The Lies about Amendment 4

Debunking the "No on 4" crowd’s lies

ADAPTED FROM JOE MCCLASH, A MANATEE COUNTY COMMISSIONER WHO FAVORS AMENDMENT 4:

Lie Number One: Voters must “Vote on everything.”
NOT TRUE! Only Comprehensive land use Plan amendments will need to be voted on. There is no requirement to vote on items that are zoning issues. The opponents’ use of this lie has people believing that if they want to build a house or add a room, it would have to be voted on in a referendum. Just not true!

Lie Number Two: “Will drive jobless rates higher.”
Florida has the ability to more than triple its population without one more Comp Plan change, so this is just not true! And wasn’t it the “run wild development” that caused this great recession we are in now – speculation and over-development which created the worst crisis since the great depression?

Lie Number Three: “Would mean higher property taxes.”
If anything will drive taxes higher, it would be more development. Several studies show new residential development costs 40% to 50% more in taxes than we receive, which leaves existing taxpayers to subsidize developers.

Lie Number Four: “Local government will be required to hold expensive referendums. More elections require more tax dollars.”
The fact is, no expensive referendums are required. Every two years we have a primary and general election. There is even a Presidential primary “Super Tuesday” in March every four years. Amendment 4 would allow citizens to give their stamp of approval as part of the existing elections. The process allows that if a developer is in such a rush to change our community’s comp plan, they can request a special election – at their cost.

Lie Number Five: “Ultimately Amendment 4 would force local and state governments to raise taxes or cut services.”
This is already happening under our current economy with the devaluation of property values caused primarily from over-development. Amendment 4 will allow a process for citizens to give their stamp of approval on only those comprehensive land use changes that have the initial approval of their elected officials. There would be no reason to believe all these changes would be voted against. However, some could be voted down if citizens like their current plan over the developers' proposed change. 


Source: The Bradenton Times

Lie Number Six: "Election ballots the size of small phone books on changes to Comp Plans"
The average community might have 2 to 4 land-use changes per year, if that. The voters know what or what not they want in their community. That is why they have spent over $1 mil to have a comprehensive plan and resent politicians changing the direction of their communities. There is no need for long explanations or confusing ballot language. Amendment 4 will stop the unnecessary land-use changes and city commissions changing Comprehensive Plans for developers against the wants of the residents who pay the taxes for the infrastructure, schools, etc.

Read Randy Schultz's column today in the Palm Beach Post. He still does not quite get it.