Florida Sen. Lauren Book Names Lobbyist As Her “Constituent Of The Month.”
BY BUDDY NEVINS
There are 325,797 people living in Florida Senate District 32.
Out of all those people, newly-minted state Sen. Lauren Book, D-Plantation, could only find a lobbyist to name her “Constituent of the Month?”
The lobbyist is Bernie Friedman, who Sen. Book honored this month in her periodic report e-mailed to voters. Friedman was cited for his work in the Jewish community.
It’s a curious choice for a freshman senator who has been criticized for being too close to the lobbying community. She is the daughter of über lobbyist Ron Book and has attracted negative media attention for voting for his clients.
Lauren Book and Ron Book
Lauren Book brushes off the critics.
“I think I proved this (first) session that I think for myself and do what I believe is best for my district,” Lauren Book told Browardbeat.com.
Truthfully, it would be hard for Sen. Book to avoid voting for her father’s clients.
Ron Book represents a wide swath of Broward County — nine Broward cities and towns, Broward’s public health care systems, a half dozen local charities and many firms doing business here, such as AutoNation.
Her father and the senator’s honoree Bernie Friedman are not really in the same ballpark.
If Ron Book is Babe Ruth, Friedman is playing in the minors.
To put it another way, if Ron Book is the Rolls Royce of Tallahassee lobbyists, Friedman is a Yugo.
Ron Book has 107 clients including some of the biggest businesses in the state. Friedman has 13 clients, some tiny like the City of West Park.
Friedman does represent the Florida Association of Jewish Federations. His firm was paid up to $20,000 in the last quarter of 2016 by the agency. It is this work for the Jewish community that Lauren Book mentioned when naming him “Constituent of the Month.”
When asked whether it was right to award a lobbyist paid to represent the Jewish community, however trite the honor, the senator quipped, “I’m going to name Buddy Nevins my next Constituent of the Month.”
No thanks.
But at least I am one of Lauren Book’s constituents.
Bernie Friedman?
He lives and works in state Senator Gary Farmer’s District 34.
So Sen. Lauren Book’s Constituent of the Month isn’t even a constituent. Bernie Friedman is just another lobbyist.
May 10th, 2017 at 12:04 pm
Perhaps Senator Book should provide some examples of some votes she cast which were in conflict with what her father was lobbying for.
May 10th, 2017 at 3:19 pm
The reason Senator Books Constituent of the Month is a constituent of Senator Farmer is because Ms. Book does not know any of her constituents. She has made zero public appearances in her district, while campaigning she was impossible to contact. You couldnt even find a phone number or email address on her website. Feel free to meet some of your constituents then you might be able to name one a constituent of the month.
May 10th, 2017 at 3:50 pm
Well seeing as Bernie Friedman doesn’t lobby in Tallahassee, you are comparing apples to oranges.. I would personally argue that Bernie Friedman is the Rolls Royce of County Lobbyist.. You make it as a high powered lobbyist for 3 decades without integrity and skill..
FROM BUDDY:
Bernie Friedman is a registered lobbyist in Tallahassee. If someone walks like a duck and quacks like a duck…..
May 10th, 2017 at 5:58 pm
No seriously, it really is hysterical. Wow.
May 10th, 2017 at 6:00 pm
Senator Book visited my school and my adults with disabilities program. She spent a substantial amount of time interacting with students. She questioned, she was curious, she was sincere and when we visited her in her Tallahassee office she remembered us.. I think we should give her a chance to do a good job for Broward County.
May 10th, 2017 at 7:05 pm
Sounds like Ms. Book is following in the footsteps of Mrs. Clinton. She prefers the company of the elite, not the common riffraff.
Well, that backfired on Mrs. Clinton. Next!
May 10th, 2017 at 7:39 pm
Oops…
Very good Buddy, as usual…
May 11th, 2017 at 8:03 am
The cesspool keeps refilling.
May 11th, 2017 at 11:16 am
I’m just glad Bernie survived the incident when Bob Norman almost knocked him down the escalator at the Govt. building. That was a close call. “You battered me!!!”
May 12th, 2017 at 4:11 pm
Daddy Dearest bought his little girl that Senate seat, and as far as she’s concerned Daddy Dearest is her ONLY constituent!!! But gee, it would look bad if she openly named Daddy as Constituent Of The Month every month! Oh, it’ll just be one of Daddy’s lobbyist friends then!!
Those whiners who say Daddy’s friend doesn’t live in the district probably think she actually represents VOTERS too!! But Daddy and his little girl know the truth: Daddy’s money talks!! Without all his lobbyist money scaring away all those candidates who might have actually paid some attention to ordinary citizens, Daddy’s little girl certainly wouldn’t be a Senator right now!!
