Nepotism defined: Lauren Book is poised to legally steal another $1 MILLION taxpayer dollars

Did anyone honestly think that Lauren Book would go through her campaign without engaging in a little nepotism. Now that Bimbo Book is a state senator, she can just raid the coffers from the inside. No doubt she won't recuse herself from the appropriations committee.

Interestingly, even though Lauren Book claims to have resigned from her puppet post at Lauren's Kids, yet she's STILL listed as the CEO on her website

As reported in the Miami Herald:

"For example, Lauren’s Kids, a non-profit founded by Sen. Lauren Book, D-Plantation, to promote awareness of and to prevent sexual abuse against children, is eligible for another $1 million from taxpayers. Nunez is the sponsor of the project (HB 3261) and its lobbyist, Ron Book, is the senator’s father.

The nine-page project application says that most of the $1 million would be spent on printing of materials, curriculum fulfillment, storage, travel and videography. Other expenses include $75,000 for consultants, $55,000 for an executive director (listed on laurenskids.org as Ivette Diaz) and $35,000 for a communications director (listed as Claire Van Sustersen, aka Horseteeth). The application says Lauren’s Kids, which is overseen by the Department of Education, will seek an additional $3 million to $10 million in public money in the next five years."

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article141701034.html#storylink=cpy

Someone should photoshop this, that expression is priceless. 

Like Father Like Bimbo Daughter: Lauren Book's senator seat already getting warm with ethics issues

The rotten apple does not fall far from the rotten tree.

http://www.floridabulldog.org/2017/03/ms-book-goes-to-tallahassee-sees-no-conflict-voting-for-laurens-kids-or-dads-clients/

MARCH 20, 2017 AT 5:28 AM
Ms. Book goes to Tallahassee, sees no conflict voting $ for Lauren’s Kids or dad’s clients

By Francisco Alvarado, FloridaBulldog.org

Freshman Broward State Sen. Lauren Book says she won’t abstain from voting on matters involving clients of her father, powerful lobbyist Ron Book. Similarly, she sees no conflict of interest in voting on measures to funnel millions of taxpayer dollars to benefit her non-profit charity and political launching pad, Lauren’s Kids.

Book, a Plantation Democrat, offered her thoughts on the issue of personal voting conflicts in an email exchange last week with Florida Bulldog.

“No,” she said when asked if she plans to abstain from voting on any matters involving Ron Book’s clients. “In ALL matters, I will vote my conscience and in what I believe is best for my district, for Broward County, and for the people of the State of Florida.”

Sen. Book also said that Lauren’s Kids would again seek significant state funding during this year’s legislative session that began March 7. Does that mean she will abstain from voting on bills to authorize funding for her organization?

“No. I have met with the Counsel of the Senate and have been advised that it is proper that I do not abstain on these matters unless the funding directly inures to my benefit, which it will not,” Sen. Book said.

Lauren’s Kids, however, pays Sen. Book a six-figure annual salary for serving as its chief executive. In 2015, her salary was $135,000 – a $20,000 increase from 2014, according to the charity’s federal income tax returns.

“My salary is not paid for with any state funds,” said Sen. Book. “I derive no personal benefit from public tax dollars except knowing that these monies are being used to save lives, raise awareness and prevent childhood sexual abuse.”

Sen. Book said that to make certain her salary includes no state dollars, she “restructured my employment to ensure that no public dollars were used to compensate me for my work” once she declared her candidacy. She declined to elaborate on how she accomplished that restructuring and that separation.

Sen. Book did say, however, that she resigned from the board of directors of the Lauren’s Kids Foundation “to add an additional (but entirely unnecessary) layer between myself and the Foundation.”

Lauren’s Kid’s tax return for 2015 – the latest available – shows the charity received more than 83 percent of its $4.5 million in total revenue that year from the state. Since 2012, records show, the state has contributed more than $10 million to Lauren’s Kids.

The Florida Department of Education has requested another $1 million in funding for Lauren’s Kids for Fiscal Year 2017-18 “so we can continue to educate children and families to prevent abuse and help survivors,” said Sen. Book. “I might add, the DOE would only recommend funding if as experts they believed the curriculum was of significant benefit to our children.’’

Ron Book as landlord

Lobbyist Ron Book, the senator’s father, is the unpaid president of Lauren’s Kids. Yet he also makes money from Lauren’s Kids. According to the 501(c) (3) organization’s 2015 tax return, he paid himself $61,651 for renting space to Lauren’s Kids in his Aventura office.

Ron Book, who is also on the charity’s board, collected $63,175 in rent from Lauren’s Kids in 2014, according to that year’s tax return.

Ron Book declined to comment.

On Wednesday, March 22, Sen. Book will face one of the first ethical tests of her nascent political career. As a member of the Florida Senate’s health policy committee, she will be evaluating five bills to establish the rules and regulations for the state’s medical marijuana industry.

While some patient and industry advocates argue the state should open up the market to competition, four of the bills discourage participation by more cannabis providers beyond the seven companies already licensed to manufacture a non-psychoactive, non-smokable form of the drug under a restrictive medical marijuana program set up by the Legislature in 2014.

Among the Florida licensed providers is a joint venture between Homestead-based nursery Alpha Foliage and Surterra, an Atlanta-based medical marijuana company that employs the senator’s father Ron Book as its Tallahassee lobbyist.

While government watchdogs said Sen. Book should abstain from voting on any matters involving her father, she told Florida Bulldog she has no intention of doing so because Florida law and Senate rules do not prohibit it.

“As I stated above, I will follow the letter and spirit of the law in how I vote and how I conduct my business,” she said.

Conflict questions loom

Still, questions about Sen. Book’s potential vote conflicts involving both her father’s 100-plus clients and Lauren’s Kids loom large.

Ben Wilcox, research director for the government watchdog organization Integrity Florida, noted that because Florida has a citizen legislature that allows members to have outside employment, the bar is set low when it comes to ethical requirements.

Florida’s weak Code of Ethics for Public Officers and Employees says that state officers “may not vote on any matter that the officer knows would inure to his or her special gain or loss.” It does not prohibit such votes. Rather, the code says vaguely that officers who vote to benefit themselves or a relative “shall make every reasonable effort to disclose the nature of his or her interest in a public memorandum” that can be filed up to 15 days after the vote.

Sen. Book, nevertheless, could face questions when it comes time to vote on an appropriations bill that would include Lauren’s Kids, which advocates against child sex abuse.

“You are not supposed to vote on something that has a direct benefit to you personally,” said Wilcox. “That is where she may get into some trouble if her organization is getting an appropriation from the Legislature.”

Wilcox said Book should also be mindful about voting on matters favorable to her father’s clients. “She should be sensitive to the appearance of a conflict of interest,” Wilcox said. “Even if it technically is not a conflict, it raises questions in the public’s mind and causes the public to lose confidence in government.”

Since founding Lauren’s Kids 10 years ago, Book has seemed on a trajectory for public office. In addition to appearing before the Legislature to lobby in favor of laws that crack down on sexual predators and child abusers, Book has led an annual walk from Key West to Tallahassee to raise awareness for child sex victims that receives statewide media coverage. She’s also written two books, including one for children, about her own experience being sexually abused by her former nanny. Book and her father had a starring role in the recently released documentary about Florida’s sex offender laws called Untouchable.

