Citizens for Lower Taxes and a Stronger Economy, Inc.

The battle over Amendment 4 doesn't have quite the same visibility as the races for governor and U.S. Senate, but the voters' decision on this ballot initiative could have a greater impact on the future of Florida than any of the candidate vs. candidate electoral contests.

With early voting beginning tomorrow, we urge voters in Volusia and Flagler counties to consider the economic and political consequences of Amendment 4 and vote "no" on this radical change in land-use planning.

The News-Journal editorial board is not endorsing candidates in the election. This decision was based on our commitment to maintaining an independent stance on political issues and our desire to avoid partisan labels. But ballot questions are a different matter. In some instances, we will weigh in on constitutional amendments, especially when we believe a great deal is at stake and the issues involved are clear-cut.

Floridians on both sides of the Amendment 4 debate agree that the proposed amendment is a game-changer. One Amendment 4 supporter called the idea of holding public votes on land-use changes "revolutionary." We agree. But there are good revolutions and bad revolutions. Amendment 4 could be the French Revolution of ballot initiatives. It's far more likely to bring anarchy than order to the land-use planning process.

Amendment 4 requires voter approval of changes to local growth plans. Supporters tout this as a very American, small "d" democratic measure. But, in America, we elect representatives to oversee our government and make decisions on critical issues. We don't head to the polls to vote on bills, budgets, continuing resolutions, proclamations and such.

If you're not happy with Congress, the Legislature or the City Council, you can vote to throw the rascals out. That's the way political accountability works in our system.

The basic premise of Amendment 4 is that our form of government needs a major overhaul -- at least when it comes to issues involving growth and development. Proponents say big-money developers control the system and the only way to rein them in is to let the people decide all those complicated land-use questions.

Good luck with that. The town of St. Pete Beach tried to control growth with "direct democracy." Economic development has stalled, and lawsuits became the town's major growth industry. With this kind of direct democracy, lawyers and judges take over land-use planning.

The language of Amendment 4 is so vague it's an open invitation to lawsuits. If 60 percent of the state's voters say "yes" to Amendment 4, look for developers, anti-growth groups and local officials to duke it out in court -- with taxpayers picking up tens of millions of dollars in legal bills.

Then, there's the cost of elections. The state's cities and counties make about 8,000 changes a year to their comprehensive plans. Amendment 4 supporters insist that only a small percentage of these changes would require a public vote. The numbers are a matter of heated debate, but it's certain that elections would cost more and that voters would be confronted with many complex, technical questions. A look at recent history in Volusia County suggests at least 15-20 changes a year would require a public vote.

Using a conservative estimate, Florida TaxWatch came up with a statewide cost of $44 million a year for special elections.

This cost would be worth paying if it guaranteed better decisions on growth management. But how many citizens have time to digest all the technical information they would need to make sound decisions on a dozen or more land-use questions a year? Raucous campaigns for and against proposed changes likely would muddy the waters and expose voters to the power of developers' dollars.

Florida's current growth-management system is by no means perfect, but it's far superior to the uncertainty and confusion of "direct democracy." That uncertainty and confusion would discourage investment and make the state's road to the economic recovery even longer.

Vote "no" on Amendment 4.

"Hometown democracy" sounds like mom and apple pie, but it would quickly turn into a pie-throwing contest with no winners.