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Tallahassee Trend
Lobbyists Are Going the Extra Mile
They are getting creative as their clients and the state face budget challenges.
 » “Most big businesses see us as the last line of defense for them in the Legislature, and while we’re obviously almost always an overhead expense for corporations, they see us as somebody who helps them not pay any more taxes or face any more regulations. I personally have been kind of lucky ... haven’t see a downturn in my business.”
— Lobbyist Guy Spearman |
She plans to use that pitch for Tandberg, a Norwegian company that designs, develops and manufactures videoconferencing systems. “That’s a great idea now for government. It goes right along with the governor’s green initiative, as well as saving money with the government’s travel costs,” says Aaron.
Despite the economic pinch, many groups say they simply can’t afford not to have advocates in the capital. John Sebree, vice president of public policy for the Florida Association of Realtors, says his group is budgeting for a 20% decrease in dues revenue and says the group “may have to cut back a little” in some areas — but lobbying will not be one of them.
Front-burner issues for the group include homeownership assistance programs and working closely with state agencies to ensure that funds contained in last year’s Housing and Economic Stimulus Act are put toward foreclosure recovery efforts, including the rehabilitation of foreclosed properties. “It will be real estate that brings this economy out of the downturn. We’ll probably lobby as hard or harder,” says Sebree.
Lobbyist Ron Book says businesses that shed their lobbyists in tough times do so at their own peril. Case in point: In previous years, Book, whose client roster includes the Miami Dolphins, Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Florida Power & Light, represented a “large segment” of the state’s driving/traffic schools, and for years the industry has benefited from the 18% discount on speeding tickets that the state gives motorists who attend traffic school.
But when lawmakers met in special session in January to plug a $2.3-billion budget hole, they decided to eliminate the 18% discount on tickets. Now, without that incentive, the schools might see a considerable drop in business. The lesson for others is clear, says Book. “It is dangerous to go representation-less.”
Business of ChangeFederal Uptick
 Mike Abrams |
While the ongoing recession is taking somewhat of a toll on Tallahassee’s influence-peddlers, Florida firms that engage in federal lobbying say they’ve been deluged by requests for representation on Capitol Hill. In fact, Mike Abrams, director of Akerman Senterfitt’s Miami policy group, says that the firm’s federal lobbying business has been so brisk that he’s had to turn away potential clients. Abrams says he believes the interest will continue post-stimulus because of the change in Washington. “As government is now taking on ubiquitous reform, there’s a fundamental change in the way many view the very role of the government. Now everyone is looking to the government to help stabilize the economy.”
