In a viewpoint in the Tallahassee Democrat, NRA lobbyist Marion Hammer said that she agrees with incoming Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran when it comes to using public dollars to lobby the state lawmakers
“I don’t get paid with taxpayer dollars. Yet almost without exception when I testify to protect Second Amendment rights, those who testify against me and against protecting your rights are lobbyists who are paid with taxpayer dollars,” she wrote. “In short, your tax dollars are being used to lobby against your constitutional rights and best interests.”
She said that lobbyists are hired to further the political agendas of government officials and by associations representing local governments, not the public.
“Our tax dollars should not be used to pay for lobbying the political agendas of these local governments and officials,” wrote Hammer.
Mayor Ashton Hayward has been a big advocate of using taxpayer’s dollars to lobby the state and federal governments. Public records obtained by Inweekly show that he has spent over $450,000 on lobbyists.
Maybe the mayor should create a private foundation or political action committee to pay for those who lobby for his initiatives. Let the taxpayers’ funds go to infrastructure and public safety.
Read “Hammer: Lobbyists should be paid with private – not public – dollars.”