Ron Books Lobbying Firm Rakes in the Cash from Private Prison Companies
Florida’s lobby firms filed their first quarter results this week and the three-person firm of Ronald L. Book, P.A. came in as one of the highest paid lobbying firms in the State, behind much larger firms Ballard and 200-person firm, Southern Strategy Group. According to the firm’s first quarter report, filed Tuesday, Ron Book’s firm took in $3.4Million for lobbying legislators during the period of January 01, 2018 – March 31, 2018, (source: https://floridalobbyist.gov)
Among his top clients… private, for-profit, prison companies GEO Group and Correct Care Solutions, which runs the Florida Sex Offender Civil Commitment Center. It’s no wonder that in his work for the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust he pushes so hard to lock up sex offenders. It’s also no wonder why his daughter, Senator Lauren Book, sponsors legislation imposing harsher punishment and mandatory minimum sentences for registration violations!
There were a few other interesting connections, Such as Auto Tag Management Group and AJT Media (which owns ‘eTags’ online vehicle registration and renewal) and Florida Association Of Motorist Service Providers Inc.(a/k/a Auto Tag Agency, Inc,) and K.A.S. (a/k/a Tropical Tag Agency). It’s no wonder you see a buckslip to donate to his daughter’s charity, Lauren’s Kids, whenever you renew your vehicle registration in Florida or that she has her own license plate design for purchase.
A lot of this wouldn’t matter if not for the fact that Ron Book’s client roster didn’t also include multiple municipalities, which opens up a lot of self-dealing and conflict of interest.
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I hope someone can bring old Ron “Ronnie-boy” Book to his knees.
From: http://floridapolitics.com/archives/263893-six-firms-earn-more-than-1-million-for-legislative-session-lobbying
“If the list were based on earnings per lobbyist, Ron Book’s shop would be atop the list yet again. He, Rana Brown and Kelly Mallette took in between $1.8 million and $2.6 million for estimated earnings of $2.2 million.”
I have calculated that every offender who is homeless “earns” the books $215 per year. This is the amount that the lobbying firm gets, minus the 70% “operating expenses” that his firm takes in. Lauren Book is not a victim, but a criminal conspiracy embezzler who got elected to the Books could maintain their fortune that was built on the back of registered citizens.
The Books have to be very glad that I don’t have a relative affected by their criminal actions. Otherwise, I would tie up the courts something fierce that would have THEM end up in prison where the registered citizens are being pushed into.
Well organized theft. Guess you have to give them credit for being a successful crime syndicate. It does take effort to fleece the public well.
Private prisons ought to be illegal. They are more immoral than just about any “$EX offender”.
Why are these criminals (Ron, Lauren Book & Rick Scott) not behind bars? Human garbage!
What do we need to do to start to send out those letters asking them to create a Motion of no confidence?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_of_no_confidence
This would be the more appropriate avenue: http://www.ethics.state.fl.us/Documents/Forms/Complaint%20Form.PDF