Cushy UF Teaching Gig

Sen. Mike Haridpolos fancies himself a fiscal conservative opposing what he believes to be "wasteful spending." In a letter to CFO Alex Sink, Haridopolos said: "We must be honest with the citizens of our state, and we need to follow the example of Florida's families who are tightening their belts" and said of state government soon after being sworn in as Senate President: "We will do more with less, we will tighten our belt."

However, belt tightening apparently does not apply to Haridopolos. In 2008, despite the state of Florida facing a more than $3 billion dollar shortfall, Haridopolos took a $75,000 per year lecturer's job at the University of Florida, a salary on par with a tenured professor.

Sherman Dorn, President of the University of South Florida Faculty Union said of both Haridopolos and Sen. Evelyn Lynn, who similarly netted a high paying job at Florida State University: "Evelyn Lynn and Mike Haridopolos are just the tip of the iceberg of legislative meddling. They are using their positions as legislators to get jobs they are not qualified for, and it's inappropriate."

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Haridopolos' Position Under Fire
By Jack Stripling - Gainesville Sun
Sen. Mike Haridopolos is facing renewed criticism for taking a $75,000 paycheck from the University of Florida during a statewide budget crunch.

Senator's Job At FSU Raises Ethical Concerns
By Lucy Morgan - St. Petersburg Times

Lynn is the second senator hired by one of the state's major universities this year, the latest example of part-time jobs given to lawmakers by public institutions with budgets that depend on the Legislature.

The University of Florida hired Sen. Mike Haridopolos, R-Melbourne, chairman of the Senate Finance and Tax Committee. He is paid $75,000 a year as a lecturer, a salary more in line with those paid to tenured professors.

Haridopolos, 38, has a master's degree, the minimum requirement for lecturers at UF, and is working on his doctorate. His hiring has caused an uproar among some UF faculty members who say budget cuts are forcing the university to hire fewer instructors and deal with larger class sizes.