1000 Friends of Developers

Comment Up
It’s not news that 1000 Friends of Florida declines to support Amendment 4 (popularly known as Florida Hometown Democracy), the November ballot issue that gives voters veto power over changes to their local comprehensive land-use plans.

1000 Friends of Florida announced that position many months ago. Indeed, because almost all the Directors of 1000 Friends of Florida are developers, politicians, and paid consultants to developers and politicians -- and the organization’s big donations largely come from the development industry, the only real news would be if they supported Amendment 4.

Amendment 4 is of course strongly opposed by most developers and politicians -- individuals who don’t want their trading of favors disrupted by a voter veto.

It cannot be disputed that 1000 Friends of Florida is heavily influenced by developers and politicians. Many of the biggest contributors and sponsors of 1000 Friends of Florida are large developers as well as major firms that are consultants and attorneys for developers. Their donor list is a virtual Who’s Who of the Florida development industry.

It includes developers St. Joe Company, Babcock Properties, Baldwin Park Development Company, A. Duda & Sons, and Harmony Development Company; planning firms Glatting Jackson and WilsonMiller; engineers PBSJ; economists for developers Fishkind & Associates; and the following big developer law firms: Ruden McClosky, Greenberg Traurig, Cobb Cole and , Fowler White Biggs and Bryant Miller.

Other major donors include Mosaic Phosphate Company, FPL, and Nestle Waters North America, as well as the Florida Homebuilders Association, the Florida Association of Realtors, The Florida League of Cities, and a subsidiary of the Florida Chamber of Commerce. This is just a small portion of the development interests who are donors to 1000 Friends – the full list is a matter of record.

Perhaps even better at explaining the group’s opposition to Amendment 4 is the fact that almost all the Board of Directors of 1000 Friends of Florida are real estate developers, consultants to developers, and politicians. It's understandable that the group would side with the developers and politicians, who form their Board of Directors and are their big contributors, on a matter that most developers and politicians strongly oppose, but "understandable" doesn't make their position on Amendment 4 right.

By contrast, Amendment 4 has on its side numerous environmental, homeowner, neighborhood, and other community organizations that are not unduly influenced by developers and politicians, including The Florida Sierra Club and its local groups, Florida Wildlife Federation, Environment Florida, Florida Public Interest Research Group, Florida Consumer Action Network, Alliance To Protect Water Resources, Environmental & Land Use Law Center Save The Manatee Club, Student Environmental Association, and Wetlands Alert, as well as many local Audubon groups. The full list is available at Florida Hometown Democracy.

Amendment 4 takes control of the future of our communities away from the developers and politicians, and puts it back where it belongs, in the hands of the people. Considering the sprawl, traffic congestion, tax hikes, environmental destruction, and economic collapse that over-development has brought to Florida under the control of the developers and the politicians, "the apostles of greed," the people can most likely do a better job.

Muriel Riles

Editor's Note: Many members of 1000 Friends of Florida on an individual basis support Florida Hometown Democracy