If this blog seems convoluted it is because the life of a lobbyist is one big fat jumble of deals.Conflict of interest is nothing new to Lobbyist Ron Book. He did it with the bail bond industry. Broward New Times said the FBI is focused on Ron Book something about a job he got for a State Senator's boyfriend at Carlisle development (he lobbies for them) an affordable housing developer. He lobbied for red light cameras while he was lobbying for cities that installed red light cameras - like Aventura.
I was looking at my old blogs (I have 33 labeled Ron Book) and in September 2008 I wrote about a letter to the editor in Miami Today that said Ron Book shouldn't head affordable housing team because he is conflicted (Do not skip this link!! The letter shows he might have been laying a foundation for his current affordable housing lobbying.) Then today I read he is lobbying for an affordable housing developer?? And his lobbying list also includes Pinnacle - another affordable housing developer. According to today's Miami Herald article buried in Neighbors:
Lobbyist Ron Book is pushing for a development group (Carlisle/Terra Group) that wants to transform North Miami’s Biscayne Landing property. He’s already met with North Miami council members to share his client’s message.
There’s only one problem: Book is a registered lobbyist for North Miami.
A letter from City Attorney Lynn Whitfield to Book notes that his lobbyist agreement with the city “specifically states that you avoid any representation or relation which would create a conflict of interest.”
He is in on every cash cow in the county like red light cameras and gambling. Also see my second blog on gambling and Ron Book. More on Carlisle and the Liberty City project.
Has he done this sort of thing before? See the Miami Herald in 2007 regarding billboards:
"A ... worrisome aspect of this [Miami-Dade County] ordinance is the role played by lobbyist Ron Book. Make that roles. Mr. Book lobbies for Miami-Dade County in the Legislature. He also lobbies the Miami-Dade Commission on behalf of his other clients. Mr. Book was a consultant for the billboard company during its negotiations with North Miami. Mr. Book says he became part owner of the billboard company only after the settlement was struck. Then he lobbied Miami-Dade commissioners, on behalf of North Miami, he says, to amend the county's billboard ordinance. Conflicted? That's an understatement."
Hit read more to see Ron Book's State lobbying list for 2011:
Principals:
AmTrust Insurance Services, Inc
901 NW 51st St Ste 100 Boca Raton, FL 33431
Industry Code: 524145
Effective: 02/09/2010
Anchor Towing, Inc
12555 Biscayne Blvd PMB 455 North Miami, FL 33138
Industry Code: 488410
Effective: 02/09/2010
Ashbritt
408 S Andrews Ave Ste 103 Pompano Beach, FL 33069
Industry Code: 562111
Effective: 02/09/2010
Assurance Financial Partners, LLC
2901 SW 149th Ave Ste 140 Miramar, FL 33027
Industry Code: 561900
Effective: 02/26/2010
AT&T
150 S Monroe St Ste 400 Tallahassee, FL 32301
Industry Code: 517110
Effective: 02/09/2010
AutoNation, Inc
450 E Las Olas Blvd 12th Floor Ft Lauderdale, FL 33301
Industry Code: 522220
Effective: 02/09/2010
Bail Agents Independent League of Florida
424 S Congress Ave West Palm Beach, FL
Industry Code: 525990
Effective: 02/09/2010
Best Buddies International
100 SE 2nd St Ste 2200 Miami, FL 33131
Industry Code: 624110
Effective: 02/09/2010
Biscayne Bay Pilots
2911 Port Blvd Miami, FL 33132
Industry Code: 485991
Effective: 02/09/2010
Brevard County
2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way C301 Viera, FL 32940
Industry Code: 921120
Effective: 03/01/2010
Broward County
115 S Andrews Ave Ft Lauderdale, FL 33301
Industry Code: 921110
Effective: 02/09/2010
Broward County Clerk of Courts
201 SE 6th St Ft Lauderdale, FL 33301
Industry Code: 922110
Effective: 02/09/2010
