The Facts on Amendment 4

YES ON AMENDMENT 4 IN NOVEMBER
THE FACTS ON FLORIDA HOMETOWN DEMOCRACY

• Why Vote Yes on Amendment 4? Reckless over-development has crashed our economy, our home values, our quality of life while causing causing higher taxes. Irresponsible local officials have let much of this happen. Experience shows we can’t trust our local politicians to protect our homes and communities. Should more growth that isn’t permitted by our master plan be let in? We should get to vote before we’re forced to pay.

• How Would It Work? Today, politicians exclusively decide where development happens. They have the power to allow changes to the community’s long-range growth blueprint, called a local comprehensive plan. Amendment 4 adds one new step to this process: You.
If we pass Amendment 4, your city or county commission will study and vote as usual on changes to the local comprehensive plan. But, after they vote, commissioners will have to submit that approved plan change to you - the voter - in a referendum on the next regularly scheduled Election Day. You will either veto it or approve it. It’s that simple. Amendment 4 doesn’t require special elections.

• What Would I Vote On? Amendment 4 only applies to changes to the comprehensive land use plan (the overall growth blueprint), not to the more frequently-decided individual development approvals, re-zonings, or variances.

If Amendment 4 passes in November 2010, you will decide if a proposed plan change serves the public interest and makes your community a better place to live. If the majority votes yes, the change happens. If the majority votes no, the change doesn't happen.

• Why Bother? Over-development has caused traffic congestion, polluted our waterways, and wrecked too many of Florida’s unique natural areas. Time and time again we see that we can’t trust the politicians to protect our homes and communities. We deserve a vote because we are the ones who must pay for and live with the consequences. Citizens keep getting stuck with the costs of clogged roads, crowded schools, ruined natural areas and polluted waters. Developers get rich at the expense of our communities. Just look around Florida today – developers got so many rubber-stamped approvals from politicians that they overbuilt, crashed our economy, and wrecked our home values. This is what has happened and Lake Worth is no exception.

Business as usual isn’t working. It is time to try a new approach. Florida Hometown Democracy Amendment 4 is a grassroots effort to create a reasonable, common-sense check-and-balance on a system that’s ignored ordinary Floridians for too long. We lost our voice to the big moneyed interests– let’s win it back.

To volunteer, call (866) 779-5513 or email floridahometown@yahoo.com. Send a donation to Florida Hometown Democracy, P.O. Box 636, New Smyrna Beach, Fl. 32170

Let's give us a voice at the table!