Lori Parrish: Fund Raising Queen

BY BUDDY NEVINS

Property Appraiser Lori Parrish has still got it…at least when it comes to campaign contributions.

After almost three decades in elected office, Parrish remains a fund raising champ!

 

Lori Parrish: Fund Raising Queen

Parrish raised an incredible $177,727 in the first three months of her re-election campaign.  Nobody in Broward came close.

Even Broward’s most successful Republican campaign financier, state Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff, only raised $113,133 for her re-election and it took her six months.

Parrish’s feat is more amazing because Bogdanoff has access to all the lobbyists in Tallahassee.  Those interested in Parrish’s re-election are largely in Broward.

Here is the list.

I would like to say that everybody gives to Parrish because they recognize she does a great job. But that’s not true.

Frankly, some Parrish donations are generated from fear.  You don’t want to be her enemy.  She never forgets. She banks perceived slights like CDs and cashes them in the future. She has the reputation of doing anything she can to pay back enemies.

So she scares some into giving campaign contributions.

Others give for other reasons.

As property appraiser, Parrish influences how much land owners pay in property taxes through assessments and granting exemptions.

There are tax and real estate consultants on the contribution list she filed with the supervisor’s office. I would assume some have business with the property appraiser, maybe on appraisal disputes.

A number of large real estate developers are on the list, like Miles Austin Forman.

Some are major property owners, like Rita and Rick Case.  They gave thousands, when you add up their auto dealerships and friends.

Much of the money is from the enormous network Parrish has built over three decades in office as a School Board member, county commissioner and now property appraiser.

She can be nurturing and motherly. She is beloved by many, like Browardbeat.com’s Sam Fields who forked over $200. Fields has nothing to gain by giving the contribution and he is notoriously tight.

Fields knows that Parrish has definitely improved the property appraiser’s office, bringing it into the 21st Century.  For instance, before she was elected seven years ago, appraisals were kept on index cards. Now they are computerized.

Fields truly believes Parrish does a good job.  Apparently a lot of other people agree with him.  Or they are so frightened that she will be angry with them, they donate.

Either way, she remains a terrific political fund raiser.

 



17 Responses to “Lori Parrish: Fund Raising Queen”

  1. dontlookback says:

    UGHHHHHHH!!!!!
    old pix old buddy

  2. happytaxpayer says:

    Good job. You call going after little tax payers and building a personal private investigation department at taxpayers expense to harrass and go after people in this economy is a good job. Not.

  3. Smart Move says:

    Lori Parrish is the undisputed heavyweight champion of Broward politics and has been for the last 20 years. Period.

  4. Democratic Activist says:

    Lori is the best!!! After that corrupt Bill Markham, she was a breath of fresh air.

  5. FoxMcswain says:

    If she was a true heavyweight, not just fat, she would’ve run for Sheriff, not a safe office like property appraiser.

  6. Smart Move says:

    Lori allow me to apologize for the swine that made the comment above. Clearly his mother, if he had one, did not teach him any manners. Guys that talk like that about women are not men.

  7. Kevin says:

    Once again, I have to laugh at what passes for an “incredible” amount of fundraising in Broward compared to Miami-Dade or Palm Beach. That $177k for a countywide race would be considered a terrible quarter in Miami-Dade.

    Kevin.

    FROM BUDDY:

    Yes, it is true that politicians here lag behind Broward in fund raising.

  8. ExCompassionate Conservative says:

    All I can say is that I once met her in Coconut Creek while waiting for my son. He was in one end of the building playing basketball and she was in the other end at a candidates night.

    I spoke to her briefly and she came across as someone who truly wants to ahve the Apprasers office be a credible and up to date office which is fair. She also mentioned how much the taxpayers have benefitted from her office being aggressive in cracking down on abuse of homestead or lying about the property like making your private home a church.

    Unless you got some real hard evidence Buddy, maybe she is just that good in being the county appraiser AND fundraising.

    Talking to her was like talking to my next door neighbor instead of some greasy politician.

  9. Nate says:

    Lori is one of the true class acts in Broward County politics and that’s the reason she wins in landslides or never gets an opponent.

    I am happy to consider her a friend and am looking forward to campaigning for and with her in 2012.

  10. Good Work! says:

    “before she was elected seven years ago, appraisals were kept on index cards. Now they are computerized.” – and not only that, they are on the Internet, and not only that, they are also tied in with overhead photography so that you can actually see each house and click to access its property valuation records. It’s awesome work – thanks Lori!!!

    FROM BUDDY: Absolutely! She has made so many improvements to the appraiser’s office that I would need an entire new story to document them. The website alone is a tremendous improvement.

  11. Broward Politico says:

    Agreed. She’s a class act, down to earth and doing a great job.
    All the best, Lori!!!

  12. Git R Done says:

    OMG, and she graduated from McArthur High School too… yikes!!!
    She’s been around much to long, ya think?

  13. I Know says:

    Lori Parrish is a bully. Ask her how Bob Cantrell got fired while he was in the hospital dying.

  14. Smart Move says:

    When Lori is your friend, no friend is better or sweeter or more giving. But her enemies live in pain and torment. Which Lori you get is mostly up to you. Only be consistent, because once you get on her bad side it is very hard to get back into her good graces again. She rarely forgives and never forgets.

    FROM BUDDY: You are so right. One person said to me, “Lori is the world’s greatest friend to have, or the world’s worst enemy.”
    She can be very, very loyal.

  15. Own Goon Squad says:

    What worries me is that Lori has hired her own force of detectives who investigate average citizens. She can sic them on anybody she doesn’t like.

  16. Bob Bekoff says:

    And she is the smartest politician in Broward. The others only think they are.

  17. Tamarac Talk says:

    On the website, not once but twice in the past few weeks I have sent in a question and had Lori answer it personally and immediately…after working hours. A staff worker will then get right to it and copy Lori until it’s resolved. Every agency should be like this!