Sometimes I watch Lobbyist Jeffrey Berkow (a.k.a. Bercow) sit in the Miami Dade Commission Chambers all day and wonder what he is getting paid. Now I know. Miami Beach requires that lobbyists list their hourly fee. For a 10 hour Commission meeting Berkow makes about/at least $4,200. And, can you imagine the time he clocks visiting 13 County Commissioners? Lucia Dougherty might make as much as $6,450 sitting 10 hours in the City of Miami Commission Chambers. I say they make 'about/at least/as much as' because fees can change for different clients (see Lucia Dougherty below) and for the different Government entities they face. Anyway, here are the hourly fee ranges charged by some Miami lobbyists working their magic in Miami Beach:
Jeffrey Bercow $420 (only had one client)
Alexander Deas $240
Lucia Dougherty $465, $480, $450, $550, $645
Michael Gil $220
Niesen Kasdin $420, $550, $425, $495, $400
(Hit Read More)
Alfredo Gonzalez $250, $315, $375, $355, $345, $290
Michael Larkin $385, $375
Carter McDowell $500, $535, $320, $425, $560, $455
Clifford Schulman $465, $535, $620
Alexander Tachmes $400, $450, $300, $325
(I bet they have other perks besides the hourly fee. What about retainers?)
13 comments:
What about success fees? Rodney? Chris? Brian?
As a condition of registering to lobby, lobbyists should be required to pay a percentage of fees into a public interest trust fund; for the benefit of charitable groups that act as government watchdogs. After all, a lot of the opportunity for lobbyists arises directly from the intervention of citizens, mostly, and organizations representing the public interest whose goal is to make government follow its own rules and regulations.
Lucia's fees are ridiculous. Thanks for sharing these. She puts the screws on some clients moneywise more than others.
Miami Beach, as far as I know, is the only municipality that requires fee disclosures. In this period, Rodney Barreto, Kris Korge and Brian May did NOT lobby in Miami Beach. Wouldn't it be grand if the County had the same disclosure requirements? Don't ever expect that to happen.
I wish community activists could make this kind of money. Maybe the lobbyists should pay a surcharge to community groups to repay activists for all the good watchdogging they do for the community for nothing and to offset the bad karma the lobbyists generate.
If you consider the returns on investments these lobbyists provide clients, particularly developers, one could argue this is "cheap" money well spent. Pity the average voter who has no clue as to how local government really works.
Whats worse is the Coconut Grove Grape Vine. The author tries to appear as some knight in shinning armour on a white horse and charge a pretty penny appearing to view issues via rose colored glasses that the ladies/feminist adore. But just today the author is trying to create some really vile tumult over bar closings @ 5:00 AM and has suggested some blood letting mafia remedies hiding behind his blog and typekeys just to gain a few additional comments. Please do not think Coconut Grove is represented by the Grape and it's hate mongering. We are a decent, safe, family oriented destination 24/7 and welcome all folks into our community.
Hopefully lobbyists can bill multiple clients at the same time.
Wow - great post. I love contrasting that with everyone else's wages. Sad.
Listing how much people make is simply designed to elicit that greatest of the 7 sins "ENVY".
If you want to make that kind of money, I suggest you go to Law School, Medical School, Engineering School, or Wharton. Then spend at least 20 years in the business.
None of these people are in their mid 20s, right out of school.
I know why I don't make that much money. Because my education and experience are not commensurate with theirs. That is my fault, not theirs.
m
You do always annoy me M...
no that is not the reason to post their salaries...the reason is for transparency, the same reason that Miami Beach posts them. The more people know the better able they are to make informed decisions. Electing Lobbyists as lawmakers is a stupid decision.
Access. Clients pay for access and connections.
Kaisden had to recuse himself over 70-80 times when he was the Mayor because of conflicts of interest. How many times did he vote with no disclosure and no recusal?
Niesen Kasden is slimy. Now is is trying to get taxpayer money to bail out his Miami World Center clients and their money losing investments.
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