Senate prez paying former senator up to $89K as consultant
by Dara Kam | January 10th, 2011Senate President Mike Haridopolos is paying former state Sen. Carey Baker, a gun shop owner from Eustis, up to $89,000 a year as a special consultant.
Baker, who served alongside Haridopolos before leaving office due to term limits last year, will make $175 per hour – up to $7,500 per month, or $89,000 annually – for working with senate committees, subcommittees or research organizations established by the legislature, according to his contract.
Baker ran briefly for state agriculture commissioner but dropped out of the race eventually won by Adam Putnam.
The year-long contract between Haridopolos and Baker’s consulting company, Country First Consulting, was signed on Nov. 9 and started on Nov. 3. Baker’s consulting business was created the day before the contract was filed, according to the state division of corporations Web site.
Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, cleaned house at the Senate before even officially taking over the chamber in November. He consolidated a variety of positions and did not rehire several high-ranking committee staffers for what he called about $1 million in savings from the Senate budget.
Tags: Carey Baker, Country First Consulting, Mike Haridopolos
January 10th, 2011 at 5:25 pm
II read that the Senator hired Baker. I hope that means that he will pay Baker and not soak the taxpayers under the contract.
January 10th, 2011 at 5:57 pm
What is wrong with having the legislators we hire do the job? They aren’t in session very long as it is, and they spend most of their time lobbying for campaign cash. Do the job we pay you for and stop wasting it on outsiders.
Get to work and do your jobs.
January 10th, 2011 at 7:21 pm
All I can say to Senate Pres haridope is thank you! We have been so worried that Carey would have to come back and work at the gun shop! We suffer the same senerio as Miss Lillian Carter did!
She said Billy would have made a better president than Jimmy, but, Jimmy didn’t have enough sense to run the gas station! Carey “Bull Nutz” Baker don’t have enough sense to run the gun shop either! Thank you Haridope! Some tax dollars are worth wasting!
January 10th, 2011 at 9:50 pm
Ditto on keeping Carey Baker in a fat job in Tallahassee. Some “nutz” are just made for polliticking and Caey is one of them! I’m sure he can also spread some good advice to new Senator Alan Hays of the infamous I had a queer cousin who died of aids and deserved what he got statement! Coupled with our new state rep Larry Metz we’s in deep poo poo for representation of Lake County in Tallahassee for a while!
January 11th, 2011 at 8:20 am
Your tax dollars at work – I mean – at the bottom of a garbage can. The money would be put to better use rolled tightly into logs and burned to provide heat for the indigent.
This is disgraceful. And oh so typical
January 11th, 2011 at 8:52 am
Mike Haridopolos, Dara, has already been tied to corruption by OS, with someone on his staff from Ala.
Mike Haridopolos based on his staff being corrupt is guilty by association. He picked that corrupt person now under investigation.
About month ago??
Mike Haridopolos has no business education, and a history degree that means nothing at all in the real world. In short Haridopolos’s common person counter-part is simply someone that graduated high-school. Yet Mike, attempts to practice many types of law based on a high-school education. Same with his buddy Sandy Adams. Both have never held a job in the real world because either are education for the positions they hold today.
What Mike needs to do, is leave politics. Because his 8 or so years has produce nothing.
I’m already funding a campaign against Mike in the North’s media outlets.
Both Mike Haridopolos and Sandy Adams, statements between June – Nov. 2010, helped to incite violence against other members of Florida politics, hence in Florida both are guilty party’s of using false politic statements to induce harm against others.
Both Mike and Sandy will be in jail within the next year.
January 11th, 2011 at 8:55 am
@Financial Attorney
Hey There.
So do you believe that the people who should be in elected positions should all have business experience? I would agree with you on that point, as until you have to deal with a budget and personnel management, you can never truly be in a position to make those decisions.
January 11th, 2011 at 9:07 am
Most 4 year degrees will have 2 or 3 business courses to achieve the degree. Those courses only give you the verbiage.
About a year ago several lawmakers on both Federal and State levels started talking about drafting laws that if you didn’t hold certain types of degrees or licenses, then certain public positions a candidate would be disqualified from.
Taxation and laws tied to it are considered the most complex of all practice of law. This is a area I will support the introduction of a law that would disqualify both Mike and Sandy from holding a public office due to not holding the right education for there public positions. Further I’m going to support that same introduction into the PSC.
Both are no different then someone lying on a job resume or application. Saying they have the ability to do something they don’t. That conduct causes misuse of Taxpayer General Funds.
January 11th, 2011 at 9:11 am
@Financial Attorney
A law that says you have to have a formal education to hold office?
Are you aware that there are many successful people without degrees who are more than capable of holding office?
You also know plenty of people who have a formal degree that are complete morons, and incapable of leading anything?
I think your position that education dictates intelligence and ability is a bit flawed.
As you stated theory and no practice is not worth much. I would rather have people vetted by voters as to their prior experience rather than a law created about it.
January 11th, 2011 at 9:13 am
@Financial Attorney
And don’t take offense at this, but part of our problem with legislation is we have to many attorneys holding office.
Laws are so complex because attorneys make it that way. Our tax code is a great example. The way laws are written also stimulates the future viability of the legal industry.
