We are obviously disappointed in the apparent outcome of the referendum on Amendment 4. But we are extremely grateful for you, the countless thousands of volunteers and grassroots activists who stepped forward over the past seven years to fight the monumental battle just to get this issue on the ballot.
We fought together as a group of (very) concerned citizens in the face of the greatest pro-sprawl alliance ever put together in Florida. For seven years, those who make their living off of bad developments, real estate speculation, sprawl and back-room deals did everything they could to block our citizen initiative -- and any citizen initiative that might try to follow us. They created their own phony amendment. They created laws to attack our petition signers. They changed the state Constitution to require the approval of 60 percent of the public to pass an amendment.
To do this, they raised and spent well in excess of $16 million that we can document so far.
Make no mistake about it, we are right about the insidious affects of runaway growth. Our solution was the only one that anybody, including the state's sanctimonious news media, put forward and had the guts to stand behind.
Unfortunately, it is very difficult to have a rational discussion of a solution to Florida’s horrible growth management problem in 30-second television ads that cost millions of dollars to air. Voters were subjected to the full financial power of those special interests that are committed to maintaining a death grip on their ability to control the status quo of sprawl and overbuilding in our state. We nonetheless respect the voters’ judgment at the ballot box.
For seven years, we sought to focus a discussion about how Florida will grow. We hope it is a discussion that continues beyond today, which marks the end of the Florida Hometown Democracy movement. It is left to our state’s elected leaders and residents find an answer to Florida’s addiction to promiscuous construction before it is too late for our state’s natural resources and quality of life.
Thank you for your support and hard work, and for your passion and concern,
Lesley Blackner
President, Florida Hometown Democracy
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