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We are aware of no thank you notes received by the President’s office for his work for the Mayernick firm’s clients.  But there are other ways to thank a leader. Campaign contributions being just one, and there are plenty of examples there.

There seems to be little doubt that the Mayernicks benefit from a close relationship with Joe Negron, the question is, do they benefit from issues Joe likes or does Joe like their issues?

Responding when asked is one thing, but in some cases, legislators also inappropriately call companies and organizations to tell them it would be a great idea to hire their friends.

The reality is that plenty of lobbyists in Tallahassee see their fortunes and bottom lines grow with a favorable relationship with leadership in the House or Senate, or the Governor.  A close relationship obviously means access to those leaders.  More access means more clients, higher fees, etc.  It is also not uncommon for those leaders to recommend certain lobbyists when asked by companies who they think are the better firms in town.

Responding when asked is one thing, but in some cases, legislators also inappropriately call companies and organizations to tell them it would be a great idea to hire their friends. This is where the practice gets murky. Is this the kind of relationship we want in Tallahassee?  A state lawmaker directing people to certain lobbyists?

The symbiotic game of lobbying and legislating in Tallahassee is sickening

Of course, this can work out well for all parties involved: The lobbyist gets hired, the legislator raises money from the lobbyist and the clients they represent, and the client gets the bills they want passed.  What a deal!  Everyone wins and everyone needs everyone else to do it. Ultimately, the lobbyist makes a lot of money, the client gets the policy they want and the legislator gets contributions needed to win re-election.

Such an absurd reality was similarly and aptly portrayed in the 1951 cartoon classic Foghorn/Legorn called “Swoggled.”  This charming tale, however, is not so sweet when public dollars, policy and trust is being traded and sold.

In the real world of Tallahassee, an added perk is that everyone gets to know everyone very well and eventually obtains mutually destructive information on one another.  As long as the music keeps playing, everyone behaves and does what they should, nobody but the citizenry gets hurt.

This symbiotic food chain of corruption where everyone at the Capitol gets fed while the public gets fleeced with one sided policy created by lobbyists for their client companies is exactly why Donald Trump calls Washington, DC a Swamp.