Well.
Someone else has noticed a certain lobbyist bating for both teams.
The Miami Herald, Ron Book agrees to stop lobbying for pretrial measure (3/23/10):
(...)Yet, eleven years later, he's still employed by Broward County. Book earns $53,000 a year plus $2,000 in expenses to lobby in Tallahassee.Flagged by Broward officials for a conflict of interest, county lobbyist Ron Book has agreed to stop pushing for a new state law that county officials say would seriously undermine Broward's pretrial intervention program and cost local taxpayers millions.
The new law is being sought by another of Book's clients, the Florida bail bond industry. It would restrict access to county-run pretrial release programs by establishing new, statewide eligibility requirements for defendants seeking to get out of jail, forcing the county to spend more in keeping inmates behind bars.
County support for the pretrial program has wavered over the years; nevertheless, critics say Book should not be involved in representing the bail bond industry on the issue. ...
At Tuesday's commission meeting, Commissioner Lois Wexler said that, if passed, the law would ``decimate'' local pretrial release programs and place huge financial burdens on counties across the state.
Wexler added that she wants her money's worth from the lobbyist that many consider to be the most influential in Florida.
Broward commissioners passed an ordinance in January 2009 restricting access to the program run by the Broward Sheriff's Office. The proposed change in state law would further tighten the bondsmen's noose on the pretrial program.
``I guess the bail bond companies didn't get richer or increase their bottom line enough by what we did a year and a half ago, so now they're going in for the kill,'' Wexler said in an interview.
``This bill makes money the determination of justice,'' said Broward Public Defender Howard Finkelstein.
(...)
Book may be out of the legislative game on the pretrial detention bill, but his sympathies were clear in a parting shot Monday at Finkelstein -- his chief Broward antagonist.
``Public policy is on our side. And contrary to what Howard Finkelstein thinks, nobody died and left him in charge of what's right and wrong in this world,'' Book said.
This isn't the first time Book's work for the bail industry has put him at odds with his clients at county hall.
The January 2009 vote was accompanied by intense behind-the-scenes lobbying and public controversy. And 11 years ago, Book apologized when Broward commissioners asked him to explain why he had pushed a bill that would have weakened the county's pretrial detention program and cost the county millions.
Peruse the rest of Book's client list here.
6 comments:
"...nobody died and left him in charge of what's right and wrong in this world,'' Book said."
I guess we need to say the same thing about YOU Ron Book!!!
The sex offender issue is not just YOUR fight, but you sure have made it so.
Let me tell you something. The words you spoke above about Howard Finkelstein are going to come back and haunt you when it concerns the sex offender laws that you PUSH AND PUSH AND PUSH the politician's to make.
One can only hope that it's becoming popular to distance yourself from Ron Book...
ia she related to congressman wexler (former)
"...nobody died and left him in charge of what's right and wrong in this world,'' Book said."
If that were not so sad, it would be falling on the floor, tears streaming from eyes funny. Here is a man who picks and chooses his "declarations of truth" to suit his position but provides no written studies to back those opinions up. He is president of a homeless foundation and he made sure that hundreds were homeless by the laws he lobbied for, then, for years refused to help the very people he made homeless with that homeless trust.
He is president of Lauren's Kids and freely admits that he hates anyone designated a sex offender and thinks them all monsters. His position as a highly paid and powerful lobbyist gives him great access and influence to Florida government. All the while, the general public cannot get that access. There are many things wrong with the Ron Book picture.
Because of his position and power in the community, he is frequently quoted in the media spewing his hatred and skewed information while those with differing opinion and fact to back it up are unheard. He talks about what the public opinion is, and he knows because he plays a large role in creating that opinion with misinformation.
There is more confict of interest in his activities than a person could shake a stick at.
And contrary to what Howard Finkelstein thinks, nobody died and left him in charge of what's right and wrong in this world,'' Book said.
no the guy ran for office and won the people voted for him and put him in charge not gave him money to spread around to get power and that fat man is "what's right and wrong in this world,''" Diesel
I wondered that myself, voxy.
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