The Miami Herald had a great editorial this morning about lobbyists that local governments pay to represent them in Tallahassee (state government). You might think that legislators from South Florida who we elect would be able to represent South Florida.
Like maybe my representative would be able to convince enough folks that his ideas are good. The issues of a small town might need to be addressed by the state. Why do we elect legislators to go to Tallahassee, it isn't always clear.
Government services are getting privatized in the name of efficiency. If you look at things more closely it is expand the donor class. Local governments can not make political contributions and individual contributions from government workers are very limited. The power of their unions is hamstrung if the jobs get privatized and actually not all union folks vote as a block. The public would revolt if you had to be a democrat or a republican to get your garbage picked up.
Lobbyists are more able to make political contributions to grease the skids and support the opposition when they oppose stuff.
And in the final assault on representative government more than a few legislators become lobbyists themselves.
Dean Cannon and Mike Haridopolos lead the Florida Legislature from 2010 to 2012.
The following is from Florida Trend Magazine.
"Term limits forced both from office after the 2012 elections — and both soon began lobbying the state government they had once helped lead. Cannon launched his own firm, Tallahassee-based Capitol Insight, which collected an estimated $2.25 million in fees in its first year of operation, according to state records, from more than two dozen clients, including AT&T, HCA and Walt Disney World. Haridopolos earned approximately $60,000 from one client: Railex, a freight shipping company.
In entering the lobbying business, the two former legislators took a path that is well trod from both sides of the aisle. More than half of Florida House Speakers since 1980 have gone into lobbying at least temporarily, including three consecutive Democratic Speakers: Ralph Haben, James Harold Thompson and H. Lee Moffitt.
Since 2006, more than two dozen ex-lawmakers have made the jump — about one of every eight who have left the Legislature over the last five election cycles. The list includes two former House Speakers (Cannon and Larry Cretul, Cannon’s partner at Capitol Insight), two former Senate presidents (Haridopolos and Ken Pruitt) and two former Senate Democratic leaders (Steve Geller and Al Lawson)."
Like maybe my representative would be able to convince enough folks that his ideas are good. The issues of a small town might need to be addressed by the state. Why do we elect legislators to go to Tallahassee, it isn't always clear.
Government services are getting privatized in the name of efficiency. If you look at things more closely it is expand the donor class. Local governments can not make political contributions and individual contributions from government workers are very limited. The power of their unions is hamstrung if the jobs get privatized and actually not all union folks vote as a block. The public would revolt if you had to be a democrat or a republican to get your garbage picked up.
Lobbyists are more able to make political contributions to grease the skids and support the opposition when they oppose stuff.
And in the final assault on representative government more than a few legislators become lobbyists themselves.
Dean Cannon and Mike Haridopolos lead the Florida Legislature from 2010 to 2012.
The following is from Florida Trend Magazine.
"Term limits forced both from office after the 2012 elections — and both soon began lobbying the state government they had once helped lead. Cannon launched his own firm, Tallahassee-based Capitol Insight, which collected an estimated $2.25 million in fees in its first year of operation, according to state records, from more than two dozen clients, including AT&T, HCA and Walt Disney World. Haridopolos earned approximately $60,000 from one client: Railex, a freight shipping company.
In entering the lobbying business, the two former legislators took a path that is well trod from both sides of the aisle. More than half of Florida House Speakers since 1980 have gone into lobbying at least temporarily, including three consecutive Democratic Speakers: Ralph Haben, James Harold Thompson and H. Lee Moffitt.
Since 2006, more than two dozen ex-lawmakers have made the jump — about one of every eight who have left the Legislature over the last five election cycles. The list includes two former House Speakers (Cannon and Larry Cretul, Cannon’s partner at Capitol Insight), two former Senate presidents (Haridopolos and Ken Pruitt) and two former Senate Democratic leaders (Steve Geller and Al Lawson)."
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