hear a politician talk with distinction like that. Washington are you listening?

This is what should be taught in Civics 101. This is why many of us got involved in public service back in the 60’s and 70’s, to be a part of something bigger, to try and solve our problems for the betterment of all mankind. Stuff that hardly anyone talks about anymore.

Brad and Eric could have just as easily filed to run, and since they are incumbents they would have raised a lot of money and had a chance to win. But neither took that route and their unselfishness is to be admired and praised.

For this, we will miss their dedication to wanting to “do what was right, rather than what it took to get re-elected” as Eric recently wrote in his announcement to the hometown newspaper. Far too often that is not the case in the legislative arena and we are all poorer for it.

That’s why we should continue to cherish the right to vigorous political contests. But once elected, we have the right to expect the legislature to do the people’s work by setting aside petty differences for a higher cause – the good of us all.

Even if Washington is doomed, there is at least a glimmer of hope in Tallahassee where two legislators transcended their own will, for the will of the people. You just can’t get any better than that.

Barney Bishop III, former head of Associated Industries of Florida, is the founder of Barney Bishop Consulting. You can contact him at barney@barneybishop.com.

I respectfully disagree with everything that was said in the column “We Need a Broad Review of Gun Laws” (Byron Dobson, April 8 ) except the suggestions that we look into the training that law enforcement officers receive on the Stand Your Ground law. That is a worthy idea and can be implemented immediately.

The rest of the commentary is wrong on so many levels. First, I applaud Gov. Rick Scott for his sound and measured response to the incident itself and the attempt by many to influence justice by protesting — which is OK by me — except that to expect justice to be meted out this way is just plain wrong regardless of the circumstances. In the last century and before, we called this lynching by mob and we don’t allow that to happen in a civilized world anymore. The governor’s appointment of a special prosecutor, which most other governors have done time and time again, is the only appropriate choice.

I also admire the Governor’s, Senate President’s and House Speaker’s unwillingness to have an immediate review because it would only be a reactionary event that could turn into a rush to judgment. That’s not impassionate, blind-folded justice; it’s about assuming someone is guilty before they are proven innocent.

Despite what has been written about the George Zimmerman-Trayvon Martin case, we do not yet know all of the facts and law enforcement is still doing its job. Let’s give them time to do their work and take some solace that many law enforcement agencies are involved.

To use this unfortunate event as a rallying cry for gun control is illogical. And to suggest that 800,000 concealed weapons permits is somehow wrong, I just don’t get it. Beyond the fact that it is the Second Amendment in our Constitution, not the seventh or 10th, its importance is embodied only behind free speech. As an owner of guns and a proud NRA member, there is nothing wrong about defending yourself at your castle. Perhaps this law is being abused, but a fair and impartial hearing on the Stand Your Ground law is not possible in this whipped-up hysteria.

Neither I nor any of my friends believe that what happened is right, and peaceful protests are a God-given right. So is the right to bear a firearm however, and for the 99 percent of our citizenry who abide by the law and who only want fairness and justice for everyone, there can be no breach of our right either.

I understand why some people would believe there should be gun control because I grew up in a household without there ever being a gun in our home. But there is nothing wrong with owning a gun — it is a God-given right, and by the way, we don’t want any Constitutional rights trampled. Unfortunately, I can’t say that for those in our society who want to take away our right to own or carry a concealed gun, especially when we have been trained and licensed by government to carry one.

As a lobbyist, I have known Sen. Chris Smith for many years and I respect him and if he wants to host a meeting, that’s fine too. But, if justice is to prevail for Zimmerman — as it must for any of us — I sure hope that America remains a country where justice prevails with all due speed but without a presumed guilty-ness.

As for the comment that Trayvon could have been the son of Mayor John Marks, I would have hoped that in this day and age that the correct comment is that Trayvon could have been any of our sons. Everyone’s life is precious regardless of their sex, race, ethnicity or faith. We are all in this together. Let justice, which can often be slow and meticulous, work because we have a many-layered legal system that continues to be the best and the fairest in the world.

— Barney T. Bishop III is president and CEO of Barney Bishop Consulting in Tallahassee. He can be reached at barney@barneybishop.com.

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Byron Dobson: We need a broad review of gun laws

The political upheaval and emotional toll that the wait for resolution is taking in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin has prompted state lawmakers and even some members of Congress to respond by urging a repeal of Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law.

