You may have heard of the mysterious Tallahassee Hotel, unless you run in the right circle. These circles are dominated by important Republicans. They run Florida and succumb to a secret pull too often. They prefer closed doors – and in this latest example, the open bar.
Florida was known for its sunshine laws that once promoted open government. Now, politicians know best, or at least know better than you. They seem to get out of the way as they erode confidence in the system. Your input is not required. Do you want a public record? Good luck. The final survey showed that the state has about one in three opportunities to give you it.
Hotel pranks – the aptly appointed governor’s inn – are just the latest example of this creeping secret. The inn, not confused with the nearby governor’s club, is owned by Gov. Ron DeSantis’s top supporters and is about a five-minute walk from Capitol, Florida.
A recent Times/Herald article showed that a steady stream of lobbyists, political operatives and elected officials regularly use the hotel and its bars. Most of them don’t talk, so it’s hard to find. As one ethics professor told The Times/Herald, “It’s a black box.”
Florida has rules governing how and when elected officials can meet. The idea is to make it happen in public and public places, not beyond the hotel lounge martini. The state also has rules regarding gifts and giveaways that elected officials can accept, such as hotel rooms, food and drinks.
The governor’s own ethical policies prohibit staff from accepting gifts, including the use of private property that is not generally available. The idea is to avoid even the “emergence of injustice,” the policy says. Members of the governor’s staff will be seen at the governor’s accommodation, including the bar. They may pay for all their drinks and follow all the other rules, but secrets have a way of eroding even the best intentions.
When a Times/Herald reporter asked about Attorney General James Usmier wandering around the hotel, the spokesman told him to “get life” and called it a “hit piece” of a “fake reporter.” How about that to avoid the “illegal appearance”? Nothing builds public trust like the Olympic-level Dodge.
The governor’s accommodation looks like the latest venue in the state’s colorful history of lobbyists and politicians to act dubiously in the public eye.
For example, a group of senators who placed their rooms at Goodwood Plantation in Tallahassee in 1931. The lobbyists pushing to legalize race bets have sent “Evening Women” Carroad to the Civil War facility. In close votes later that year, the Senate legalized the racetrack and Palimzel bets.
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In the 1960s and ’70s, the mobile home industry hosted lawmakers at The Trailers, a collection of mobile homes around courtyards and barbecue grills on Gum Road, west of the state capital. As one article said, “Three nights a week, 30-40 lawmakers and guests were invited to thick steaks, monster baked potatoes, and as many mateaus wines as possible to handle.” It’s difficult to measure how much it had an impact, but Florida maintained a place among states with the most mobile homes.
These types of giveaways have led to several efforts to update the state’s lobbying laws. Free food, drinks, or stays at the free Tallahassee hotel may not be enough to buy a vote, but as I once said as a representative of the state for many years, “We all agree that we cannot purchase members of this room. The purpose of the rules is to ensure that lawmakers cannot rent for several months.” It’s certainly an interesting line, but in that nervous, and in a way that is too true.
Marco Rubio had it right in 2006. At that time, he forced his fellow lawmakers to vote “yes” to bring the money spent on lobbying into public. With his push, he mentioned two of Tallahassee’s popular restaurants. “Awareness is just as important as reality,” Rubio said. “I believe that many of the decisions you make are influenced by dinner in silver slippers and lunch in Andrews.”
Now, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio is right about the importance of appearance. Secrets often leave a foul smell. Recognition left behind by the mischief of the governor’s inn.
