Surprising no one, Gov. Charlie Crist approved a 5 percent tuition increase, a 5 percent technology fee and an automatic tuition increase based on inflation Friday.
Or maybe this is surprising, considering one of Crist's campaign promises.
When the Republican first took to his soapbox during the campaign season for the 2006 gubernatorial election, one of his biggest promises was that he wouldn't raise tuition or fees for colleges. Even a few short months ago, he was still claiming he would veto anything that would mean more money out of the pockets of parents and students because Florida families couldn't afford it.
Apparently, he was wrong.
We don't fault Charlie for changing his mind - flip-flopping in politics these days is practically required. Besides, these changes are for the better of students and our schools. And it shows he listened to his constituents, the students. We know UF will be grateful for the cash.
But the point is, these tuition increases and fees won't make up for what was originally cut from the budget. Maybe Crist would have been smarter never to have messed with the money our colleges and universities receive in the first place.
Wise political move, Charlie. Now, instead of looking like the guy who mercilessly cut millions of dollars from the budget, you look like a hero who realized your colleges were in trouble and pulled them back from the brink.
But we know better than that.
