Balance is the Key

Cam Fentriss, FRSA LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL

As if all other problems in our great state have already been fixed, some of our politicians have decided to drum up a new “issue” to divert our attention from true difficulties that still need a lot of time and energy to find real solutions.

Somewhat suddenly, the leadership of the Florida House of Representatives seems to have declared all lobbyists evil. Maybe true, maybe not, but this hard and fast conclusion is neither accurate nor fair.

So why would someone suddenly decide to label lobbyists evil? For one, lobbyists have institutional knowledge and memory that legislators (subject to term limits) do not, and that may be causing frustration for legislators who do not appreciate the experience and would prefer not to hear that failed history is about to repeat itself. Lobbyists may not be inclined to fully accept some “new” ideas for change because lobbyists are likely to remember the last time it was tried and did not work. An easy way to reject anyone who disagrees with your position is to simply declare the person evil. Also, with or without disagreement, a classic grab for power often includes characterizing someone as evil to boost your own standing and discredit and eliminate any challenge or opposition.

While you read this, you may not be so persuaded to side with icky lobbyists over elected officials, but let me make one giant crucial point that I think is easily overlooked (and probably overlooked by those politician’s eager to negatively label lobbyists). Lobbyists
do not hang around Tallahassee for their own personal pleasure (evil or otherwise). Lobbyists are hired to advocate for the interests of people and organizations who are citizens, local businesses, residents, property owners, taxpayers, and VOTERS in the State of Florida.

We all know that power companies, big box stores, and others have lobbyists. But we need to remember that churches, schools, food banks, charities, and shelters have lobbyists too. Some of these legislators may believe that they do not need to hear from lobbyists because the legislators know enough to protect everyone’s interests. Isn’t that exactly the type of paternalism we did not like about Democrats who decided they could make all our decisions for us? I think it is. The only difference now is that Republicans want to do our thinking for us.

Am I advocating for voting out all Florida’s Republicans? Absolutely not because that would put us back to a place where Democratic leaders are calling lobbyists evil. Instead, I am advocating for moving Florida’s balance of Republicans and Democrats closer to
fifty-fifty because that is the only time our elected officials really must listen to our concerns which typically just happen to be communicated to our legislators by lobbyists.

FRM

Anna Cam Fentriss is an attorney licensed in Florida since 1988 representing clients with legislative and state agency interests. Cam has represented FRSA since 1993, is an Honorary Member of FRSA, recipient of the FRSA President’s Award and the Campanella Award in 2010. She is a member of the Florida Building Commission Special Occupancy Technical Advisory Committee, President of Building A Safer Florida Inc. and past Construction Coalition Chair (1995-1997).