Educational testing companies paid Thrasher's former lobbying firm(Jeb Bush ally who sponsored SB6)

seafan

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Mon Apr-19-10 01:01 PM
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Educational testing companies paid Thrasher's former lobbying firm(Jeb Bush ally who sponsored SB6)

Now, this is noteworthy.

Educational testing companies paid big bucks to the lobbying firm John Thrasher formerly partnered..... and lo and behold, newly minted state Senator John Thrasher led the charge in pushing Jeb Bush's radical SB6 (teacher merit pay bill) in Florida. This bill also would have, oddly enough, required end-of-year testing for the state's public schools.

Well, well.

But, Thrasher claims this money flowing to his former lobbying firm had nothing, nothing whatsoever to do with this bill.

John Thrasher

We know a crook when we see one.

Thanks to Governor Charlie Crist, for vetoing this abomination of a bill.

The Sniper was not happy, though.

Matt Dixon writes in the Jacksonville Times-Union:
April 19, 2010

Two out-of-state companies that offer education testing paid a lobbying firm where state Sen. John Thrasher was a partner between $60,000 and $190,000 over a two-year period, state records indicate.

During the current legislative session, Thrasher, a St. Augustine Republican, sponsored Senate Bill 6, which, among other things, would have required school districts to develop or acquire end-of-course assessment tests.
After drawing stiff criticism from educators and teachers' unions, the bill was vetoed Thursday by Gov. Charlie Crist.

Thrasher left the lobbying firm, Southern Strategy, in 2009 and has denied personally lobbying on behalf of the testing companies.
"I never had any connection to ," he said. "I was bought out last May and don't even have any connection with them anymore."

The companies - Ohio-based IQ Innovations and New Jersey-based Educational Testing Service - say the lobbying Southern Strategy did on their behalf was unrelated to Thrasher's bill.
IQ Innovations paid between $60,000 and $150,000 to Southern Strategy in 2008 and 2009, and Educational Testing Service paid the firm between $4 and $40,000 over the same period, according to state compensation reports. Lobbying firms are only required to report a range of payments received from clients.

The companies are still clients of Southern Strategy, but 2010 compensation reports are not yet filed with the state.

.....

In 2009, Thrasher reported more than $1.5 million in income from Southern Strategy. Included in that amount is a $695,169 buyout, $614,613 in stock sales and $190,509 in salary, according to financial disclosure reports.
Lobbyists for Southern Strategy gave more than $7,200 to Thrasher's campaign when he ran for his Senate seat in 2009.

When will an investigation look into this little revelation?

By the way, John Thrasher is up for re-election in November, 2010.

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FLyellowdog

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Mon Apr-19-10 02:07 PM
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1. I know this man and his family

and I am so disappointed. He should investigated AND voted out. Sad.

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1monster

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Mon Apr-19-10 04:56 PM
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3. Is he still living in Clay County? You know he carpetbagged St. Augustine by

purchasing a condo here so he could run for Jim King's seat.

He didn't sell his Clay County home and rumor has it that he spends a lot more time there than in St. Augustine...

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FLyellowdog

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Mon Apr-19-10 07:10 PM
Response to Reply #3

5. Don't know but I know people who would know.

I'll check it out. :hi:

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madfloridian

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Mon Apr-19-10 02:48 PM
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2. Kick for an important post.

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laughingliberal

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Mon Apr-19-10 05:00 PM
Response to Original message

4. Rec nt

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