As high unemployment continues to plague the Sunshine State, working families and small business owners have been disproportionately affected. In the midst of such perilous economic times, the last thing Florida needs is an amendment that would kill jobs, raise taxes, and promote endless litigation at taxpayer expense. However, that is exactly what Amendment 4, a proposed rewrite to the state constitution, would do. This “Vote on Everything” amendment would force taxpayers to fund expensive referenda for every technical change to their local comprehensive plan.
Its proponents claim that this initiative simply empowers Floridians to make decisions on land use issues, however, Amendment 4 is far from simple. A local version of Amendment 4 was implemented in the small town of St. Pete Beach in 2006. Since then, the city has experienced chaos and confusion regarding a new growth management process that has made smarter, well-coordinated growth impossible. The St. Petersburg Times says that the measure has been “divisive, expensive, and an impediment to much needed growth.” Worse still, taxpayers in St. Pete Beach have been burdened with over a half-a-million dollars in legal fees that decimated the city budget. When voters approved four pro-growth amendments in the hopes of improving economic conditions, Amendment 4 lawyers sued to overturn the will of the people.
If taken statewide, Amendment 4 would make St. Pete Beach look mild by comparison. Under this measure, it would not be uncommon for voters to face 200 to 300 minor plan revisions each year. The enormous cost of these taxpayer funded elections, coupled with expensive litigation, will result in higher taxes for all Floridians. Whats more, a recent study by Tony Villamil of the Washington Economic Group, indicates that Amendment 4 would result in $4 billion of lost state and local tax revenue due to forgone economic development projects.
The facts indicate that Amendment 4 would result in higher taxes and fewer jobs in a time when our economy is most vulnerable. Simply put, Florida cannot afford Amendment 4. Vote no on Amendment 4.
To learn more about Oscar Rivera’s opposition to Amendment 4, please click here: http://florida2010.org/videos2.php?vidid=0_fbkhkmfm.