Carlisle Development Group
2950 SW 27th Ave Ste 200 Miami, FL 33133
Industry Code: 236116
Effective: 02/09/2010
Children's Home Society
1485 S Semoran Blvd Ste 1448 Winter Park, FL 32792
Industry Code: 624110
Effective: 02/09/2010
City of Aventura
19200 W Country Club Dr Aventura, FL 33180
Industry Code: 921190
Effective: 02/09/2010
City of Cooper City
9090 SW 50th Place Cooper City, FL 33329-0910
Industry Code: 921190
Effective: 02/09/2010
City of Hallandale Beach
400 S Federal Hwy Hallandale Beach, FL 33009 (Withdrawal Date: 06/18/2010)
Industry Code: 921190
Effective: 02/09/2010
City of Lauderdale Lakes
4300 NW 36 St Lauderdale Lakes, FL 33319
Industry Code: 921190
Effective: 02/09/2010
City of Miami
3500 Pan American Dr Miami, FL 33130
Industry Code: 921190
Effective: 02/09/2010
City of Miramar
2300 Civic Center Place Miramar, FL 33025
Industry Code: 921190
Effective: 02/09/2010
City of North Miami
776 NE 125th St North Miami, FL 33161
Industry Code: 921190
Effective: 02/09/2010
City of North Miami Beach
17011 NE 19th Ave North Miami Beach, FL 33162
Industry Code: 921190
Effective: 02/09/2010
City of Palm Bay
120 Malabar Rd Palm Bay, FL 32907
Industry Code: 921120
Effective: 02/09/2010
City of Pinellas Park
5141 78th Ave Pinellas Park, FL 33781
Industry Code: 921190
Effective: 02/09/2010
City of South Bay
335 SW 2nd Ave South Bay, FL 33493
Industry Code: 921110
Effective: 02/10/2010
City of Sunny Isles Beach
18070 Collins Ave Sunny Isles Beach, FL 33160
Industry Code: 921190
Effective: 02/09/2010
City of Sunrise
777 Sawgrass Corporate Pky Sunrise, FL 33325
Industry Code: 921190
Effective: 02/09/2010
City of Tallahassee
300 S Adams St Tallahassee, FL 32301
Industry Code: 921120
Effective: 02/09/2010
City of Tamarac
7525 NW 88 Ave Tamarac, FL 33321
Industry Code: 921190
Effective: 02/09/2010
Consolidated Credit Counseling Services, Inc
5701 W Sunrise Blvd Ft Lauderdale, FL 33313
Industry Code: 541990
Effective: 03/16/2010
Creditguard of America, Inc
5300 Broken Sound Blvd Ste 100 Boca Raton, FL 33487
Industry Code: 541990
Effective: 04/16/2010
Diabetes Research Institute Foundation, Inc
3440 Hollywood Blvd Ste 100 Hollywood, FL 33021
Industry Code: 813211
Effective: 02/09/2010
Driver's Rights Inc
2298 S Dixie Hwy Miami, FL 33133
Industry Code: 541110
Effective: 02/09/2010
Florida Apartment Association
1133 W Morse Blvd Ste 201 Winter Park, FL 32789
Industry Code: 531110
Effective: 02/09/2010
Florida Association of Forensic Professionals
14000 E Palomino Dr Southwest Ranches, FL 33330
Industry Code: 813920
Effective: 02/09/2010
Florida Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, Inc
2475 Apalachee Pky Ste 205 Tallahassee, FL 32301
Industry Code: 813319
Effective: 02/09/2010
Florida Children's Services Council, Inc
216 S Monroe St Tallahassee, FL 32301
Industry Code: 624110
Effective: 02/09/2010
Florida Heart Research Institute
4770 Biscayne Blvd Ste 500 Miami, FL 33137
Industry Code: 541771
Effective: 02/09/2010
Florida Panthers
One Panther Pky Sunrise, FL 33323
Industry Code: 711219
Effective: 02/09/2010
Florida Power & Light Company
215 S Monroe St Ste 810 Tallahassee, FL 32301
Industry Code: 221122
Effective: 02/09/2010
Florida Regional Councils Association
18851 NE 29th Ave Ste 1010 Aventura, FL 33180
Industry Code: 813990
Effective: 02/09/2010
Florida WIC Grocers Association
8425 NW 29th St Miami, FL 33122
Industry Code: 445110
Effective: 02/09/2010
GEO Group, Inc, The
621 NW 53rd St Ste 700 Boca Raton, FL 33487
Industry Code: 922140
Effective: 02/09/2010
Grant Street Group
1800 Allegheny Bldg 429 Forbes Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Industry Code: 541511
Effective: 02/09/2010
Health Choice Network
9064 NW 13 Terrace Miami, FL 33172
Industry Code: 621491
Effective: 02/09/2010
InCharge Debt Solutions
2101 Park Center Dr Ste 320 Orlando, FL 32835
Industry Code: 541990
