After reading Don Millenbruch’s Aug. 18 letter reacting to my column, “Don’t take officials off the hook by passing Amendment 4,” I assume he has no idea what the planning process involves.
I never inferred that the average citizen does not possess the intellectual ability to understand. My opinion was based on the complexity of the planning process, and legal issues are extremely voluminous and require more than deciding if you like it or not.
Don’t take my word for it; go to city hall and review one of the comprehensive land use packets that go to the council for a vote.
My column did not imply that the voters could not comprehend the process; I simply stated my opinion that very few people who would be voting on the issue would actually study all elements of the issue in depth.
The state growth management laws establish the process to make sure comprehensive plan amendments are scrutinized diligently and follow a detailed procedure to assure decisions made would be fair, legal and in the best interests of the entire community.
The city has 98,146 registered voters. Does Millenbruch really believe a majority of them will follow the issue through the various committees and agencies as they evaluate and process the application?
This is why we have a representative form of government. Can you imagine the cost if even half the voters wanted a packet to review? Would they be willing to pay for it? Would they be willing to pay for all the off scheduled referendum elections that will be required?
Reality is not vested in politics or emotions. Either deal with it or suffer the consequences. In short, I stand by my original column.
Bob Minsky
Port St. Lucie
Minsky is former mayor of Port St. Lucie and writes an occasional column for this newspaper.