Book, 32, decided to run for the Senate seat previously held by Eleanor Sobel, who left the Legislature in 2016 due to term limits. After raising more than $1.5 million through her campaign and her political action committee, Leadership for Broward, Book automatically won the seat when no one filed to run against her. A Bulldog analysis of her 2015 and 2016 campaign finance reports and her father’s client list show she received $35,000 from 15 entities that employ Ron Book.

Clients and contributions

Of that amount, her campaign received $1,000 apiece from two of Surterra’s owners, Michael Havenick and Alexander Havenick, who is also vice president and general counsel for Southwest Florida Enterprises, a company that owns several pari-mutuels in the state, including Magic City Casino in Miami. Southwest, four affiliated companies and four other Havenicks also each gave the $1,000 maximum to Sen. Book’s campaign.

According to 2016 lobbyist compensation reports filed with the state, Ron Book’s law firm was paid between $40,000 and $80,000 by Surterra to lobby the Legislature. Ron L. Book P.A. also received approximately $30,000 from Surterra to lobby the executive branch.

Lauren’s Kids has also been the beneficiary of millions of dollars in state funding. According to the organization’s 2014 tax return, Lauren’s Kids received $2.7 million in state grants. Its 2015 tax return shows the nonprofit got $3.4 million that year from Florida’s Department of Education. In 2016, records show, the Legislature awarded Lauren’s Kids $1 million.

Florida’s Department of Motor Vehicles also contributes to Lauren’s Kids via the sale of specialty license plates approved by the Legislature. Lauren’s Kids, which got its specialty tag in 2013, received $294,653 from the DMV in 2015, tax records show.

Further, the DMV allows Lauren’s Kids to insert a brochure asking for donations in every auto tag renewal notice mailed to Florida residents. Lauren’s Kids is one of several nonprofits eligible to insert their brochures under the specialty tag program.

Beth Rosenson, a University of Florida political science professor who teaches a course on ethics in U.S. politics, said in an interview that Book might derive a benefit from her father’s earnings as a lobbyist. “Parents always help out their kids,” Rosenson said. “Let’s say she had a medical emergency or something in which she needed money so her father’s financial situation is not something that is totally separate from hers.”

Rosenson said Sen. Book’s potential for conflict is analogous to President Donald Trump and his sons, who have taken over the Republican billionaire’s companies while he’s in the White House. “In a perfect world, she would realize that her relationship with her father raises questions of conflict of interest,” Rosenson said. “So ideally, yes she should recuse herself.”

When it comes to Lauren’s Kids, Integrity Florida’s Wilcox said even if Book’s salary is not being paid with state funds, she should still abstain from voting on matters involving her nonprofit. “In an abundance of caution, that is something she may want to reconsider,” Wilcox said. “While technically it may be correct, I don’t think it will look good to the public.”

Senator Lauren Book wants to take away parental rights of registrants who only viewed CP

I knew it would only be a matter of time before Lauren "The Bimbo" Book would start writing ill-designed public policy. (It should be noted that Lauren is on the Appropriations committee, which is the committee that passes bills determining how the state's money is spent. You can bet there WILL be a conflict of interest in regards to funding for special interests tied to the Books; if this idiot survives a single term without an ethics violation?)

To get involved and stop Book's proposal, visit the Florida Action Committee. (I disagree with their advice, however, about not mentioning your status as registered citizens. Hiding in the shadow fuels bad stereotypes.)

https://floridaactioncommittee.org/call-action-sb-1558-authored-senator-lauren-book/

CALL TO ACTION!!! SB 1558 authored by Senator Lauren Book.
by Florida Action Committee | Mar 6, 2017 | Articles, Featured Articles | 6 comments
This is a horrible bill!

Child Exploitation; Revising the offenses that may be investigated and prosecuted by the Office of Statewide Prosecution; revising the types of offenses committed by a child in the custody of the Department of Children and Families which require the department to provide notice to the school superintendent; revising the type of offenses that create a rebuttable presumption of detriment for judicial determinations related to contact between a parent or caregiver and certain child victims, etc.

Among a number of things this bill seeks to do is remove parental rights of parents convicted of viewing child pornography even if the child was not the victim!

It empowers Department of Children and Families to make this call. We all know the horrific track record of DCF and how many children have died in their custody and control or oversight.

TELL YOUR LEGISLATORS THEY DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT NOR THE EXPERTISE!

Why is Florida going backwards? The COSOMB has just released new guidelines which actually says it’s important for parents to have contact with their children. They have rethought a position which was widely held for many years in Colorado, and now they have realized it is detrimental to the family as a whole. Not just the returning registered person but to the very children who were denied access to their parent.
There are high profile ATSA members on this COSOMB who are consultants to the SMART office… I think they know far more than legislators in Florida who seek only to continue to punish a population who is of the least likely to reoffend and have  contact offense.

TELL OUR LEGISLATORS WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH!

Jean Zeeb: Lauren Book's column misleads about sex offenders

This article isn't perfect (I'm not keen on the "unscrupulous men" comment and the appeal to polygraphs (junk science). Still, this column debunks Lauren Book and her victim industry propaganda.

http://www.gainesville.com/opinion/20170104/jean-zeeb-column-misleads-about-sex-offenders

Jean Zeeb: Column misleads about sex offenders

Wednesday
Posted Jan 4, 2017 at 2:00 AM
By Jean Zeeb Special to The Sun

In Lauren Book's Dec. 11 column, she wrote about the dangers that sexual predators pose to children and admonishes parents to be suspicious of staff at youth-serving organizations. We all want to protect children, so how could such a column be objectionable? Because it is alarmist, misleading and mostly false.

I have been a sex offender therapist for over 20 years, treating well over 1,000 juvenile and adult sex offenders. For longer than that, I have worked with adults who were sexually victimized as children.

Book states that we must be vigilant for sexual predators who work in youth-serving capacities. She wrote that "the average sexual predator will offend against 117 children in his or her lifetime." This is an old trope, discredited decades ago.

Among sex offenders, there are those with child victims and those with adult victims. Those with child victims are further divided into two categories: child molesters and pedophiles.

Child molesters generally have one or two victims (verified by polygraphs), and these are children with whom they have close contact (e.g., as stepparents, babysitters, etc.). Child molesters are generally heterosexual, and are primarily interested in adult partners, but at one time or another victimized a child.

Pedophiles, on the other hand, are primarily (and often exclusively) attracted to children. While there are pedophiles who fit Book's description of "117 victims," such pedophiles are rare. Most are introverts and isolated from society. Though some act on their sexual desires, others do not.

"Sexual predator" is not a clinical term, but a legal one based primarily on statute. In Florida, the difference between being labeled a "sex offender" or "sexual predator" has little to do with the actual crime, and more to do with when the crime was committed and the presiding judge's whims. Any adult convicted of a sex crime against a child after Oct. 1, 1993, if the judge so deems, can be labeled a sexual predator.

In Florida, the definition of "adult" and "child" is a moving target. In terms of victims, anyone under the age of 18 is considered to be a child. Unlike 40 other states where the age of consent is lower, Florida's age of consent is 18.

When it comes to offenders, children as young as 14 who may have "experimented" with neighborhood kids, can, and regularly are, convicted of sexual offenses as adults. Since their victims are almost always younger, they are considered especially dangerous, as they have "targeted" such young victims and are thus labeled "sexual predators."

