St. Pete Beach proves that Amendment 4 will cost jobs and hurt taxpayers
Date:
September 8, 2009
Dear Fellow Floridian,
In a recent email, backers of the Amendment 4 campaign reacted to several of our arguments about the fundamental flaws in their proposal.
It is clear that they are now embarassed by the story of St. Pete Beach (Paradise News Editorial: Florida must defeat "Hometown Democracy" or suffer the fate of St. Pete Beach). The chaos that has unfolded in St. Pete Beach (after this small Florida town adopted a local version of Amendment 4) is proof positive that their proposal is costly, chaotic and ultimately, unworkable.
Recently, Floridians learned that the Hometown Democracy amendment has been certified for the 2010 ballot as Amendment 4. As this controversial proposal is debated in communities throughout Florida, it is important that we answer the question: What, exactly, is Amendment 4?
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Hometown Democracy - On the ballot for 2010, it risks too much of Florida
Source:
The Daytona Beach News- Journal
Date:
July 12, 2009
We will not support Amendment 4...
Citizens for Lower Taxes and a Stronger Economy Leading the Fight to Defeat Amendment 4
Date:
July 9, 2009
Last year, the special interests bankrolling Amendment 4 announced that they had paid for enough signatures to place their measure on the 2010 ballot. This irresponsible attempt to change our state's constitution will have dire impacts on Florida's economy and quality of life.
Editorial: Economic harm - Anti-growth proposal would foil recovery
Source:
Bradenton Herald
Date:
July 5, 2009
With Florida already hard-hit with the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs in the past year — nearing the half million mark — this amendment is rightly called an “anti-jobs” and “vote on everything” attack on the state’s economy.
While the current system of comprehensive planning continues to be flawed, Amendment 4 will not correct the problem. Smart, planned growth is far superior to no growth.
But as tempting as it may be for Floridians to embrace the measure because they're fed up with elected officials' failure to rein in growth, it is the wrong approach. Hometown Democracy identified a problem, but its solution would lead to gridlock.
OUR POSITION: The Hometown Democracy initiative takes a broad, heavy-handed and ultimately unworkable approach to growth management issues.
We may find out soon whether the long-simmering Hometown Democracy growth-control amendment finally makes it to a statewide ballot.
Hometown Democracy close to stumbling over finish line
Date:
February 12, 2009
With over 12 months to go, organizers for the so-called ?Hometown Democracy? amendment are now only 46,000 petitions short of reaching the 2010 ballot. Despite three prior failures to reach the ballot, Florida Hometown Democracy finally seems close to stumbling over the finish line.
St. Pete Beach: Troubling developments in a Hometown Democracy testing ground
Date:
February 12, 2009
In 2006, St. Pete Beach became the only city in Florida to adopt a local Hometown Democracy (HD) measure, requiring voter approval for all comprehensive plan changes. Since becoming an HD test case, residents of the small Pinellas County town have endured seemingly endless legal battles, unavoidably chaotic elections, and serious economic setbacks. The local tourism-based economy has stagnated and costly legal and administrative delays have prevented the city from complying with state growth mandates.
CONGRATULATIONS TO FLORIDA HOMETOWN DEMOCRACY, INC: YOU'RE STILL TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE!
Date:
October 20, 2008
(ORLANDO, FL - October 20, 2008) Major donors to the so-called "Hometown Democracy" amendment issued a statement Saturday claiming that they have collected enough valid signatures to reach the ballot two years from now - in 2010.
Sierra Club leader John Hedrick reported that Hometown Democracy has submitted 611,753 valid signatures and demanded that the Division of Elections "immediately certify FHD for the 2010 ballot."
Helping to Stop Admendment 4
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