Effective: 04/30/2010
Indian River County
1840 25th St Vero Beach, FL 32960-3365
Industry Code: 521190
Effective: 02/09/2010
Interior Design Associations Foundation
250 Royal Ct Delray Beach, FL 33444
Industry Code: 813920
Effective: 02/09/2010
Merrill-Stevens
1270 NW 11th St Miami, FL 33125
Industry Code: 336611
Effective: 02/09/2010
Miami Beach Community Health Center
710 Alton Rd Miami Beach, FL 33139
Industry Code: 621498
Effective: 02/09/2010
Miami Project/Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis
Lois Pope Life Center 1095 NW 14th Terrace Miami, FL 33136
Industry Code: 541710
Effective: 02/09/2010
Miami-Dade County
111 NW 1st St Ste 1032 Miami, FL 33128
Industry Code: 921140
Effective: 02/09/2010
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
1450 NE 2 Ave Miami, FL 33132
Industry Code: 611110
Effective: 02/09/2010
Mount Sinai Medical Center
4300 Alton Rd Miami, FL 33140
Industry Code: 621493
Effective: 02/09/2010
Museum of Discovery & Science
401 SW 2nd St Ft Lauderdale, FL 33312
Industry Code: 712110
Effective: 05/06/2010
Neptune Wholesale, Inc
768 E Dania Beach Blvd Dania, FL 33004
Industry Code: 424990
Effective: 02/09/2010
New Horizons Community Mental Health Center, Inc
1313 NW 36th St Ste 400 Miami, FL 33142
Industry Code: 621112
Effective: 02/09/2010
Our Kids of Miami-Dade/Monroe, Inc
Rohde Bldg 401 NW 2nd Ave S-212 Miami, FL 33128
Industry Code: 624110
Effective: 02/09/2010
Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners
315 Court St Clearwater, FL 33756
Industry Code: 921120
Effective: 02/09/2010
Pinnacle Housing Group
9400 S Dadeland Blvd Ste 100 Miami, FL 33156
Industry Code: 236116
Effective: 02/09/2010
Public Health Trust-Jackson Memorial Hospital
1611 NW 12th Ave Miami, FL 33136
Industry Code: 621493
Effective: 02/09/2010
Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic Florida
6704 SW 80th St Miami, FL 33143
Industry Code: 611710
Effective: 02/09/2010
Republic Services, Inc
751 NW 31st Ave Ft Lauderdale, FL 33311
Industry Code: 562111
Effective: 02/09/2010
South Broward Hospital District
1131 N 35th Ave Hollywood, FL 33021
Industry Code: 921190
Effective: 02/09/2010
Spectrum Programs & Miami Behavioral Health Center
11031 NE 6th Ave Miami, FL 33161
Industry Code: 621112
Effective: 02/09/2010
Sun Life Stadium
2269 Dan Marino Blvd Miami Gardens, FL 33056
Industry Code: 711219
Effective: 02/16/2010
Teva Pharmaceuticals, USA
444 N Capitol St NW Ste 399 Rogers, AR 72758
Industry Code: 325412
Effective: 02/09/2010
Turnberry Associates
19501 Biscayne Blvd Ste 400 Aventura, FL 33180
Industry Code: 531312
Effective: 02/09/2010
University of Miami
Ashe Administration Bldg Rm 230 Coral Gables, FL 33146
Industry Code: 611310
Effective: 02/09/2010
Vehicle Production Group
1425 Brickell Ave Ste 54-E Miami, FL 33133
Industry Code: 336111
Effective: 02/09/2010
Village of Bal Harbour
655 96th St Bal Harbour, FL 33154
Industry Code: 921190
Effective: 02/09/2010
Village of Palmetto Bay
8950 SW 152nd St Palmetto Bay, FL 33157
Industry Code: 921190
Effective: 02/09/2010
Village of Royal Palm Beach
Royal Palm Beach Blvd Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411
Industry Code: 921190
Effective: 02/09/2010
Vitas Healthcare Corporation
100 S Biscayne Blvd 15th Floor Miami, FL 33132-2304
Industry Code: 621610
Effective: 02/09/2010
West Flagler Kennel Club, Inc
401 NW 38th Ct Miami, FL 33126
Industry Code: 711212
Effective: 02/09/2010
Westchester General Hospital
2500 SW 75 Ave Miami, FL 33155
Industry Code: 621493
Effective: 02/09/2010
White Rock Quarries
101 Sansbury's Way West Palm Beach, FL 33411
Industry Code: 212312
Effective: 02/09/2010
14 comments:
Mister "let's make a deal" Book is as slimy as they come. You wrote about him sponsoring Jean Monestime's victory party. If Biscayne Landing has to go before the county the votes will be there.
