(return to media page)


Florida Times-Union, March 10, 2009

Hometown Democracy would cripple Florida's economy

By Ryan Houck

The pillars of Florida's economy - tourism, agriculture and real estate - continue to buckle under the strain of a global downturn.

While the gravity of the crisis is acknowledged by most, there are a handful of extremists still pushing radical policies that would make Florida's current economic slump immeasurably worse.

The group calling itself Florida Hometown Democracy needs only 46,000 signatures to place its amendment on the 2010 ballot.

If adopted, this proposal will outsource hundreds of technical land use issues to the ballot box. Under Hometown Democracy, every comprehensive plan change - no matter how small - would appear on the ballot.

Supporters of the amendment say it will give "power to the people." And yet, a track record of shamefully anti-democratic litigation proves that Florida Hometown Democracy is not for democracy. It is simply against growth - even when the voters approve it.

The catastrophic impacts of Hometown Democracy are more than theories for think tanks. They are well-established facts for the residents of St. Pete Beach - the first community in Florida to adopt a local version of Hometown Democracy.

Since implementing the measure over two years ago, the residents of St. Pete Beach have suffered through an endless legal nightmare coupled with a sudden and lasting economic collapse.

Due to Hometown Democracy, tough times hit St. Pete Beach two years before hitting the rest of Florida. Hoping to revive their town's failing economy, a group of business and community leaders fought back.

Abiding by Hometown Democracy-imposed regulations, they succeeded in placing four comprehensive land use plan changes on the ballot. Despite the opposition of Hometown Democracy forces, St. Pete Beach voters overwhelmingly approved these four changes in July of 2008.

What happened next was shocking evidence of Florida Hometown Democracy's true motives.

Within 24 hours of the vote, Hometown Democracy followers had filed a lawsuit to overturn the election. Indeed, the very individuals who so stridently championed direct democracy have now filed nearly a dozen separate legal actions aimed at delaying, disrupting or outright denying the manifest will of the voters in St. Pete Beach.

If you doubt the severity of a Hometown Democracy-imposed economic disaster, I recommend visiting the now-vacant storefronts of St. Pete Beach.

Ryan Houck is the executive director of Floridians for Smarter Growth.