Here are a few other examples from my caseload: An 18-year-old high school student has sex with a 16 year old from school. He is convicted of a sex crime against a child, must drop out as he cannot now be around "children," and his hopes of joining the military after graduation are dashed. Instead he is labeled a sexual predator for his entire life. Had he done this in Georgia, where the age of consent is 16, no crime would have been committed.

A 22-year-old man meets someone in a chat room who claims to be 20 and posts a stock photo of a woman roughly that age. The conversation turns sexual and they exchange photos of their genitals. Her parents discover the photos and call the police. He is arrested and convicted of sending material harmful to a child and labeled a child sexual predator. She was 14 years old, though he had no way of knowing this.

A 23-year-old man goes to a dance club and picks up a woman at the bar. She goes home with him and they have sex. Three weeks later, he is arrested on a child sexual battery charge. The "woman" was 17 and used a fake ID to get into the bar. When she bragged about her sexual encounter with her school friends she was overheard by a teacher, who was mandated by the state to report the crime. The man is now convicted and labeled a sexual predator.

I do not mean to imply that there are not true child victims, children sexually exploited by unscrupulous men. Nor do I want to minimize the harm done to children by a trusted adult, such as a stepfather. Children are profoundly harmed by such activity. The countless heartbreaking stories that Book is likely privy to, and that I myself have heard in my offices, point to the devastation wreaked upon their lives.

But it is important to look with a more critical eye than Book is using. By using alarmist terms and discredited statistics, the complexity of the problem is obscured. When the term "sexual predator" applies alike to young men with "consenting" partners as it does for pedophiles, the term is, in effect, meaningless.

Book casts suspicion on the vast majority of well-intended adults who work with children. Most adults working with youth are altruistic men and women deserving of our appreciation.

- Jean Zeeb is a licensed mental health counselor and a clinical member of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers. She works with sex offenders and victims of sexual abuse in North Central Florida.

Ron Book, head of Miami-Dade Homeless Trust, brought ZERO donations to the homeless registrant camp

If there is one day out of the year that opens the hearts (and wallets) of charities, it is Christmas. Charities around the globe see an increase of donations around this time of year. In turn, charities tend to do more hands-on work this time of the year. Those of us at the Anti-Registry Movement are hard-pressed to think of a more desperate situation for registered citizens than the ongoing homeless crisis in Miami. Currently, a homeless camp sits deep in an industrial park in Hialeah, a place with no running water or toilets. The nearest store to gather supplies or to use a flushing toilet is about a fifteen minute walk away if you are healthy enough to walk. (One man at the camp is an 84-year-old man in a wheelchair and cannot reach these stores without assistance.) 

The Anti-Registry Movement, with assistance from Women Against Registry's Florida chapter, visited the camp and brought some underwear, socks and other supplies to the camp on Christmas Eve. Derek Logue of ARM even camped out at the homeless camp to better gauge the need there. While there, Mr. Logue observed other local charities bringing food to those at the camp (noting we were the only group bringing other supplies this day). These charities were not identified outside of being connected to local churches.

However, there is one charity, one that is the most connected to Miami's homeless, and that is the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust. Once again, Ron Book was conspicuous by his absence. He was nowhere to be found Christmas day. Go ahead, check out their Facebook page and see for yourself. And barely a day later, the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust was given an additional $30 MILLION to "expand services."

The Anti-Registry Movement has a far smaller budget because we aren't funded by lobbyists, corporations and millionaires; we are a network of regular folks who share a desire to abolish the registry. ARM raised $900 to bring the homeless camp in Hialeah, delivering brand new socks, underwear, camping goods and hygiene products to the camp. This so-called Homeless Trust, with their multi-million dollar budget, brought NOTHING to the camp.

Ron Book hasn't done anything to help the camp in so long, only a handful of folks even know the name Ron Book, much less the fact he is responsible for putting them there. The residents of this camp are too busy trying to survive to do anything about it. It isn't like they can leave on their own, either-- pretty much every resident there is wearing an ankle monitor and on parole. Don't expect a dime of the Homeless Trust money to be used on them, either, even to buy an 84 year old man an electric wheelchair.

Why do they call this organization a 'Trust" if you can trust those in charge to do the right thing?

You can read a detailed report at the Miami camp by clicking on the link below:

http://sosen.org/blog/2016/12/29/christmas-at-the-camp.html

These are pictures from the current Miami Homeless Camp:

Those at ARM even had the opportunity to visit the site of the original homeless registrant colony under the Julia Tuttle Bridge ("Bookville"). There isn't any sign of the original camp-- even the iconic messages "We R Not Monsters" and "They Treat Us Like Shit" were painted over.

Donation drive for Miami homeless camp created by the Book family now underway

Fellow activists,

Tomorrow officially kicks off the “holiday shopping season,” and while many of you will start shopping for your families, I’ll begin my shopping for a few total strangers at the Miami homeless camp. I am heading to the camp for Christmas, and I want to spread a little holiday cheer to those at the camp who don’t have a family to spend Christmas with at the camp. Thus, I’m reminding everyone to donate to OnceFallen.com to help send some much-needed supplies to the homeless camp. My focus is on hygiene products, socks and underwear, as suggested by my contact at the camp. Socks, underwear and laundry detergent are expensive items that don’t get donated often to programs that assist the poor.

If you want to help me spread a little holiday cheer, you can send a monetary donation to Derek Logue, 8258 Monon Ave., Apt. 3, Cincinnati, OH 45216 or through Paypal to iamthefallen1@yahoo.com (Please don’t write checks/M.O.s to “Once Fallen,” because I can’t cash them that way.) Supplies can be shipped to this address as well if you prefer to send socks, underwear and hygiene products rather than money. If you have further questions, call me at 513-238-2873 or email me at iamthefallen1@yahoo.com.

--Derek W. Logue of OnceFallen.com

Lauren "The Crook" Book ALREADY plotting her reelection scheme

It is never too early to grab more cash, eh, Lauren?

http://www.wuft.org/news/2016/11/08/florida-incumbents-already-lining-up-for-2018/

Florida Incumbents Already Lining Up For 2018
By News Service of Florida
November 8, 2016

While the votes have not been counted in the 2016 elections, more than two dozen incumbent state lawmakers or newly elected lawmakers have already opened campaign accounts to run in 2018.

In many cases, those candidates were unopposed for their seats this year, giving them a jump on preparing to run in 2018, including raising money.

As of Tuesday morning, the list of 2018 legislative candidates included incoming Sen. George Gainer, R-Panama City; Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach; Sen. Audrey Gibson, D-Jacksonville; Sen. Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby; Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg; Sen. Denise Grimsley, R-Sebring; incoming Sen. Lauren Book, D-Plantation; incoming Rep. Jayer Williamson, R-Milton; Rep. Cyndi Stevenson, R-Saint Johns; Rep. Charlie Stone, R-Ocala; Rep. Scott Plakon, R-Longwood; Rep. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills; Rep. Eric Eisnaugle, R-Orlando; incoming Rep. Thad Altman, R-Rockledge; Rep. Cary Pigman, R-Avon Park; Rep. Jake Raburn, R-Lithia; Rep. James Grant, R-Tampa; Rep. Dane Eagle, R-Cape Coral; Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen, R-Fort Myers; Rep. Bobby DuBose, D-Fort Lauderdale; Rep. Kristin Jacobs, D-Coconut Creek; Rep. Katie Edwards, D-Plantation; Rep. Evan Jenne, D-Dania Beach; Rep. Joe Geller, D-Aventura; Rep. Sharon Pritchett, D-Miami; and Rep. Kionne McGhee, D-Miami, according to the state Division of Elections website.

