Five Reasons Why Gov. Rick Scott Believes Florida Polytechnic “Makes Sense”

Joe Raedle / Getty News Images

Gov. Rick Scott signed the bill creating Florida Polytechnic University into law last month.

Gov. Rick Scott says his decision to approve Florida Polytechnic University “makes sense.”

In an interview with WUSF radio, Scott provides his defense:

1. It focuses state resources “where the jobs are right now” –  STEM (science, technology, engineering and math.)

2. “It will pay off ” by producing more STEM graduates.

3. “It’s the exact same funding that we were doing already.”

4. The Board of Governors has already made this decision.

5. “Sometimes there’s a benefit from starting something from scratch … sometimes when you do that in business, you end up with a better result.”

Scott was short on specifics about how the state would measure the university’s performance, and admits that Florida could have bolstered STEM programs at existing universities instead.

But no one was proposing that, Scott says.

Listen to the full interview with Scott on Florida Matters tonight at 6:30.