Recently some FSU professors bought a full-page ad in the Tallahassee Democrat and another professor wrote an op-ed to slam Sen. John Thrasher for many perceived mistakes in the hope that he wont become FSUs next president.
I was appalled when I read the advertisement because it seemed like I was reading a political advertisement there was a kernel of truth in each allegation before they went over the deep end.
Ive known Sen. Thrasher since he was general counsel to the Florida Medical Association back in the '80s, and there is little truth, but much opinion, in the so-called allegations.
By the way, before we get to the fallacies in their ad, allow me to point out that politics is an integral part of our education system in Florida.
In fact, right now a former mayor of Jacksonville, John Delaney, is the president of the University of North Florida.
In the recent past, former Lieutenant Governor and Education Commissioner Frank Brogan was FAUs president and FSU itself has had two distinguished politicians serve as president: Sandy DAlemberte and T.K. Wetherell.
Further back, former Supreme Court Justice Stephen OConnell and Florida Bar President Marshall Criser both served with distinction at Floridas premier research university.
So the idea that a politician as university president is anathema to education is the kind of poppycock that I expect from these ivory tower professors."
The first allegation is that Sen. Thrasher doesnt have the academic credentials to be president -- false. He has a Juris Doctor degree which is a terminal degree; you cant get better than that.
The second is that he doesnt meet the ethical standards and to support their case they cite the Florida Commission on Ethics charges. Interestingly, neither case kept him from being re-elected handily by his constituents or to ever-increasingly important leadership positions in the Legislature.
The next allegation that hes not a fundraiser is laughable. They cite that education funding went down. Every other state in the country had a decline in education spending, whats the big deal? As a former House speaker, like President Wetherell, he knows the budget process like the back of his hand.
Then we get to the ridiculous allegations that he doesnt respect academic freedom, the First Amendment, human rights, shared governance and scientific inquiry.
What they really mean to say is that Sen. Thrasher doesnt support their wide-eyed, liberal agenda that theyve been teaching to all of our young and impressionable future employees all these years.
Guilty as charged!
But wait a minute. If these professors were half as smart as they think they are, theyd realize that when he becomes FSUs president hell be in the position of having to defend faculty tenure.
Who better than a former opponent of K-12 tenure to now go preach the holy grail of university tenure to future Legislatures?
These professors are also attacking Sen. Thrasher for his conservative ideology, which is no different than what they are trying to defend in their liberal ideology an individuals First Amendment rights.
So what makes Sen. Thrasher wrong and the professors right in their narrow minds?
Oh, I know, they believe that liberals are always right and that if you question their beliefs then you are a nonbeliever. Hogwash!
Funny, though, arent they supposed to be teaching their students how to think critically, to explore adverse and different opinions, to question the status quo?
How hypocritical that they accuse the senator of that which they themselves are guilty of as well!
Sen. Thrasher is a man of integrity, a man of his word, and throughout his phenomenal career he continues to be recognized by his peers as a leader, whether its as vice chair and then chair of the Clay County School Board, as House speaker, Party chairman, even as FSU board of trustees chair.
When former President Eric Baron left for Penn State, he lamented that one of the things he disliked most was the time and effort required with the legislative and executive branches of government.
Thats the one area that Sen. Thrasher will excel in, and at a time when government funding of higher education is the cause celebre, Sen. Thrasher like Presidents DAlemberte and Wetherell is the cure thats needed.
Thankfully the board of trustees is going about its job of selecting FSUs next president and it couldnt find a better person than Sen. Thrasher, a tireless advocate for FSU, as the next president.
I suspect thats why President DAlemberte nominated him and I hope they select him.
Barney Bishop III, one of the most familiar faces within the state business community, is CEO of Barney Bishop Consulting LLC in Tallahassee.