Lauren "The Bimbo" Book wins Senate Seat by default

The only active politician dumber than George W. Bush

The big question now is where is all that money going to go now that the most unqualified politician in human history has won her senate seat by default?

FloriDUH strikes again. I'd elect a member of ISIS before I'd elect this worthless piece of bovine excrement to public office.

http://floridapolitics.com/archives/214545-lauren-book-headed-florida-senate-wins-sd-32-race-unopposed

Lauren Book headed to Florida Senate, wins SD 32 race unopposed

JENNA BUZZACCO-FOERSTER
7 hours ago

Just call her an instant winner.

Lauren Book won her Senate District 32 race Friday after no other candidate qualified for the race. A second Democrat, Emmanuel Blimie, had indicated he planned to run, but state records show Blimie did not qualify.

“Having met thousands of people in the Senate district, listening to and learning about the things most important to them, I am incredibly honored and proud to now have the opportunity and to be allowed to serve the people of Broward County and the people of Florida,” she said in a statement. “As a senator, I will always be an advocate and a voice for my constituents, and fight hard for their best interests. I cannot begin to express my excitement at this new challenge of service to the people of our great state.”

Book is a well-known South Florida Democrat. The daughter of lobbyist Ron Book, she has made a name for herself in Florida and beyond for her work advocating on behalf of victims of childhood sexual abuse.

She is best known for Lauren’s Kids. The nonprofit organization was founded in 2007, and aims to teach children and adults about sexual abuse prevention through education, awareness campaigns and speaking engagements around the world.

The group also leads the annual “Walk in My Shoes” awareness walk across Florida. Book has annually made the trek, walking the 1,500 miles from Key West to Tallahassee.

Book had earned the support of several national, state and local leaders, including Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, incoming Minority Leader Oscar Braynon, and Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel.

Candidates had until noon Friday to turn in the necessary paperwork to get on the ballot. Book said she was “excited and humbled to be elected without opposition.”

“Over the past several months, our team worked very hard, knocking on doors, attending meetings, talking with and getting to know future constituents, raising money, and garnering the support of dozens of local leaders,” she said.

“We look forward to a very bright future for our state.” 

What Lauren Book's charity likes to say about her critics when she thinks no one is going to fact-check her work

I bet she could eat an apple through a picket fence.

Say hello to Claire VanSusteren, the equally airheaded "Communications Director" for Lauren's Kids. She responds to messages sent through the Lauren's Kids page. In response to the Broward New Times article exposing the connection to controversial GEO Group, someone who read the article decided to ask Lauren's Kids about this connection to GEO Group.  Here is what this concerned citizen (name withheld to protect his identity) wrote:

A new message was received from the Lauren's Kids "Contact Us" website form. 

Name: *****

Email: *****

Phone: 

City: Tallahassee

State: FL 

Subject: General Information 

Message: After reading "Lauren Book, Running Unopposed, Raises $1.3 Million Despite Criticisms" in the Broward/ Palm Beach New Times, I have to know if it is true that Lauren Book took $65,000 from GEO Group, knowing that GEO Group had such a track record of abusing kids. If that is the case, I see no reason to further support your organization.

And this is their response, written by Claire VanScumturden:

Mr. *****:

It was good to hear from you.  First of all, you are reading an article in the New Times which is certainly a publication in our community that does not like to get confused with full facts.  They often write from a slanted perspective.  That said, Lauren is criticized in that article by a man by the name of Derek Logue, a convicted sexual offender who abused a young boy. We know him well. He runs an organization known as “Once Fallen”.  Mr. Logue is a constant critic of Lauren’s education and awareness work and frankly, we don’t waste much time worrying about what Mr. Logue has to say, or whether he says it in any publication – most journalists ignore Mr. Logue.  He is the lone critic.  He criticizes all of our advocacy efforts to strengthen laws protecting children and does so like an attack dog.

Yes, Lauren is running for the State Senate to continue her good work in advocating for children and families, as well as for education, the environment, and the community as a whole.  Yes, it is true, her Political Committee did accept approximately $50,000 (not $65,000) in contributions from the GEO Group.  GEO Group  runs private prisons - in Florida and around the U.S.   The criticism in the article is about a youthful  offender facility in another state, it is an allegation and she is not aware of any charges ever being brought against GEO.  Furthermore, those allegations to date, have only been brought to her attention through Derek Logue commentary.  We don’t know a lot of the details of Mr. Logue’s allegations but those allegations and statements, have not occurred in Florida.  The  GEO Group previously was the operator of the Florida Civil Commitment Facility that houses those individuals who are civilly committed for sexual offenses in our great State.  Mr. Logue does not think such facilities should ever exist, a point that Lauren and likely most reasonable people, would vociferously disagree with him on. GEO no longer owns or operates that facility, known as the Jimmy Ryce Center, in Arcadia, Florida.  It is now run by a company called CorrectCare.  The GEO Group has never been charged with abusing children, and those allegations again come from Derek Logue, a convicted sex offender.  Consider the source.

Those are in fact, the facts as known to Lauren.

No one could credibly assert that Lauren Book has any interest, other than the best interests and the protection of children and families in her heart at her very core.  She gets up every day and fights the fight to bring awareness and education, while bringing about systemic change across our great state in the fight to better protect children.

The people at the  New Times should have asked questions about their “source” Derek Logue, to the family of the young boy he abused.  They would have quite a different opinion and wouldn’t consider citing Mr. Logue as any kind of authority.

We value your support in our efforts to protect children and hope this clarifies any questions you might have.

Thank you.

Claire VanSusteren

Director of Communciations

Lauren’s Kids, Inc.

18851 N.E. 29th Avenue

Suite 1010

Aventura, FL 33180

Phone: 305.935.1866

Fax:  305.935.9737

email: claire@laurenskids.org

It seems Lauren Book's little organization has a little problem with the facts, but here is my take on this letter: 

1. "First of all, you are reading an article in the New Times which is certainly a publication in our community that does not like to get confused with full facts.  They often write from a slanted perspective." How is the New times slanted when they cite their sources? 

2. "...who abused a young boy." That's what happens when you rely on Encyclopedia Dramatica for information, Claire. Try getting the gender right. This isn't a transgender bathroom issue. 

3. "The criticism in the article is about a youthful  offender facility in another state, it is an allegation and she is not aware of any charges ever being brought against GEO." If you are against child abuse, does it matter it didn't happen in FloriDUH? Also, a five minute Google search could verify the fact that the Walnut Grove juvenile facility in MS was taken over by the feds because  United States Department of Justice had accused the facility of "systematic, egregious, and dangerous practices exacerbated by a lack of accountability and controls", and stated that sexual misconduct there was "among the worst that we have seen in any facility anywhere in the nation." But hey, it wasbn't lauren's problem, they weren't FloriDUH's kids!

4. "We don’t know a lot of the details of Mr. Logue’s allegations but those allegations and statements, have not occurred in Florida." Hey Claire, you moron, try doing something called RESEARCH next time. There is a wonderful tool called a "search engine." Try one-- Google, Yahoo, Bing, Ask.com, Dogpile, Gigablast, even Netscape (if they still exist). 