I can’t even defend myself in court if i am a corporation, because some lawyers decided to make it that way. That is wrong.
January 11th, 2011 at 9:17 am
You’d think that a lawyer would know that there’s no constitutional requirement ANYWHERE that someone have a certain education before going into the legislature. So Financial Attorney is either an idiot, a bad lawyer, or not a lawyer at all if he thinks his little crusade gets anywhere.
January 11th, 2011 at 9:23 am
Frankly, I’m not surprised by your view.
How do you Vet somethings when you don’t understand a discussion in the first place?
It can’t be Vet at that point. Because you can’t understand the discussion.
So to say education in not good in Vetting somethings is a highly foolish statement.
Many business owner’s without degrees commit fraud, weather that be in wage/employment or general business dealings. The ones who don’t hold degrees really are only fly-by-night company’s that come and go every several years. That cause damage to employee’s and the surrounding business community operating with a education staff. Boiler rooms are a good example of that.
Every High School drop-out should be United States President by the theory your putting forth. That’s pretty flawed or just foolish. I’m thinking foolish.
January 11th, 2011 at 9:26 am
@Monkey sauce,
If a crack addict wasn’t posting it. Don’t select a name that says your a crack addict please.
Laws change son, and I’m going to be putting those laws in place!!!!!!
January 11th, 2011 at 9:27 am
Gonna go with idiot on that one, monkeysauce. Or maybe just someone who REALLY hates Hari in an unhealthy way. Feels weird agreeing with Unreal on something, tho.
January 11th, 2011 at 9:29 am
@Papabear, you will have your change son, Because it’s on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 11th, 2011 at 9:41 am
@unreal,
You Said “I can’t even defend myself in court if i am a corporation, because some lawyers decided to make it that way.”
Nothing could be far from the truth.
Taxation is not just attorney’s. I’m pointing out your not understand that because it’s a prime example of someone engaging in Vetting something that they can’t understand the discussion in the first place.
A Corporate Officer can represent themselves anytime they want without a lawyer. Has nothing to do with Law Creation, to the people Vetting actual law creation.
You just can’t understand the discussion in the first place. But did it stop you from thinking you understood something you really don’t?
That’s where the General Public Pay’s the price. Someone stated someone they had no idea about!
January 11th, 2011 at 9:53 am
@Financial Attorney
Actually vetting can be done be a show of someone’s success in business running a company. Like Alex Sink. WHile their were charges against her, she was the President of B Of A of Florida. Her education meant nothing, but her position does.
I won’t fill up these boards with a list of successful people without degrees. I find it hard to believe you actually think that.
As for the corporation representing themselves without an attorney. I know for a fact that you can not defend yourself. Florida law requires a corporation use an attorney in any legal action. Check your statutes i have to get back to work.
January 11th, 2011 at 9:53 am
@papabear – Sorry about that. Even a blind squirrel finds a nuts sometimes right?
January 11th, 2011 at 9:59 am
@unreal.
Listen, post the law? Let look at it!
Because I’m calling your buff. Your straight out lying. Bet you lie to your employees as well.
In Tax Law on Form 2848. It clearly states a Corporate Officer can represent a corporation.
January 11th, 2011 at 10:03 am
@Financial Attorney
Try as you might to diminish my argument by your perceived intellectual and educational superiority, your argument is inaccurate.
When creating legislation who is involved in drafting that legislation? People with legal experience, and many times lawyers. Who reviews legislation for comparison and integration with current statutes? Lawyers. Lawyers are integral to the legal process, and while there is a need, they also unnecessarily complicate the process.
As for your tax law situation that shows the limitation of your education. Consider that a corporation may need to sue someone, may need to defend itself in litigation against another entity. The court does not permit that. They will not permit a filing to be accepted, verified or not, that is not submitted by counsel. I don’t have time to find the statute, but there are other areas of law other than Tax law.
January 11th, 2011 at 10:04 am
@unreal,
Work, investing other peoples money on a High–School Education. You won’t be working on that in the future, I promise. Madoff wannabees are gone to get outed son. Your career is over you just don’t know it yet.
Tell PapaBear about F.S. 776 so when he shows in our state. He understands what he and his wife will face. You too!
January 11th, 2011 at 10:05 am
@ unreal,
Where is the Law?
Simply post it or it doesn’t exist!!
January 11th, 2011 at 10:10 am
@unreal
Fuuny, I just looked several county Clerk of Court Records up.
Many, Many Business Officers names are appearing without a attorney of record.
You want to dispute PBC Court Records?
January 11th, 2011 at 10:40 am
Yo PapaBear,
Young Money “I got my gun in my blue purse, I don’t bust back because I shot first.”
You got a friend in the mag world you should give this quote too, son!
January 11th, 2011 at 10:47 am
@Financial Attorney
Actually have been self employed most of my life.
And i run some corporations. I have used dozens of lawyers over the years. I use about 8 right now. Every single one of them tells me i have to have a lawyer to represent myself, and the judge in one case told me the same thing, that i can not represent myself in the court case.
I would trust my paid lawyers and a judge over someone posting on the internet.