Citizens for Lower Taxes and a Stronger Economy, Inc.

(ORLANDO, FL – January 22, 2007) Two well-respected Miami attorneys will join Floridians for Smarter Growth (FSG) as Co-Chairs in the organization’s fight against Hometown Democracy. Community leaders Neisen Kasdin and Simon Ferro will team up to lead one of the largest county organizations opposing the extreme amendment. Attorney Stan Price, also from Miami-Dade, will Chair the FSG Local Policy Council.

“With Neisen and Simon teamed up together in Miami-Dade, FSG is confident our efforts in the area will help defeat Hometown Democracy,” said Mark Wilson, FSG Treasurer and Florida Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President. “Having Stan as our Local Policy Council Chair will also help tremendously in this must-win region of Florida.”

“Over the years, I have appeared before many city commissions and planning and zoning boards regarding key economic development projects,” Mr. Ferro said. “Hometown Democracy will throw our planning process into the knots of electoral politics, collapsing Florida’s economy more than we can ever imagine.”

“As former Mayor of Miami Beach, I have been fortunate to be a part of the successful revitalization of South Beach,” Mr. Kasdin said. “If Hometown Democracy becomes law, I fear similar efforts will be impossible. Our state will not be able to create well-planned and sustainable neighborhoods and new communities.”

Neisen Kasdin is a Martindale Hubbell AV Rated attorney for Akerman Senterfitt, specializing in Land Use and Zoning as well as Real Estate. He was instrumental in the revitalization of South Beach serving as chair of the Community Development Corporation for South Beach and as a City Commissioner and Mayor of Miami Beach. Mr. Kasdin has been given the Chairman’s Award from the Miami Design Preservation League and was recognized as elected official of the year by the Florida Re-Development Association and by the Miami-Dade County Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Miami Downtown Development Authority and is a New World Center Committee chair for the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce.

Simon Ferro has over 20 years of experience in the legal areas of zoning, land use, and governmental relations. A Martindale Hubbell AV Rated attorney, he currently works in Greenberg Traurig’s Miami office. Mr. Ferro is a former US Ambassador to Panama and, as a high-ranking Democrat, has served as a member of the Democratic National Committee and served as chair of the Democrat Party for both Florida and Miami-Dade County. An active community volunteer, Mr. Ferro has served as a member of the Battered Women’s Clemency Fund, the Latin Builders Association, and the Miami-Dade County Charter Review Committee.

Also a Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rated attorney, Stan Price has over 35 years of experience in Land Use and Government Relations Law. He is frequently consulted on owners’ rights and complex zoning and permitting issues. Mr. Price previously chaired the Building and Zoning Committee of the Miami Chamber of Commerce, the Dade County Impact Fee Review Committee, and the Land Use Subcommittee of the Builders Association of South Florida. He has been listed as one of the Best Lawyers in America for over 15 years and was named a Florida Super Lawyer in 2007.

Floridians for Smarter Growth was founded by Sunshine State community and business leaders to fight extreme special interests bound to destroy Florida's unique quality-of-life under the guise of the Hometown Democracy amendment. Please visit www.FLSmarterGrowth.org for more information and to download, sign, and submit the Smarter Growth petition.

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