Currents
October 2016
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from taxpayers.
State Sen. Rene Garcia, a Hialeah Republican,
worked for Dade Medical until a couple of months
ago. He earned $134,399 a year as a senior vice
president of governmental and community relations,
and said Friday he was shocked by the closing.
“I'm blown away by it, to be honest with you,”
Garcia said. “I had no idea.” Miami Herald.
Senator Garcia was “blown away” by the revelation. He remains in the Senate.
A Herald examination of campaign records since
2008 found that for-profit colleges have contributed more than
$1.2 million to state lawmakers
and political parties. The Legislature, in turn, passed 15 laws benefiting the industry.
2015 Lobbying Money spent
by For-Profit-Education companies in Washington D. C., $1.75
Million, with $1.6 million going
to Incumbents.
Another Example
Thanks to a series of bills
passed in 2009, 2010 and 2014,
Florida for-profit schools are now
eligible for the National Guard's
“Dollars for Duty” program,
Florida's Prepaid College program, and, in some cases, Florida
Vocational Rehabilitation - a program that helps people with
physical or mental disabilities get
a job.
In 2013, State Rep. Carlos Trujillo, R-Miami, engineered an
amendment to an unrelated
healthcare bill allowing schools to
offer unaccredited physical therapy assistant programs and have
their graduates be eligible to take
the Florida licensing exam.
Seven Florida members of
Congress signed a letter to U.S.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan
urging him not to go through
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