Florida Hometown Democracy, in the Palm Beach Post ... by gimleteye

Lesley Blackner, a co-founder of the citizen's movement to change by referendum the Florida Constitution to provide for local vote of changes to comprehensive growth plans, passionately defends the ballot initiative (coming soon to a polling station near you) in the Palm Beach Post. Ms. Blackner writes: "The frustration of watching arrogant commissioners ignore the public interest and rubber-stamp endless speculative overdevelopment produced Amendment 4." Read more, here:


Hometown Democracy gives power back to people
Letters to the Editor
Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009

The 2010 election is still a year away, and yet The Post is already editorializing against Florida Hometown Democracy, on the ballot as Amendment 4. Given that The Post recognized that Amendment 4 is "the biggest thing on the 2010 ballot," it is very important to set the record straight.

The Post editorialized that under Amendment 4, voters would be forced to vote on every change to a local comprehensive plan, whether important or meaningless. In fact, the plain language of Amendment 4 establishes voter referendum only over comprehensive plan changes that concern "future land development." These "future land development" changes often determine the future of a community for decades to come. The Post thus erred when it stated that Amendment 4 would require a vote on each and every comprehensive plan change.

For 25 years, the Growth Management Act has mandated that each local government in Florida have a "comprehensive plan." Each plan's purpose is to "establish standards for the orderly and balanced future economic, social, physical, environmental, and fiscal development of the area." The Growth Management Act acknowledges that Americans rightly expect a certain level of infrastructure and municipal services, which will be paid for by a dedicated funding source. The American standard of living requires government to provide certain things like drinkable water, adequate police, drivable roads, decent schools, open space, etc. It's what separates us from the Third World.

To that end, the law directs that each comprehensive plan must contain a map designating future land use categories. The plan must also contain other elements supporting the land-use designation with levels of service for traffic, sewer and water, conservation, recreation and open space, and capital improvements. Commissioners vote on changes to these plan elements. Amendment 4 would not cover those changes. Commissioners also vote on changes to the future land-use element, which controls the location, amount and type of development permitted. Amendment 4 would cover these changes.

The frustration of watching arrogant commissioners ignore the public interest and rubber-stamp endless speculative overdevelopment produced Amendment 4. Too many local commissions forget who they represent when they just can't say no to yet another piece of reckless sprawl that further raises our taxes and depresses our home values. Operating under the influence of developer contributions to political campaigns, our political class drove Florida's economy over the cliff. Yet most are loath to take any "personal responsibility" for the calamity.

Unrepentant, too many elected local officials continue to mindlessly rubber-stamp growth plan changes to allow even more speculative "future land development." Anyone paying attention sees that our political class is incapable of self-reform. Voters must take back control. Amendment 4 is the only way to bring accountability back to a broken growth planning system.

LESLEY BLACKNER

Palm Beach

Lesley Blackner is president of Florida Hometown Democracy, sponsor of Amendment 4.