Good things come in threes, and three good things happened for Florida Hometown Democracy this past week!
First, our numbers continue to grow:
Second, the Florida Supreme Court agreed to expedite our pending case concerning the lawfulness of the revocation statute. The only thing keeping us from ballot certification right now is the revocation process. Stay tuned!
Third, Gov. Crist signed Senate Bill 216 into law. It will forbid local governments from engaging in propaganda campaigns at public expense to attack or promote ballot items. No more taxpayer money will be deployed against Hometown Democracy!
Other News: The fallout from SB 360, the FL legislature’s latest assault on growth management controls, continues. Fence sitters are finally realizing that even though the development industry crashed the economy and ruined much of
Hometown Democracy is the only reform capable of restoring some balance. As one blogger put it: “Having worked in govt for many years I felt Hometown Democracy was too radical a solution to manage growth; we have a representative democracy for these decisions, correct? However, only growth is represented at the local and state levels. Vote HD!”
Even though Hometown Democracy will be on the 2010 ballot, we must now gather our forces for our general campaign. If you’ve donated, please do so again. If you have not donated before, please join with us and do so today. We must have the financial resources to spread our message. Our opposition has spent $100,000+ so far this year just to develop their talking points and message against Hometown Democracy.
Please put a check in the mail to PO Box 636, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32170-0636 donate here online:
My wish is that there can be a compromise in the "Hometown Democracy" amendment that will not, in effect, stop all development. I can picture someone needing a "variance" for something mundane as a corner of their proposed pool encroaches one foot into the setback to make the design work and look good. The planning, zoning board would be able to recommend the slight change or recommend against it, with the commission having the final say. This to me is representational democracy. Not having to go to a costly public vote for such a matter. How am I wrong?
ReplyDeleteFlorida Hometown Democracy ONLY affects land use changes in the local Comprehensive Plan. It has nothing to do with variances. This is where FHD needs to explain its message better as there are developer groups spreading misinformation. If, for instance, the city wanted to change the land use across from your single family residence in a single family zoned area to accommodate a three story townhouse development, you would then have the right to vote NO. Without a protection such as this, city governments have/could change land uses very easily because changes to a Comprehensive Plan are all political. We saw this right here on the Sunset parcel.
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