The wealthy backers of Amendment 4 (formerly known as ?Hometown Democracy?) have invested six years and nearly $2 million in their attempt to re-write Florida?s constitution. With their amendment now slated to appear on the 2010 ballot, the debate over this anti-jobs proposal is rapidly heating up.
Not surprisingly, Amendment 4 supporters spend most of their time debating last year?s legislation, local policymaking and absolutely anything other than their own radical idea. Their objective is simple: Make this campaign about everything except the costs and workability of Amendment 4. In public debates with Amendment 4 founder and co-author Lesley Blackner, a few recent examples have emerged:
Sprawl. Amendment 4 supporters often talk about sprawl. However, respected planners, environmentalists and growth management experts note that Amendment 4 may encourage sprawling patterns of development by making well-coordinated planning impossible. This amendment would discourage local policymaking that might otherwise prevent one-unit-per-five-acre sprawl. That is why leading growth management groups like 1000 Friends of Florida and the Florida American Planning Association are opposed to Amendment 4.
Special Interests. Amendment 4 supporters often pretend that their idea will just ?give the voters a say on growth.? That?s not true. Amendment 4 advocates do not want to empower voters; they want to stop growth at any cost. Under their proposal, special interests on both sides of the development debate will gain influence at the expense of ordinary citizens. Rather than being compelled to compromise, interest groups will be encouraged to draft the most extreme proposals and hire political consultants to sell them. Under Amendment 4, sound bites will have more influence than sound planning.
Amendment 4 supporters do not want this debate to be about their idea. They want it to be about a variety of issues, policy changes and proposals that will not appear on the ballot. Their goal is to change the subject of this campaign and distract voters with issues that their amendment will neither address nor solve.
We must not allow Amendment 4 supporters to cloud the debate or make it about anything other than their extreme proposal. For more information on Amendment 4 or Floridians for Smarter Growth, please visit www.florida2010.org.
RYAN HOUCK is the executive director of Floridians for Smarter Growth.
