This is probably one of the biggest debacles in the State of Florida today. In the middle of the wort recession in my lifetime, a proposed amendment that used to be coined “Hometown Democracy” was created by special interest groups and will devastate and bankrupt our State.
Imagine calling for a public VOTE, setting up polling booths, etc. EVERY time a change in a zoning change, a land use change or any change to the comprehensive plan needed to be made. We elect officials, city and county commissioners, we hire support staff to research, planners and zoning experts to know what will and will not work for a neighborhood, a community and to meet with residents before votes take place that will affect these same communities. This system works, and as time consuming as it is, it is necessary because these are educated, informed decision makers that implement these changes for the better of the community.
Imagine opening up for county-wide voting, complete with polls, etc. Have you seen zoning change legislation? Imagine trying to decipher a 32 page document at a polling station. Imagine having 32 of those look at, all at one time. Imagine having about 28 of those polls every year. Imagine what it would have been like for the citizens of Carrabelle that had over 600 of these changes in one year! Take a look at this SAMPLE BALLOT. Scroll through a few of these issues… all 47 pages of them. Are you prepared to do this multiple times per year?
Are we, as tax payers ready to pay for these polls? Are we confident that our citizens, who may understand commercial fishing, daycare ownership, marketing, retail and other businesses would understand the economics or fallout from a positive or negative change in a comprehensive plan? My guess is 80% of citizens in my area do not even know what a comprehensive plan is, or can name the names of their city mayor or commissioners, nor do they care. That is changing, and THAT is the key to change. More and more people want to have a say so, and they are getting involved.
Get to know your decision makers. Get to know what the process is for decision making and how the people you elect view growth and development, businesses, and JOBS! If you don’t think they are making the right decisions, tell them so, and work to elect those that do. That folks, is democracy. This is not:
Watch this important video message about Amendment 4!
Surveys show if people go to the polls and don’t know what something is, they vote yes. We need your help in asking people to VOTE NO for Amendment 4. If this passes, it will ruin our chances for creating jobs, for giving development and new businesses a chance to start, and for some of these empty buildings to be filled with tax producing, viable businesses. We must help our economy grow, not stifle every opportunity.
Please share this with others, please pass along this video and talk to your friends, tell them to VOTE NO on Amendment 4!
For more on this Amendment, Vote NO on 4!
After carefully looking at amendment four it just doesn’t seem to be the right thing – certainly not now. With the economy in the tank, we don’t need more red tape in the political process and the economy. I sure hope it doesn’t pass. I’m just out of college and don’t want my company to leave this state and plus I still have student loans to pay off. I would encourage everyone to reject amendment four.
Lynn, You are exactly right. The language is such that holding elections are balloting on development plans as citizens would prove catastrophic alone. Not to mention the halt on the home recovery effort by Floridians, and the creation of jobs as a result. This Amendment would virtually dry up every work in progress as well as the future. Laborers will leave Florida in droves for lack of work, this is a known fact. Thank you for your insight!