Jefferson’s education built America’s foundation of freedom

Thomas Jefferson would be horrified by what America’s woke universities have become

The founding fathers fought a revolution to create a nation of free thinkers.

Now America’s universities are churning out ideological robots. And Thomas Jefferson would be horrified by what America’s woke universities have become.

When Thomas Jefferson sat down to write the Declaration of Independence, he didn’t just pull those revolutionary ideas out of thin air. The concepts that launched the American experiment came directly from Jefferson’s college years at William and Mary, (where my Mother went to college) where he studied under Dr. William Small from 1760 to 1762.

Dr. Small didn’t teach Jefferson to hate America or divide people into victim groups. Instead, he opened Jefferson’s mind to Enlightenment philosophy, natural rights, and the radical idea that people could govern themselves.

Jefferson himself said those college teachings "probably fixed the destinies of my life."

That’s what real education looks like – expanding minds, not closing them.

The founding fathers would be shocked to learn that the institutions they created to preserve liberty have become the biggest threat to American freedom.

Read the rest of this great article

Biden believes he's a cool jock

Biden Taunts Gun Owners

In a new anti-American abomination, Joe Biden has both mocked and threatened American patriots by ridiculing a Thomas Jefferson quote and implying the US government would attack them with F-16s – all while displaying his unfitness for office by botching the quote.

In controversial recent comments, Biden once again expressed his skepticism towards Americans’ Second Amendment rights and the argument that gun ownership is essential for resisting government tyranny.

Thinking he was funny, he suggested that to genuinely confront the government, gun owners would require something far more powerful than their current armaments, specifically F-16 fighter jets.

Biden, mocking Thomas Jefferson's words, repeats, "you need an F-16" to take on the government.

See the video of Biden’s latest threat against American patriots below.

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A Name change doesn't change History

New Jersey Elementary School Ditches Thomas Jefferson From Name Because He Owned Slaves

A New Jersey elementary school has changed its name following a reported student-led campaign to scrap Thomas Jefferson due to his affiliation with slavery.

Per Fox News, Thomas Jefferson Elementary in South Orange will now be known as Delia Bolden Elementary. That name was picked from a list of options that included other historical figures and some options that didn’t reference people at all.

The publication noted that Delia Owens was the first black woman to graduate high school in the area.

Slavery was a different time, a different age, a different culture. What this school should be teaching are all Thomas Jefferson's notable acts such as the Declaration of Independence and elected as the third president of the United States of America. In 1807, American foreign trade was diminished when Jefferson implemented the Embargo Act in response to British threats to U.S. shipping. The same year, Jefferson signed the Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves.

A friend of mine sent this article as it relates to where we grew up as kids. Those attending my high school were from Maplewood and South Orange, New jersey. This school is in South Orange. In those days, New Jersey was rated the top educational system in the country. Now it is a Blue state and obviously things have radically changed.

Read about the insanity

Which candidate is more like Thomas Jefferson?

Which candidate running for president, either Party, comes closest to Thomas Jefferson and his principles--on debt, religious liberty and  the war on Islam.” Throw in individual freedom, limited government, and economic soundness.

Jefferson was one of our founding fathers and principal author of the Declaration of Independence. He was a Vice President and elected the third president of the United States; a proponent of democracy, republicanism, and individual rights, which motivated American colonists to break from Great Britain and form a new nation. He produced formative documents and decisions at both the state and national level. Source: Wikipedia

Find out by clicking here... as to whom comes the closest to Thomas Jefferson.

Quote of the day - Allen West

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On Monday NBA player Jason Collins told us all that he is black – duh – and that he is gay. He immediately became the center of attention with a Sports Illustrated cover story, praise and accolades, TV interviews, and even attention from former President Clinton and President Obama.

People praised Collins for being courageous and heroic. Now, I have to tell you, courage would be announcing you are a gay basketball player in, say, Iran. It does not take courage to state something that will make you a cultural darling.

Collins’ declaration reminds me of the words of Thomas Jefferson: “In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” So you can bet my not jumping on the Jason Collins bandwagon will draw the ire of those who swim with the current and fawn over what is politically correct in our culture.

~ Allen West

Just another reason why I like Allen West. He is politically incorrect.