5. "The people at the  New Times should have asked questions about their “source” Derek Logue, to the family of the young boy he abused.  They would have quite a different opinion and wouldn’t consider citing Mr. Logue as any kind of authority." So in addition to getting Logue's case wrong, we are expected to "consider the source." Okay, the source of the info is NOT Derek Logue, but a combination of lots of news sources found through a search engine, the US Dept of Justice, and the records from the Florida Dept of State, which reveals that Leadership for Broward, Lauren Book's PAC, collected $50k from GEO Group plus $15k from GEO Group subsidiary GEO Health. (That's $65k, by the way, Claire, since you obviously suck at math.)

In short, it seems that Lauren's Kids does not let like to let facts get in the way of their profits. She lied about her critics and denies taking money from groups that abuse children. And to think, Lauren Book might be YOUR senator soon. She doesn't need the senate seat, she needs the hot seat. 

“To dump people out on the street is stupid. And it’s dumb. And it’s inconsistent," says hypocrite Ron Book

“To dump people out on the street is stupid. And it’s dumb. And it’s inconsistent.” These are the words of the hypocrite Ron Book, the man whose name is synonymous with the Julia Tuttle Causeway "Sex Offender" camp.

Why is Ron even head of the Homeless Trust?

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article77604477.html

Lobbyist Ron Book calling the shots in Miami-Dade’s homeless fight

Ron Book illustrates just how much he cares for the homeless.

BY DOUGLAS HANKS
dhanks@miamiherald.com

When Miami-Dade’s homeless board convened for the first time Friday to grapple with the loss of nearly $6 million in federal aid, chairman Ronald Book did most of the talking and all of the table pounding.

The prominent lobbyist delivered a tirade about conflicts he saw between Washington’s goal of ending homelessness and its recent decision to deny grant requests from Miami-Dade’s domestic-violence shelters, drug-treatment centers and other providers that Book described as the biggest financial blow to ever hit the local agency.

“What makes me angry is that cutoff at the knees,” said Book, his voice nearing a shout in a County Hall conference room, the diamonds in an oversized ring catching the light as his clenched fist made contact with the plastic conference table. “To dump people out on the street is stupid. And it’s dumb. And it’s inconsistent.”

The funding squeeze looming for charity providers and the 700 beds backed by the federal dollars presents the latest test for Book and his enduring post atop Miami-Dade’s homeless programs. A leading campaign donor who is a paid lobbyist for Miami-Dade itself in Tallahassee, Book has consistently won county waivers to extend his tenure as chairman of the Homeless Trust, which oversees both the agency and the bar-and-restaurant tax that funds it.

Unlike chairs of county boards overseeing the transit tax, hospital tax and children-services tax, Book serves as the public face of the county’s homeless arm, with director Victoria Mallette, a former county spokeswoman, generally declining on-the-record interviews. “Ron is the only authorized spokesperson,” Lisa Mozloom, an executive with the public-relations agency working for the Homeless Trust, wrote in a text message Friday.

Last year, Miami sued to force the Homeless Trust to spend $100,000 on sleeping mats so that the city’s overflowing homeless shelter could house people outside. Book refused, saying mats were an undignified violation of long-standing federal policy to invest in beds. He also dismissed a more expensive plan to have the trust pay for portable restrooms to cut down on Miami’s homeless defecating in the city’s business district, which boosters outlined with a digital “poop map” that drew national attention.

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This is a crisis. And on the day we declared Mental Health Month. https://twitter.com/newsbysmiley/status/727612019973619712 …
5:48 PM - 3 May 2016
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The two sides ultimately brokered a compromise that ended the mat program in favor of adding county-funded beds elsewhere. The deal came after critics blasted Book for being more concerned with proving his dominance of the county’s homeless policy than in making a reasonable course change to help Miami.

“The Trust was a macabre experience,” former Miami city commissioner Marc Sarnoff, who led the city’s fight for mats and toilets, said Friday. “I think it’s time for a total review by the county, and every municipality, to see if it’s equipped to do what it’s supposed to be doing.”

On May 2, the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced $355 million in grant awards that contained bad news for Miami-Dade: Of the roughly $6 million it requested, only about $200,000 was granted. The Junior League of Miami’s Inn Transition domestic-violence shelters lost out on about $900,000, as did a job-training program run by Jewish Community Services. The New Hope drug-rehab center in Homestead was denied a $430,000 grant.

“We help people living in their cars. We help people living in parks,” said Robert Berman, housing coordinator for Lutheran Services’ Access program, which provides security deposits for homeless who have a little income but not the money needed to start a lease. “Hopefully something can be done. Otherwise, we have to shut down.”

About 40 percent of the county’s $59 million homeless budget comes from a 1 percent tax attached to bills at restaurants and bars located outside of hotels across Miami-Dade. Federal dollars account for more than half.

HUD divides funding requests into two tiers, with the first all but guaranteed and the second thrown into a pool where each agency must compete with counterparts across the country. Last year, the second tier was nominal — just 2 percent of an agency’s existing federal funding. But this year, HUD told agencies that 15 percent of their prior funding would shift to the second tier.

That move created a nationwide competition that Book said cost Miami-Dade more money than any other agency in the country.

HUD gives priority to programs that place the homeless in long-term housing — such as rental subsidies in for-profit apartment buildings. The federal agency also has been steering local providers away from short-term housing options in group settings, such as a domestic-violence shelter or drug-treatment home. Those facilities typically limit stays to 24 months at the most, while long-term housing can last indefinitely.

By making the grants more competitive, a HUD spokesman said the agency wanted to push providers away from “transitional” beds and into permanent programs.

“We have these goals,” said HUD spokesman Brian Sullivan. “We’ve got to get there.”

The denied funds from Washington put Book under pressure on two fronts — he is seen as the de facto head of an agency that failed to secure crucial grant money, and he’s now using his political heft to wage an appeal for the funds.

IF WE’VE GOT A PLACEMENT THAT’S OUT OF ORDER, IT’S GOT TO BE RUN BY ME. I’M INVOLVED IN THE DAY-TO-DAY ACTIVITIES OF REVIEWING WHAT WE DO.
Ron Book, longtime chairman of Miami-Dade’s homeless board

“Miss Mallette has listened to my multiple upon multiple conversations with Congressman [Mario] Diaz-Balart,” Book told board members at the meeting Friday. “Not a third-level, fifth-level, ninth-level staff, but to the congressman directly. There is a reason that Senator [Marco] Rubio called from Iraq. It’s because we have a community that cares.”

State records list more than 100 lobbying clients for Book, including the counties of Broward and Palm Beach, 18 cities, the University of Miami and the Miami Dolphins. The 62-year-old said the Miami Heat isn’t a client, but that the 2013 championship ring he wears reflects his devotion to the team (Alonzo Mourning and Dwyane Wade are “close friends,” he said). His daughter, Lauren, is running for state Senate in Broward County.

He has served on the Homeless board since it started in 1994, and he has been its chairman since 2006. County commissioners consistently waive the board’s six-year term limit so that he can retain his seat. In the 2014 commission elections, Book gave $37,000 combined to all six incumbents running, enough to put him in the Top 20 list of donors for that cycle, according to a Miami Herald campaign-finance database.

