Gov. Bush meets with a FL middle school teacher.
Posted on 05/02/2002 11:56:44 AM PDT by summer
Gov. Bush meets with a FL middle school teacher.
Thursday, May 2, 2002
Tampa Tribune Editorial
Jeb's One Florida program is a winner for minorities
The hard numbers continue to show that despite all protests, Gov. Jeb Bush's One Florida plan is notably helping minorities.
The governor took a lot of grief when he abruptly adopted the plan to eliminate racial quotas. The move was aimed at defusing a referendum campaign to eliminate affirmative action, which would have greatly restricted the state's ability to aid minorities.
So the governor adopted a plan that guarantees the top 20 percent of students in every high school senior class are accepted into a state university if those students have taken preparatory classes.
The plan also eliminated set-aside hiring of minority contractors by agencies that report to the governor. Instead, the governor gave a clear directive to the agencies: Minority businesses should be hired when possible, records will be kept on minority hiring and agency heads will be held accountable for the department's performance.
For his good efforts, the governor was accused of abandoning minorities. Two lawmakers protested in his office. Opponents still depict him as unsympathetic to minorities.
This is simply not true. The governor is committed to diversity, as his appointments and policies show. If he made a mistake with One Florida, it was rushing ahead without waiting to build support.
One Florida was designed to help minorities. Statistics show it is working. Consider how it has affected state contracts:
Since One Florida was adopted, state spending with certified minority businesses has more than doubled and most of that increase has come in the governor's agencies. These departments, which fall under his One Florida rule, have nearly tripled their annual certified minority spending, compared to that of the prior administration.
In fiscal year 1998-1999, the governor's agencies spent $151 million with minority businesses. By 2000-2001, that figure had increased 160 percent to $392 million. And the figure is on track to be even higher this fiscal year.
"It sounds like you don't know anything at all about Gov. Bush's actual policies." (summer)
I certainly echo your response to warchild9, summer!
rcnm
Keep up the good work!
My granddaughter is going to college and finishing high school in a program that began a year ago, thanks to Bush.
She began in her sophomore year, now is in her junior year. Last year she made the Dean's list and probably will this year also. When she finishes next year, she will have an Associates degree and her high school diploma.
I think her program is called the OWCC Collegiate High school program, but I'm not positive this is correct.
Summer will correct me if I'm wrong. :)
My grandson is going to college on a Florida State scholarship. He received this based on his grades, which were not as high as his sisters but he managed to make the grades he needed to enable him to go to a 2-year college.
I am not aware of other states that have these programs and I certainly know that we do not have them in Texas.
Jen
BTTT
I don't normally care for most RINOs but sometimes they are the ones who bring lefties, Dems, and others who normally don't vote for the GOP into the fold. Maybe someday no Republican will be a RINO but we ain't there yet.
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