(Yes I added the crown, but that is all I did.)According to the Miami Herald today, a Boastful Ron Book actually said:
"...I am the number one -- the number one -- homeless advocate in this community, I have been for 16 years."
Let me set the stage, he wants to put parking meters around town so you can deposit money for the Homeless Trust (he is a Board Member) and does not want YOU giving directly to panhandlers. I suppose he was the driving force for the Trust to do a Zogby poll on how much we give to panhandlers. The figure the Trust says we give is $40,000,000. Experts scoff at the number. Only trouble is, Zogby did not come with that $40 Million, the Trust did, extrapolating from the survey's findings, said the Herald. Wow, what a stretch. Lobbyists, always trying to manipulate, sad. Business as usual but so much more transparent when you take it out of the Commission chambers, because we aren't stupid.
This is a perfect example why we should be able to vote on (Florida Hometown Democracy) local government land-use amendments. Lobbyists might be able to manipulate the elected officials with an inane explanation and supplying a cover for them like a massaged poll (don't forget a major nudge of campaign contributions) we won't be so easy to control. Anyone with a brain can see Book is trying to get us to support his program any way he can. Fred Grimm on same subject:
Grimm says:
Referring to Lobbist Book and his parking meter idea to collect money for the Homeless Trust-- "....also known as South Florida's most powerful lobbyist, leading one to wonder if local governments might function better if they installed lobbyist donation meters to replace high priced, fact-twisting influence peddlers."
Grimm looked into meter collection for the homeless results around the country and found money raised was in the thousand dollar range, at best, hardly worth the effort.
16 comments:
Anyone who works for the VA, or any establishment that tries to assist those with mental illness, which is probably the largest single factor in remaining homeless, will tell you that any time you give a homeless person money, is just one day longer until they access help.
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So Ron Book being in the homeless trust has to do with......what?
I seemed to have missed the whole point.
I agree anonymous two. I think the dislike for Book has distorted any reasonable thought here.
Most experts agree that giving to panhandlers is not an efficient or effective way to assist the homeless.
Are we to assume that Book is somehow personally profitting from this idea simply because he is a lobbyist? Not sure what the problem here is.
By the way, Book has been one of the most prominent advocates for the homeless in Miami for years. I actually cannot think of anyone else of such prominence that has been more involved in these issues than Book.
Book is a poverty pimp extraordinaire.
From Wikipedia a poverty pimp described, "Poverty pimp or "professional poverty pimp" is a sarcastic label used to convey the opinion that an individual or group is benefiting unduly by acting as an intermediary on behalf of the poor, the disadvantaged, or some other "victimized" groups.
Those who use this appellation suggest that those so labeled profit unduly from the misfortune of others, and therefore do not really wish the societal problems that they appear to work on so assiduously be eliminated permanently, as it is not in their own interest for this to happen.
The most frequent targets of this accusation are those receiving government funding or that solicit private charity to work on issues on behalf of various disadvantaged individuals or groups, but who never seem to be able to show any amelioration of the problems experienced by their target population. Some even suggest that that if profit was eliminated as a factor, greater steps in the alleviation of the oppressive situations could begin to truly occur."
If the book fits read it.
Book used the Homeless trust position and has managed to move the trust from doing transitional housing on the acreage in Naranja to permanent homes with a commercial builder with some "formerly" homeless benefits to be offered. Valuable zoning for the homeless support community went down the tubes.
The point of the post is in the title. The BOAST. Secondly, the BOAST is in BOLD if the title didn't help you. I was setting the stage for the BOAST. Point.
Who do you know that would say anything similar to that quote? I might say I am one of the more prolific bloggers but I don't know anyone that would call THEMSELVES number one.
Post about Ego and exaggeration. It is not about whether to give or not to a homeless person. I took no position on that. READ IT AGAIN.
You shouldn't have had to explain your point; obvious. The people reading it were dense. They do a quick scan and latch on to whatever they can missing the meat.
First, please calm down. No need to put everything in caps. I think there's a few other places that need a bit more attention that do nothing. More notably the Downtown Development Authority
I agree with you about the boasting but, I just think that you do much better digging in other areas.
Sorry if I caught you on a bad day.
Become a guest blogger and write about the DDA.
I write about what interests me, not what interests you. If you want to pay me I will write about the DDA.
Lobbyist doings interest me.
Geniusofdespair is there any way to get some candidates to run against the incumbent miami dade county commissioners, before they ruin our county; any ideas I am willing to help
thanks
The boasting got me this morning.
What kind of nut case has a press conference and lets out a half cooked program? That is not even enticing enough to follow-up.
But, he got what he wanted, coverage and his name out there. Great for a lobbyist.
Last Anonymous:
Don't bother running you can't get elected. I have written about this extensively under "elections".
1. County Commissioners have more than a $700,000 slush fund.
2. No one will give you money. They don't want to get a sitting commissioner angry.
i need a job RON BOOK - E-MAIL me at heb420@yahoo.com i need to make $$$$ i'll work for you .. out of woork cook since 10-03-08.
Heb420: Maybe he will put a parking meter in dedicated to you.
Great photo by the way. :P
Ron Book demanded that convicted sexual offenders who have served their time must sleep outside under the Julia Tuttle Causeway. During the day they can live and travel anywhere but at night they must piss and crap into Biscayne Bay. Nice job Ron.
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