Book raised eyebrows in 2014 when he backed Mallette for the $142,000-a-year director job at the Homeless Trust. Mallette’s sister, Kelly, is director of governmental affairs and a top deputy in Book’s Aventura lobbying firm. Mallette — who was communications chief when Carlos Alvarez served as county mayor and then took a fund-raising post at the Parks Department — brought no social-services background to the position. Book said the board was eager for “new eyes” at the agency.

Despite Mallette’s communications expertise, the trust continued its $143,000-a-year contract with Miami’s M Network for media and public-relations services. (That fee includes a $53,000 budget for promotional materials and other reimbursable expenses.) Book describes himself as a “strong chairman” who insists that Mallette and her deputies get approval before getting creative with housing dollars.

“If we’ve got a placement that’s out of order, it’s got to be run by me,” Book said. “I’m involved in the day-to-day activities of reviewing what we do.

“Ask what is the chairman’s favorite word. I promise you, to the person, they will say ‘free.’ I’m cheap and I’m frugal,” he continued. “I treat these tax dollars more importantly than my own money.”

Two years into the job, Mallette knows many of the homeless men and women who linger by the fountain outside County Hall. Regular visitors to the building see her talking to them about services the county offers. At Friday’s meeting, she walked providers through sticking points of HUD funding priorities and said the agency hopes to find enough dollars to keep their programs afloat through the fall.

“What do you need to continue those programs,” asked Mallette, who declined an interview for this story. “We are going to have to morph into something different and more streamlined. . . . We’re going to have to rethink how we do transitional. Because it’s going to have to be done locally ”

Other agencies also are reeling after losses in HUD funds; Tampa said 200 temporary beds are endangered by a loss of $800,000 in Tier 2 money. Programs in Arizona, New York, and Indiana also reported surprising setbacks from HUD, according to news reports.

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 Phil Latzman ‎@PhilLatzman
#HUD has defunded 7 housing programs in #Arizona. It could result in evictions of homeless families. @kathymritchie reports 7:44a @KJZZ_ME.
10:40 AM - 12 May 2016
  Retweets   likes

After the HUD decision, Book faced questions about why Miami-Dade didn’t try to game the grant process better by putting programs likely to score well in the second tier and less secure applicants in the safer first tier. But that also would have put some of the county’s most successful long-term housing programs at risk. On Friday, he was also challenged on a decision to offer up $900,000 in local money for new projects when so many existing providers are scrambling to replace federal dollars.

“You don’t build a swimming pool when your kitchen is on fire,” said David Raymond, a former Homeless Trust director who now serves as a consultant to providers in Miami and across the country.

Book sees some vindication in the latest crisis: During the mat controversy, Miami leaders had mocked the Trust for “hoarding” millions of dollars in reserves while ignoring the city’s plight, but that $7 million rainy-day fund is now being looked at to cushion missing HUD grants.

“I’m a strong personality,” he said. “I’m here to lead.”

Senator Lauren Book: How Will She Serve in Daddy's Shadow?

If Lauren Book can't even answer her own questions at a Q & A at the Tribeca film festival flick about her pathetic family, how can she function without Ron Book pulling her strings?


http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/senator-lauren-book-how-will-she-serve-daddys-shadow

Senator Lauren Book: How Will She Serve in Daddy's Shadow?
By NANCY SMITH
September 1, 2015 - 10:45pm

If just-announced state Senate candidate Lauren Book was anybody but the daughter of one of the most influential lobbyists in Tallahassee, the media would be over her like vultures on road kill.

Don't even think about a race for this job. Book is as good as elected. Anybody who challenges Ron Book's little girl is either wildly delusional or plays with razor blades and likes it.

At the age of 30 and just out of the gate -- without having to offer a platform -- Lauren Book has Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Senate Minority Leader Oscar Braynon, Broward Sheriff Scott Israel and Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler publicly supporting her. See Saintpetersblog. By the end of the month, it's going to be more a question of who isn't for her? Heck, even our Republican governor heaps praise on the Plantation Democrat.

I Beg to DifferHere's the problem: The founder of the high-profile nonprofit Lauren's Kids is going to have probably the longest list of conflicts of interest of any senator ever to serve in the Florida Legislature. Think about it: How do you consider issues objectively and vote transparently and ethically when you serve with the perception that your daddy is whispering in your ear every day before you go to work, and maybe a whole lot more than that?

She nevertheless told the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel on Tuesday, "I'm not my father's voice. I'm there to push a button for the people who live in the 33rd District. And I do not take that lightly. ... Anyone who's been in a room with my father and me for more than two minutes knows we can disagree about a great many things. We put the fun in dysfunctional."

Book created a political action committee, Leadership for Broward, last September. Her PAC has collected nearly $640,000  -- more than any other state Senate candidate in Florida, and she only officially announced her candidacy Tuesday. Some of the donors, like the Miami Dolphins ($100,000) and the private prison company GEO Group ($25,000), also happen to be her dad's clients. All contributors/contributions are listed here.

Book was abused by a nanny when she was 11 years old, and since 2007 has responded with purpose and commitment, by leading a crusade against the sexual abuse of children,  mostly by appealing to children not to stay silent, but to tell somebody. Since 2010 she has walked the length of the state annually, ending in a final leg side-by-side with her father and a "Rally in Tally." Legislators, members of the Cabinet, former legislators who now lobby, celebrities of every description have stood on the steps of the Old Capitol during those rallies, praising her and Lauren's Kids.

Not only has she written two books -- "It's OK to Tell" and "Lauren's Kingdom" -- but she has appeared severally on national television and has been featured in major newspapers. In 2013, at a ceremony in Paris, she was named the L’Oréal Paris “Woman of Worth.”

Her profile has been big enough and bold enough to flood the Book empire with checks. Not only from private donors to her charity over the years, but from the Florida Legislature. In a state with literally hundreds of charities, lawmakers have been super-duper, over-the-top generous to Lauren's Kids. The Broward New Times reported it first: "... In recent years, a disproportionate amount of money from the state budget has been given to her charity, Lauren's Kids. For example, in 2015, the Legislature allocated the sex-abuse chairity $3.8 million while the Girl Scouts and YMCA got $300,000."

All of the honors she's gathered are laudable. Believe me, I take nothing away from Book's accomplishments. But the support from so many lobbyists and friends of her father -- in fact, from her father as much as anyone else -- players looking for favors only the Legislature can provide, will put her in a real pickle every day she asks a question, debates a bill or casts a vote -- let alone introduces bills of her own.  

All those checks for the 30-year-old daughter of one of the biggest power players in town -- it's a matter of perception, is all I'm saying. I can hear minds turning it over now -- Whose ends is Lauren Book justifying today? What did she and her dad hash over last night, this morning, 10 minutes ago on the phone? 

I've heard it suggested more than once around town that Lauren Book will break new ground next year by being the first member of the Florida Senate to buy a seat with taxpayer money. I don't go along with that entirely. Certainly the Legislature's money didn't go into her Leadership for Broward PAC. But I know what they mean: The public money is going to help elect her. That $3.8 million allocation this year alone is a lot of taxpayer dough elevating Book's profile, greasing her path to term-limited Eleanor Sobel's seat.

But I would just as soon move on. Lauren Book is in, let's face it. It now becomes less how she got there than how she's going to handle a reputation that links every day she serves to her father's business.

