Rubio: The 69K professor

It's official. Marco Rubio can add "prof" to his resume. And he can add $69,000 to his bank account.

FIU just sent out a press release announcing that outgoing House Speaker Marco Rubio will join the university's Metropolitan Center as a Visiting Distinguished Service Professor. He's just the latest politico to enter academia. (Sen. Haridopolos is teaching at UF, on a nine-month, $75,000 contract).

“We are excited about the contribution that Speaker Rubio will make in teaching and research,” said FIU President Modesto A. Maidique. “Many of the nation’s premier schools of public policy regularly appoint political leaders who can bring their experience into the classroom.”

Rubio will teach a course called Florida Politics and the 2008 Election with FIU political science professor Dario Moreno.  Rubio will help develop the course and lectures and evaluate student.

His contract states that "at least half" of his salary will be raised through "extramural funding," like donations and contracts that Rubio helps bring in.

In the spring, Rubio will team up again with Moreno for a course titled Miami Politics. FIU officials say Rubio also will contribute to the Metropolitan Center’s Regional Affordable Housing project by conducting research and developing a proposal for better affordable housing.

Comments

Oh Crap... now he will turn against Amendment 5 also just like Hairy-dope-a-less

[Duh!]

No wonder the Florida education system is such a joke amongst other University education systems in America.

[terminator]

great work Adam and Shannon.

What Marco is doing is wrong. Flat our wrong. This will hurt the R's even more at the ballot box in November.

If Marco's already selling out one has to wonder what's next after this?

How many other golden parachutes are coming his way?

Please -- he's a former Speaker of the House. He's very qualified to teach this class. He's getting paid a bit too much but you can't fault him for being qualified.

political patronage

[terminator]

ah hello 5:15

he's not a "former" speaker of the house!

he still is the speaker until midnight on Dec. 31st, 2008 my friend.

The Nutty Professor

[zenatress]

As usual, "au contraire" termie..... He is Speaker until the Legislature holds its Organizational session and elects it new presiding officers.

more like midnight election day.

is 69k a lot?

how can you live on that -- you can't.

That is twice as much as the average state employee earns for an entire year!

He is speaker until his term ends on the night of the general election, just like every other member. Get with it people...

[better than you]

543 - Who can't live on 69K a year? My question is compare his salary to other professors/teachers in the Florida Education system. See if any of them are getting paid that much to teach a few classes. The Republican leadership had no problem stripping public schools and state schools of funding, but now they go out and demand high salaries to teach a class. Someone tell me if Mr. Speaker will be grading the papers or even having office hours? Yes he is qualified to teach this class, but people wonder why our professors are leaving in droves to go up north where they are appreciated. How about this: Volunteer your time! Your law firm is paying you more than enough. Real good job there Speaker Rubio. You are a piece of work.

i agree -- 69k is not a number worth reporting -- its kind of low for a research prof too.

What is he going to be teaching? "How to waste money suing the state" or "How to keep the Indian casinos from being prifitable to the State: Return the $100 million"?

[terminator]

Zenatress:
I've got to give you credit where credit is due. You got me on that one.
Well, Marco still is a state house rep from West Miami through the election.
When will his last official pay date be from the legislature?

Qualified? He won 1 election by less than 100 votes.

Hypocracy at its finest. He fought the Governor on bonuses for teachers. He refused to support a raise for state employees. But hey...throw him another $69,000 in taxpayer money...and all "conservative principles" go out the window. Was this idea 101?

[zenatress]

termie: In my zeal to correct you, I too made a mistake. 6:15 is correct, since he is "termed out" his term ends when the election is held.

mea culpa!

[Daryl]

According to USNews: FIU was ranked a Tier 4 University. This is the worst category for National Universities bracket. Their endowment is as bad as some Community Colleges...

[terminator]

Zenatress:
while I appreciate your forthrightness, as a generally supportive R, I believe Marco and Haridopolous have done a disservice to those GOP members running for elective office.
Geeze, at least have the courtesy of not sucking on the public dole until you are OUT OF OFFICE FIRST!

[Lifelong Republican]

And Termie, Rubio and ever other class act stops getting paid by the legislature when the die - pensionworld!

Rubio isn't even worth 69 cents!

Obviously, the state needs to cut FIU's funding if they can afford to give that much away to a prof wannabe.

Miami Politics AKA "How to follow the Rubio model of stabbing people in the back and making it look like you had nothing to do with it."

[zenatress]

termie:

My comment was directed toward "term of office". I did not offer an opinion on the matter of public employment.

Fair zenatress knows that patronage has long been a staple of the political diet.

[terminator]

Zenatress:
according to today's Herald Marco's $44K Speaker's salary cuts off on Nov. 4th (Beth Reinhard).
Suppose Marco figured he had to generate a new source of revenue to replace his speakers salary.
I know the guy's got four kids but so do I and a $300K yearly salary from his law firm should cover the bills.
These types of actions will hurt the GOP at the ballot box come November.
When will these guys wake up and realize now is not the time for business as usual?

Let's see, he has a law degree with Honors, he is the first Cuban american Sepaker of the house, that doesn't qualify him for a job making $69K a year? Come on people. The average state employee makes less because most don't have the education that he has.

Let's not forget the nice little $300k package Rubio gets from Broad and Cassel as their Of Counsel each year!

1:06 why don't we just strip everyone's salary and pay everyone the same. Good for the Speaker. .

Marco,s evil minions have emerged from under their rocks to defend his latest fleecing of the State.