That sentiment was expressed in Tallahassee last week when nearly 200 people participated in a march to the Capitol, expressing outrage over the fact that George Zimmerman has not been indicted in the shooting death of Martin.

Tallahassee Mayor John Marks, who will host the ninth annual Mayor’s Summit on Race, Culture and Human Relations beginning Monday in Tallahassee, expressed his own concerns over the Martin case. He was quoted in the Miami Herald saying, “But for the grace of God, Trayvon could have been my son. We’re not here to try (Zimmerman) in the streets or through the press. We just want the justice system to work as it should.”

Marks’ comments ring strong. The most immediate resolution would be for special prosecutor Angela Corey to bring charges against Zimmerman. Another option is to present it to a grand jury, where it could become a roll of the dice.

Almost five years ago the “Smart Justice” idea was borne out of the necessity to stop Florida’s unrelenting prison construction program under which then-Gov. Charlie Crist proposed building 19 new prisons, each costing $150 million before prisoners were even interned.  Florida TaxWatch in its first Government Cost Savings Task Force Report recommended against this prison-industrial complex, my words not theirs, and a small group decided that we needed to radically change course. Had Crist prevailed, our state’s debt would have increased by over $2 billion.

The premise was simple:  if we expected different outcomes – less recidivism – then we had to do business in a smarter fashion. It was decided that diversion on the front-end for non-violent criminals and low-level druggies, education, life skills training, along with substance abuse and mental health services while in prison, and then a successful transitional/re-entry program including work release would save significant dollars, and get us the outcomes that we clearly needed.  Both character-based and faith-based programs would be embraced.

Despite a relatively good 32 percent recidivism rate by the Department of Corrections, we can and must do much better if we are to save dollars to spend on more worthy societal needs.  Last year, new Juvenile Justice Secretary Wansley Walters championed a statewide Civil Citation program that, if it is as successful as her 15-year-old program in Miami and Tom Olk’s program in Tallahassee, has the potential to save taxpayers $150 million annually.  And that’s key because 50 percent of all kids that enter the juvenile justice system will unfortunately go on to prison.  If we cut off the head of the snake now, then we have a chance to alter the same old lousy outcomes:  innocent victims and costly incarceration.

Because we weren’t advocating early release of any state prisoners nor amending the  law requiring they serve 85 percent of their sentence, we received the early support of the Florida Police Benevolent Association and interestingly, prison guards raised their hands to work at faith-based prisons because they are the safest in the state.

To incarcerate 100,000 prisoners, Florida taxpayers pay more than $2 billion annually on our correctional system. More than 35,000 prisoners are released each year and within three years, almost a third of them will be back in prison. To his credit Gov. Rick Scott saw the folly of the status quo and in his budget, fully endorsed the idea of providing services to prisoners to elicit better outcomes.

Now, a recent poll by TaxWatch (www.floridataxwatch.org) and AIF (www.aif.com), which most of the mainstream press ignored, proves that Gov. Scott is leading public opinion even among his most die-hard fans:  conservative GOP voters who normally would be expected to be the lock’em up and throw away the key thinkers. The top numbers were shocking – 88 percent support supervised work-release; 86 percent believe “tough on crime” politicians should support community supervision, mandatory drug testing and treatment; 84 percent want non-violent offenders sent to cost-effective alternatives instead of prison; and most intriguing of all was that 81 percent of Republicans believe legislators who send minor, non-violent criminals to supervised work release to repay victims and save taxpayers from footing their prison bills would earn their vote at election time.  Well, hallelujah!

Now, the idea of smarter justice has been adopted at the federal level by a group called Right On Crime, I love the name, whose leaders include former FBI Director William Sessions, former Drug Czar Bill Bennett, Newt Gingrich and even Grover Norquist.  Former Gov. Jeb Bush has importantly become the first Floridian to sign on and with such enlightened interest among the toughest voters and its leaders, can Florida policy makers be far behind?

This is a cause that we should all care about because the alternative means more crime victims and a costly prison system that is determined to perpetuate itself if we as taxpayers do not say “enough is enough.” Likewise, the business community has a vested interest because when the economy finally improves, we will need employees with skills who want to make a better life.

Barney Bishop III, former head of Associated Industries of Florida, is the founder of Barney Bishop Consulting. You can contact him at barney@barneybishop.com.