 COMMENTS:

Submitted by Air Force Captain on September 2, 2015 - 12:10pm
Typical Dem.....lives on/spends OPM (Other Peoples Money)...... AKA: Hillary

Submitted by C Breeze on September 2, 2015 - 4:37pm
A HUGE number of BEHOLDEN "politico" type supporters "lined up" to make sure they don't end up in Book's "Book" of ingrate traitors....
- See more at: http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/senator-lauren-book-how-will-she-serve-daddys-shadow#sthash.H6dDvujk.dpuf

This twisted "Cinderella
Permalink Submitted by C Breeze on September 2, 2015 - 9:58am

This twisted "Cinderella Story" is a "closed Book";...just 'one more' political nepotistic-spawn version mimicking the "created story" of District 2's Gwen Graham, a do-nothing "rubber stamp" of the destructive Democrat regime (but, Gwen DID vote AGAINST de-funding "sanctuary cities": You know,...cities where vicious crimes and murder run rampant..but NOT, thankfully anywhere close to Gwen). The "Lauren 'Book" has almost no beginning, no interesting details, no substance and a predictable bad ending (it belongs on the shelf next to the more presumptuous "Ron 'How To' Book",...another 'poor read'). It's no wonder that Debbie "Do-Whats-erman" Schultz is a supporter of the "childrens Book", Debbie herself has minimal "life experience" outside of the stilted halls of a legislature, having been merely a State Legislative Aide & "Public Official" and NOW occasionally a "college instructor" when a political guest from the "Halls" is necessary. Schultz, Graham, and now "Little Book" are ALL cut from the same nepotistic cookie-batter. WAKE UP FLORIDA !..."politics" is becoming more and more like nepotistic Hollywood every day,.. presumptuous parents lifting up their progeny to permanently suckle at the "government mammary" for a lifetime. Hmmm, I wonder if the "Books" have a "Foundation" like "B,H&C" do..to A$$IST with day-to-day 'details' (After all, "imitation" in politics is a form of flattery...especially with Democrat politicians (and lobbiests)..................signed,... A FED UP Democrat !

Lauren Book's PAC is sitting on $765,000. So why is Ron Book trying to get the state to wave the filing fees for Lauren's senate BID?

I looked this up. It seems the filing fees are 3% of the candidate's would-be annual salary if elected. A Florida Senator's base salary is $29,697 annually.

https://ballotpedia.org/Ballot_access_requirements_for_political_candidates_in_Florida

Candidate filing fees
In Florida, candidates are required to pay filing fees and election assessment fees to the Division of Elections when qualifying. A party assessment fee may also have to be paid, if the party the candidate is running with elects to levy one. Filing fees are equal to 3  percent ($900) of the annual salary of the office being sought. Election assessments are equal to 1 percent ($300) of the annual salary of the office being sought. Party assessments, if required, are equal to 2  percent ($600) of the annual salary of the office being sought.[8]

A candidate may waive the required filing fees if he or she submits an in-lieu-of-filing-fee petition with signatures equal to at least 1 percent of the total number of registered voters in the geographical area represented by the office being sought. Signatures for this petition may not be collected until the candidate has filed the appointment of campaign treasurer and designation of campaign depository form, and the completed petition must be filed by the 28th day preceding the first day of the qualifying period for the office being sought. This petition must be filed with the supervisor of elections in each county in which the petition was circulated in order to verify the signatures. The supervisor of elections in the county will then certify the number of valid signatures to the Florida Division of Elections no later than seven days prior to the first day of the corresponding qualifying period.[9]

So that's what, $1800 total? Pay the damned fee, Ron!

From: Ronald L. Book <ron@rlbookpa.com>; 
To:***** 
Subject: Lauren Book Campaign 
Sent: Tue, Apr 12, 2016 6:43:38 PM 

Dear Friend:

As you know, I generally only send these emails out about my daughter Lauren’s Foundation and our fight to prevent childhood sexual abuse.  This email is an exception.

As I think you also know, Lauren is running for an open State Senate seat.  Her campaign is going exceedingly well and frankly, I could not be more proud of her hard work and the reception she is receiving on the ground and in the district.  The response has been nothing short of amazing! 

I have one small favor to ask.

Lauren believes, as do I, that making it to the ballot by paying a qualifying fee is not the best way.  We believe that asking voters and friends to sign a petition to allow her to appear on the ballot shows real community support and a genuine desire to serve.   To that end, I am asking you, by way of this email (and on her behalf) to take a few moments to download and fill out the attached petition and help her team meet their goal of securing the needed 1,552 petitions.

It’s simple:
1.            Please print out the attached petition form.  (I had much of it filled out for you.)
2.            Fill it out completely.
3.            Please, then mail it back to us at:

Lauren Book Campaign
8201 Peters Roads, Suite  1000
Plantation, Florida 33324

As a result of the recent reapportionment of the State Senate, you do not have to live in Senate District 32 to be eligible to sign the petition.  Any registered voter in our great State can sign, regardless of your party affiliation or where you live.

We are appreciative and thank you so much!

Ron Book

And, in an abundance of caution, I am including the state-required political disclaimer stating that this is a political advertisement, paid for and approved by Lauren Book for State Senate, District 32.

Ronald L. Book
Ronald L. Book, P.A.
18851 N.E. 29th Avenue
Suite 1010
Aventura, FL 33180
Phone: 305.935.1866
Fax:  305.935.9737
email:  Ron@rlbookpa.com

Lauren Book gets free publicity from the state

I would think there is some kind of ethics violation here, since Lauren Book is running for State Senate.

http://www.browardbeat.com/senate-candidate-uses-public-bucks-for-publicity/

Update: Senate Candidate Uses Public Mailing

BY BUDDY NEVINS

First, the plan was to rename Federal Highway through the Fort Lauderdale City Commission in honor of Lauren Book , a child abuse awareness advocate.

Now, a Browardbeat.com reader reports that Broward County is mailing flyers publicizing Book’s charity with your license plate renewals.

This, like the street naming, is simply wrong.

It is highly unfair for a candidate for state Senate to use public mail to build name ID.

Granted, the insert doesn’t mention Ms. Book.   But the enclosure directs you to a website that is a paean to her and her work.

This, and the street naming, appears to some to be distasteful overreaching by candidate and her father, lobbyist Ron Book.

Mainly, Ron Book and his bag of lobbying tricks. His fingerprints are all over both the street naming and the insert.

Ron Book honed his lobbying skill over decades by pulling strings behind the scenes in Tallahassee and locally. It was easy for him to pull those strings for his daughter.

In this case, Ronnie went too far!

These tricks to stack the deck for Ms. Book’s candidacy aren’t needed because the deck is already stacked in her favor.

Ms. Book is a shoe-in. She is a well-spoken, intelligent candidate who has over $1 million in her campaign and no realistic opponent.

The street naming is off pending passage by the Florida Legislature.

Expect Ron Book to be pushing it. He told the Sun-Sentinel that “his daughter’s name deserves to be on this stretch of road because of the good she’s done for victims of childhood sexual abuse and because it’s near the treatment center that helped her after she was abused by her nanny.”

The paper continues, quoting Ron Book: “My daughter has done some things that to others may not appear to be heroic, may not appear to be lifesaving, but I know different, and I know a lot of other people who know different, and she has become a symbol for victims all over this state and all over this country.”

Ms. Book is quoted as saying she is “humbled” that anyone thought she deserved the street renaming honor. But she also told her father to back too, a good move.

