Industry Mobilization Plan by Opponents of Amendment 4

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Sept. 1, 2010
CONTACT: Wayne Garcia at 813-468-1925 or waynegar@gmail.com

Lesley Blackner: Amendment 4 opponents' industry mobilization plan a recipe for workplace coercion

Hometown Democracy president Lesley Blackner today issued this statement after recent media coverage about an "Industry Mobilization Plan" being undertaken by the powerful opponents to Amendment 4, or Hometown Democracy:

"It is bad enough that major Florida employers are squandering millions of dollars to oppose giving voters a seat at the table, money that could instead go into growing their businesses and hiring new employees. Now, they have devised a plan to have those same employers lean on their workers to join their pro-overbuilding campaign and even provide lists of employees names to the anti-Amendment 4 campaign team.

"This is a recipe for coercion in the workplace. It is a full-court press that no Florida worker trying to keep his or her job will be able to resist and make a fully informed decision. Such politicking activity would be against the law in public agencies. It is merely unethical and disappointing in the private sector. We hope that employees who feel wrongly pressured by this plan will report any wrongdoing to our website, Florida Hometown Democracy."

The Industry Mobilization Plan supplies a sample CEO letter that boldfaces the boss's "personal" request. What worker could turn this down? Here is an excerpt from that sample letter: I’d like to personally ask you to take a moment to visit www.noamendment4.com and fill out the Industry Advocate form. Your information will be kept private and used only to educate you, your friends, family members and colleagues on Amendment 4.

The outrageous plan goes further, even asking employers to mail in "detailed" lists of employees to the opposition campaign, as shows in this e-mail to business leaders from Florida Chamber exec Adam Babington:

1. Encourage your employees and colleagues to register as an "Advocate" in opposition to Amendment 4. A high level of participation is critical in defeating Amendment 4 which will hurt Florida's working families. Visit www.noamendment4.com to register.

2. Even easier, provide the "Vote No on 4" campaign with a detailed list of your interested employees, organization members, friends and family. [highlighting added] This data will be handled with the greatest sensitivity and confidentiality and will not be shared with others. It will be used only to communicate the messages of "Vote No on 4."

Amendment 4 is the result of years of effort by Florida Hometown Democracy, a grass-roots, non-partisan citizens' initiative organized to put the voter-empowering amendment on the Nov. 2 ballot. The amendment would give voters the final say over large-scale development projects that want to change a community's comprehensive land-use plan. Yes on 4's website address is Florida Hometown Democracy.

Pd. Pol. Adv. By FloridaHometownDemocracy, Inc. PAC, P.O. Box 636, New Smyrna Beach, FL.