Citizens for Lower Taxes and a Stronger Economy, Inc.

In his April 19, letter to the editor, Howard Gibbons describes himself as a ‘controlled-growther.’ What Mr. Gibbons fails to realize is that, under Amendment 4, smart, well-coordinated growth would become impossible. Rather than remedy the problems Mr. Gibbons describes, Amendment 4 would exacerbate them.

Amendment 4 would lead to short-term thinking and piecemeal planning which would promote sprawl, not prevent it. What’s more, this “vote on everything” proposal is unrealistic, forcing voters to decide hundreds of minor, technical plan revisions on a single ballot, and causing higher election costs and more burdensome litigation for small businesses. According to a study conducted by The Washington Economics Group (WEG), Amendment 4 would likely cost Florida over a quarter-of-a-million jobs.

Amendment 4 is a reckless, short-sighted proposal which would undermine efforts to diversify Florida’s economy by creating unpredictable and chaotic business conditions. For more information on Amendment 4, please visit www.florida2010.org.

Jeff Bowers