Not too "smart" afterall

After failing to keep Florida Hometown Democracy off the November 2010 ballot, the Florida Chamber of Commerce has pulled the plug on their front group, “Floridians for Smarter Growth.”

This front for the (over-) development industry admits to having spent $4 million to cook up a bogus, trick petition designed to derail the Hometown Democracy campaign.

The “Smarter Growth” petition demonstrates the profound contempt held by the over-development industry for Florida voters:

They would let you have a referendum on a change to your local growth plan only if of your fellow registered voters went down to the Supervisor of Elections office, showed a bunch of ID, and then signed a petition. Most shockingly, their referendum process discriminated against our deployed military, disabled and homebound people, and working folks chained to their job from 9 to 5 – locked them out of participation because they couldn’t get to their local Elections office to sign a petition, the only place they were to be available.

In court, and in the press, our campaign pointed out that no other such discriminatory petition process has ever been allowed in the United States. After FHD “outed” them on the discrimination issue, they quietly abandoned their petition collection efforts. February 1st was the deadline for qualifying their petition numbers for the November 2010 ballot. They fell far short of the state requirement…their “Smarter Growth” petition is dead in the water.

But wait! The same cast of characters has now reincarnated themselves with a new identity: “Citizens for Lower Taxes and a Stronger Economy”.….Lower Taxes? From the same crew who has stuck Florida taxpayers with the ever-growing bill for over development that doesn’t pay its way? Stronger Economy? From the same crew who crashed Florida’s economy with overbuilding?

These folks also have multiple, other fake identities, all couched in wonderful sounding names such as… “Foundation for Leadership Integrity”; "Floridians for Principled Government”; "Committee for Florida's Future”; "Coalition for Florida's Families”; “Citizens for Housing and Urban Growth”; “Committee Supporting Utilities and Competitive Commerce”...all being run out of the same office….same old gang, different name, different day…same game.

Lesley Blackner

Vote 4 Amendment 4!