Meanwhile, expect the plugs for Ms. Book’s organization when you are notified you need to renew your license plate.

I’ve got some advise to Ms. Book, which I personally told her.

The biggest obstacle she will face in Broward and in Tallahassee is the belief that she is controlled by her father. She needs to put some distance between herself and Ron Book. Publicly.

 After this piece was posted, Lauren Book sent me the following explanation of the enclosure in the license plate renewal: 



…The insert you received is an older one, designed long before I became a candidate and is part of an educational program that has been in place and distributed for several years – and, hopefully, will remain in place for many more years to come. However, it is important (contrary to what your blog post implied) to note, not one single dollar of tax money was used to pay for the flyer….

The foundation has offered the informational flyers to all Tax Collectors free of charge and, to date, 45 of the 67 collectors around the state have for several years voluntarily decided to include the inserts – and, I need to repeat this, because someone who provided you false information, clearly got this wrong – at no cost to taxpayers, and clearly did not begin as some ploy. It is part of our overall effort statewide to bring about change.

And Buddy, we are hardly the only charitable organization that has or provide inserts, e.g. Hispanic Heritage, breast cancer, and Florida Heart to name a few. Our effort is a part of our larger program of bringing about systemic change in what we teach and how we teach our children to better protect them. The reason I believe so many of our Tax Collectors from around the state who will disseminate over 10 million of these inserts this year alone, is because they want to be a part of providing better education to the public in the fight to protect children. Am I happy that so many have chosen to join and help in our fight to end childhood sexual abuse? Of course I am. Is it, as your post clearly implied, costing taxpayers money? No. If so many others believe in it, why would we want to provide less in Broward County?

Thank, you by the way, for correctly noting that the insert does not mention me by name but focuses instead on the work of the foundation which bears my first name only. I am sensitive to that and take every precaution possible to avoid the potential conflict.

Sincerely,

Lauren

You want to see Lauren's Kingdom? This is it.

Members of the Anti-Registry Movement visited the "s*x offender" homeless camp in Miami-Dade County (Hialeah warehouse district) on March 26, 2016. While there, we met a man named Felix, who was one of the newest arrivals to the camp.

The camp has no running water or toilet facilities. In fact, after talking with the residents at the camp, toilets and TP would be the most desired items. Some residents have tents and cars but some do not. Camping gear, water, food, and clothing would also be appreciated.

Unlike the days when Miami's homeless registrants were forced to live under the Julia Tuttle Causeway, the media and local charities don't visit this camp. Out of sight, out of mind is the mantra. The Lauren Book Child Safety Ordinance, the 2006 law covering Miami-Dade County, is still in effect. Ron Book is still head of the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust, yet he rarely, if ever, has any contact with his camp.

This place is truly "Lauren's Kingdom."

(If you want to help gather supplies for these guys, please contact Derek Logue at iamthefallen1@yahoo.com or 513-238-2873)

Lauren Book, Running Unopposed, Raises $1.3 Million Despite Criticisms

I LOVE the Broward County/Miami New Times. They seem to be the only ones with the guts to ask the hard-hitting questions about the Books. The Miami Herald used to, but even they have grown silent on this issue. Oh, and the New Times has even posted a link to this humble blog. This site is merely a repository for existing info already out there about the Books. 

http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/news/lauren-book-running-unopposed-raises-13-million-despite-criticisms-7673729

Lauren Book, Running Unopposed, Raises $1.3 Million Despite Criticisms

TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016 AT 9:58 A.M.

Plantation resident Lauren Book, 31, has raised about $1.3 million for her state senate campaign, though she's running unopposed. Her charity was also awarded a million dollars by the state legislature this session.  

Book is the daughter of powerful Florida lobbyist Ron Book, and after suffering horrific abuse by a nanny in her teen years, she founded Lauren's Kids, which raises awareness about childhood sexual abuse and advocates for legislation affecting sex offenders.

She has designed an educational curriculum and written two books, Lauren's Kingdom, and It's OK to Tell. Every year, Book walks across the state during an annual "hope and healing tour." The walk passed through South Florida this past week. During portions of it, Book was joined by Miami Heat staff and hundreds of survivors of sexual abuse.  

Despite the phenomenal support, Book has faced criticism that due to her father's influence, her charity and, in turn, her candidacy get "outsized" benefits not typically afforded to a small non-profit or novice candidate. The Florida Legislature this year awarded Lauren’s Kids $1 million for “school and instructional enhancements." In 2014 and again in 2015, the charity received $3.8 million from that part of the state budget, far more than most other groups that were awarded funds in that category.  Billboards with her face on them promote her charity but have the side effect of increasing her visibility as a candidate. 

Book had initially drawn an opponent, former Walmart worker Emmanuel Blimie, but due to redistricting she is now unopposed in District 32, which includes Cooper City, Coral Springs, Davie, Plantation, Southwest Ranches, Weston, and parts of Miramar, Pembroke Pines, and Sunrise. As of February 29, she had raised $529,484 via 735 small campaign contributions (up to $1,000 each), including donations from pro athletes Dan Marino, Alonzo Mourning and Shane Battier.  

In addition, a political action committee called Leadership for Broward had raised $761,950 for Book. That includes donations from major Florida companies (like $20,00 from Autonation and $10,000 apiece from U.S. Sugar Corporation and Florida Crystals), plus $100,000 coming from the Miami Dolphins and $65,000 from the GEO Group — her father’s former or current clients. In the past, some have expressed concerns that if she were elected, Lauren's votes would be influenced by her father's work. (He is president of Lauren's Kids, and the charity is headquartered in the same office building as his firm.)  

This year, Derek Logue, a convicted sex offender who runs a website critical of the Books, says, “I’d love it if someone challenged Lauren Book on collecting GEO Group money considering the fact GEO group’s track record of allowing rampant physical and sexual abuse within their walls. I guess Lauren doesn’t care about abuse when it is about juveniles in facilities.” (A Department of Justice investigation into the Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility, which is run by GEO Group, found that it was “deliberately indifferent to staff sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior with youth. The sexual misconduct we found was among the worst that we have seen in any facility anywhere in the nation.”)

Book's campaign manager, Steve Vancore, said Book was too busy to comment due to her annual walk. But in the past, she has deflected criticism with characteristic sweetness, saying she wished critics “would speak directly to me so I can show them the amazing work we are doing on behalf of children.”

Lauren's Kids boasts of having helped pass some two dozen laws to stop childhood sex abuse, such as mandating the placement of a red “P” on the driver’s licenses of sexual predators. Some groups have argued that laws created as a result of the zeal to punish sex offenders have had unintended consequences like breaking up families, and may not necessarily be effective in stopping abuse. A new documentary called Untouchable will explore how the Books’  efforts to regulate where sex offenders could live meant that some had nowhere they could reside legally except under a bridge (something Ron Book has publicly regretted). Filmmakers were not available this week, but promotional materials say the film "argues for a new understanding of how we think about and legislate sexual abuse." The film will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, April 13 to 24 in New York.

Lauren's Kids spokesperson Claire Van Susteren, said Book “is keeping a wall between her Foundation work and the campaign. Regarding the Untouchable film — neither Lauren nor Ron have seen the full version yet but I am sure would be able to comment once it’s officially been released.”

I look forward to hearing the reaction from the film. Below is the film trailer. 

UNTOUCHABLE - Festival Trailer from Meerkat Media on Vimeo.