"As a representative for each table group spoke, a disconnect between the organizers and many in attendance became apparent. After talking with my tablemates and others in attendance, there was a desire for more information on the MLK Transit Village Project and the designation of The Carlisle Development Group as the developer. Some came to hear from the developer, others had negative history with The Carlisle Group and there is overwhelming distrust of county government to do the right thing for the residents in Liberty City. Passionate comments by Tyrone Greene of Greene Dreams Shoe Repair pretty much sealed the deal on expressing community discontent.
When the evening was coming to a close, there was an odd and awkward exchange between Austin and Rep. Darryl Reaves who asked a question about The Carlisle Group. Austin’s retort and insistence multiple times that the meeting was not about Carlisle led to grumbling by folks in my immediate area about secrecy and the transit project being another empty promise to the black community. Moreover, urging local residents to call County Manager George Burgess and Matt Greer of The Carlisle Group and ask them to reach a resolution before February 8 just didn't seem right without knowing what that resolution will be." - http://www.bloggingblackmiami.com/2011/02/heart-of-liberty-city-forum-progress-or-more-of-the-same.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bloggingblackmiami%2FNMmH+%28Blogging+Black+Miami%29
Thank you I linked to your blog post at the end of the article.
I think Bruce Greer, Matt's father, was the one who started Carlise. They have their hand in everything the County can fund dollar wise in regard to affordable housing. Bruce transferred his interest to Matt several years ago. I don't remember the deal between father and son, but I see Carlile coming up on just about ever affordable housing agenda when it comes to either construction or land leases for affordable housing.
Gee, coincidence?
Also, as a foot note, Bruce Greer is still at the helm of Fairchild, his personal Camelot!
How can Ron Book, representing his private clients, not be in conflict with any municipality! He's like the lobbyist for everyone, everywhere in Florida!
Pathetic cast of characters as there ever were in Miami.
This lobbying list is insanity.
Where do you go (other than the gutter) to get a degree in lobbying? Sounds like a lucrative career especially if you are devoid of morals or ethics.
Bruce Greer is a condescending douche as evidenced by the way he delt with the neighbors around fairchild when discussing the fairchild expansion. He flat out said agree with my plans or I'll sue you, end of discussion.
And this message to the DiMare family that funded the expansion, thanks for taking your neighbors into consideration when you let Bruce loose with this project, next time you ask me to allow people to park on my property during one of your parties, I'll tell you to go F yourself the way Bruce did us.
Thanks for reminding me why I hate Charlie Crist. His red light camera law is the worst legislation enacted in years.
Ron Book also represents the vile outdoor advertising industry. In fact, Ron Book was/is an owner of many illegal billboards in N. Miami. Total conflict of interest.
All of these groups, agencies, cities, etc. all must hire him because he gets results for them. What I want to know is how? How is he successful in getting (mostly) good results for all of these various groups?
Is he just good at convincing people? Are there payoffs?
Obviously he is doing what we are all considering 'slimey' but if you take the morality out of it, he's just doing what people pay him to do. (sort of like the oldest profession)
People who work in advertising might not use the products they promote. We don't know his opinion on all these things. He's just a paid mouthpiece. But why is it that his mouth gets heard?
Wasn't Ron Book also on both sides of the drama and deals related to excluding and re-housing convicted sex offenders?
Yes. Ron Book utilized his lobbyist ties as the steamroll to legislate residency restrictions for those persons designated as sex offenders by the state of Florida, going as far to use his position of Chairman of the Miami Dade Homeless Trust to segregate persons so classified to live beneath the span of the Julia Tuttle Causeway.
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