Independent Alligator - Martinez Tours UF, Lectures Law Students

Martinez Tours UF, Lectures Law Students

Written by: OLIVIA ORMOS Publication: Independent Alligator

U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., came to Gainesville and UF on Friday, listening to the city's concerns and lecturing to a crowd at the Levin College of Law.

UF officials took Martinez on a tour of the College of Engineering 's Gator-Tech Smart House, a demonstration home located within the Oak Hammock Continuous Care Retirement Community that features state-of-the-art appliances and design.

Martinez said he enjoyed his visit to the Smart House, adding that he "would love to move into one of these houses one day, as long as it had ESPN."

The FSU alumnus said he hopes the Gators will defeat on Saturday in Jacksonville .

"I was here cheering my heart out for the Gators in the Tennessee game," said Martinez in an interview on the way to his Levin appointment, "which is something I don't normally do because I think everyone should be partisan to their alma mater. But anytime Florida State and Florida aren't playing each other, I'm always looking forward to a Gator victory."

When asked about the future funding of Florida Bright Futures Scholarships and other student loans, Martinez said if there are to be cuts, he does not believe they will impact student loans and student participation programs.

"We need to make sure that we continue to allow students to train the workforce of tomorrow and that we continue to be on the cutting edge of technology, which requires a well-trained education workforce," Martinez said.

Open mind for Miers

Despite criticism of Harriet Miers' recent nomination to the Supreme Court and worry over the possible overturning of Roe v. Wade, Martinez said he wouldn't look at Miers as someone leaning toward either side in that case.

"I don't think that's how we ought to look at judicial nominations," he said.

In reference to what Chief Justice John Roberts said about Miers, Martinez said that a Supreme Court judge should be treated "as an umpire at a ball game: not hitting, not pitching, just calling balls and strikes. That's what a judge should be and that's what I would look for."

He added that the public should listen to her answers at the hearings next month before criticizing Miers' ability to fill the position.

Drilling near Florida

In regards to Gov. Jeb Bush's consideration to drill about 125 miles offshore of Florida, Martinez said he is personally sticking to the "traditional position" of not drilling anywhere near Florida.

"[Bush and I] share the same goal to keep beaches pristine and keep the Gulf of Mexico clean and clear," Martinez said.

"I'm not ready to make a deal for 125 miles (offshore), and I want to keep drilling off the Gulf Coast entirely."

Economic issues

Upon arrival at the College of Law , Martinez was greeted by an auditorium filled with political science students and a broken air conditioner.

He immediately removed his navy blue jacket and spoke to the crowd of about 150 about issues regarding Latin America and immigration. Martinez then invited students to ask open-ended questions.

Martinez discussed economic problems caused by the many people living in the who send billions of dollars in aid to their families in Latin America, since money is worth almost double or triple there.

Identifying Gainesville 's concerns

Following the lecture, Martinez attended a meet-and-greet at the law school.

"The story of Mel Martinez is the story of America; a young man who came from the island of Cuba to our shores here and made a life leading a legacy here in Florida, from an immigrant young man of 15 years old to being the state senator," Alachua County Sheriff Steve Oelrich said as he introduced Martinez.

"I think it's great to have a U.S. senator here for him to hear directly from the community what some of our needs and concerns are, and I think he spoke very eloquently about some of the challenges related to energy, transportation and affordable housing," said Gainesville Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan afterward.

After taking questions from invited guests, Martinez said this is not a year to look for increases in funding student aid, but realized "education is not an area where we can afford to do it on the cheap."

http://martinez.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=InNews.View&ContentRecord_id=2064&Region_id=0&Issue_id=0&CFID=7537250&CFTOKEN=38727532