So let’s all sing the Lauren Book song, shall we?
Na Na Na Na,
Na Na Na Na,
Hey VOTERS,
Who Needs You?!?
Good Bye!!
May 13th, 2017 at 10:02 am
FROM BUDDY:
Those commenting might note:
I don’t know one parent — including me — whose child agrees with them on everything.
I don’t know one adult who takes instructions or advice from their parents in all matters.
Children frequently differ with their parents
May 13th, 2017 at 10:30 am
Kind of hilarious but not. This father daughter coupling of completely shameless phonies could only be described in my opinion and in the opinion of many others as hypocrites’ hypocrites. It is no surprise that Ron Book and his appendage daughter Senator are “Crooked” Jack Seiler cronies and even “represent” the city of Fort Lauderdale as a lobbyist. This year you should have been there the night Ron Book was at the Fort Lauderdale City Commission Meeting lobbying “Crooked” Jack Seiler and the others on the dais for his pot dispensaries clients that want in on Fort Lauderdale, while at the same time answering questions as the city’s lobbyist expert as to what exactly the State legislature, including his appendage Senator daughter might do. Pretty grease ball stuff. Should be interesting how many pot dispensary “Crooked” Jack Seiler will ultimately dispense, considering fearful Hollywood is only doing 2 away from its beach and downtown. Last I heard there was talk of 15, with many more crowding the border of unincorporated Broward, Wilton Manors, Oakland Park, Lauderhill and Pompton. I’m guessing the subject of pot didn’t come up at “Crooked” Jack’s famous prayer breakfast. They obviously had big public policies to tackle like “praying away the gay” and getting “Crooked” Jack Seiler elected State Attorney General.
May 13th, 2017 at 3:10 pm
Buddy, in addition to your comment at #11 above, I would say that any good parent would help their children in any way they could. Ron Book is more than a good parent. He has supported Lauren (and her two siblings) through some incredibly tough and publicly documented times.
As far as meeting constituents goes, Lauren Book, before and during her campaign, put on her running shoes and walked the entire State, much like Lawton Chiles did back in the late 1980s. She met those that voted for her, those that didn’t, and those that couldn’t even if they wanted to. She advocated tirelessly for victims of sexual abuse through her Lauren’s Kids organization. Ron helped her there too, as any good parent would have.
I understand the purpose of your blog piece, but for commenters to suggest that she doesn’t care about Florida, or that her Dad shouldn’t help her is just odd. It would be nice if more parents helped their kids in today’s world.
May 14th, 2017 at 12:11 pm
I would hardly compare Bernie here to a Hugo. Book is funny. States she is going to nominate you next Buddy(in other words right back at ya dude). One thing get these Pot oridances in place Laureen.
May 15th, 2017 at 2:11 pm
Definition of Constituent:
a member of a constituency.
synonyms: voter, elector, member of a constituency
“representatives must listen to their constituents”
As far as I can tell, Mr. Friedman doesn’t live in Senator Book’s district and isn’t a voter or elector from that district.
So what does her naming him as “Constituent of the Month?”
It means that true voters don’t count and/or lobbyist are the people she really and only represents. Neither is good and is disrespectful to those she supposedly represents in her district.
Why would she make such a major and questionable mistake? It doesn’t serve her well.
May 15th, 2017 at 6:51 pm
Like Ivanka, this is someone who has been privileged her whole life and rewarded for being pretty and sweet. She is very self-righteous and thinks if she continues to be syrupy sweet (i.e., visiting schools) her actions are justified and the conflicts will just go away. Yes, the abuse she suffered was horrible and she faced it bravely. However, she fails to even see (or pretends not to see) that her subsequent actions, like naming charity Lauren’s Kids, (as though kids belong to her, or she is some great savior), writing book with “Princess Lauren,” etc are extremely distasteful and come off as self-serving, especially the billboards with her photo while she was running for office. When she is cornered, or even criticized, she lays on the sweetness, exaggerates her victimization, uses that as a defense or to deflect, hides from questions, and/or blames the press. She is protected by her dad and his influential friends. However, never thought she was dumb. But naming a lobbyist non-constituent the “constituent of the month” — that is some Trump-level stuff. C’mon Lauren, your dad’s clients are delighted you’re turning out to be exactly the pretty little tool they paid for. Prove them wrong. Let’s see some spine.
May 19th, 2017 at 1:17 pm
Bernie is a slimy little punk just like his buddy, Alan Koslow. One of the funniest things I ever saw was a clip of Bernie claiming Bob Norman tried to push him down the courthouse stairs. “You could have killed me,” Bernie squealed. “I have a 22-year old living at home.”