Quotes from the past - Thomas Jefferson

"The constitutions of most of our States assert that all power is inherent in the people; that... it is their right and duty to be at all times armed."

-- Thomas Jefferson


"A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball, and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be your constant companion of your walks."

-- Thomas Jefferson (1785)

Of course, back in 1785 muskets didn't have a rifled barrel which spun the bullet to make it stay in course. Moreover, the bullets or shots were round pieces of lead, which if they got to a spin, could taper off to any direction. Experts say that the force of the gunpowder probably gave them 20 feet in a fairly straight line. 200 ft would have been just sheer luck.

Muskets were used during the war and for hunting. We didn't have that many people living here back then (less than 3 million in 1785) and they didn't go out and kill people for the hell of it. Drugs were not on the scene and crazed people were rare. I am not convinced that our forefathers would not consider revisiting the 2nd Amendment in today's violent world.

Talk like a Pirate getting more attention

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United Press International, located in Washington, D.C., has picked up on our "Talk like a Pirate" proclamation and the Palm Beach Post article It is now being circulated to many markets. Read more...

Following is former Commissioner Jo-Ann Golden's letter to the city manager, Michael Bornstein:

Subject: Proclamation on city agenda

Dear Michael,

The proclamation set to be read this evening is an insult to the people of the City of Lake Worth. In these times when there is so much turmoil, ignorance, and killing, this effort to further dumb down our government should be rejected.

Pirates operate outside the sovereign governments. Pirates are outside of the law. What exactly is the purpose of this day? Pirates shared in whatever they seized. Are we promoting this philosophy for our City Government.

Modern definitions of piracy include the following acts: Kidnapping of people for ransom, robbery, murder, seizure and sabotage. People are killed by pirates. Environmentalist and yachtsman Peter Blake was murdered by pirates in 2001. A pirate is a criminal who plunders at sea; commonly attacking merchants ships and often pillaging port towns.

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." Thomas Jefferson.

"This institution will be based on the illimitable freedom of the human mind. For here we are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it." Thomas Jefferson

Please return to reason. Perhaps it would have been more appropriate this week to recognize Constitution Day commemorating the signing of our Nation's Constitution. This agenda has been degraded by the inclusion of this proclamation. City Hall is showing a lack of sensitivity and an extremely juvenile mentality. There is no person,or for that matter, any city, that denigrates itself and expects to succeed. To grunt and growl like a pirate is a poor way to show respect for each other and our community. Please pull this agenda item.

Sincerely,
Jo-Ann Golden

Reflections on Independence Day - Allen West

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As we come upon the 236^th anniversary of the document setting America apart from all other nations, the Declaration of Independence, consider the achievement of Thomas Jefferson all those years ago. Thomas Jefferson would create the longest running Constitutional Republic the world has ever known. He would set forth a concept that was foreign at the time, of rule by the consent of the governed, not by the monarch. His idea that our unalienable rights did not come from a single ruler but were embedded in each of us from our Creator wholeheartedly altered the relationship between God, leaders, and the people.

Yet, in a single moment five Supreme Court justices decided that Jefferson’s words had no meaning. These Justices decided that James Madison, John Jay, and Alexander Hamilton had it all wrong.

Read the rest of Congressman Allen West's message.

Bill of Rights Day

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"It is the duty of the patriot to protect his country from its government."
~Thomas Paine

"Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add within the limits of the law, because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual."
~Thomas Jefferson

Bill of Rights Gathering
Tonight,
December 15, 2011
6:00 PM The New McKenna's Restaurant
5283 Lake Worth Road
Greenacres, FL 33463

Update on Agenda 21
-Extinguishing Tyranny: Help is not just on the way, it is here
-Oath Keepers/ Hogan's Heroes inside our government
-Open-Mic for those who would like to speak, subject to limitations of time.

Neighborhood Associations Need To Regain Control

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Sunday, October 16, 2011
Palm Beach Post

Personal issues have no place In Lake Worth mayoral race

Regarding the article "Lake Worth mayor to pass on candidate forums due to 'vicious, personal attacks,'" following a recent political debate Mayor Rachel Waterman was subjected to a taste of the embarrassment commonly known as "Lake Worth politics." Mayor Waterman generally does not avoid tough questions, but in the environment at the Tropical Ridge Neighborhood Association forum, issues could not be productively debated.

At any political forum, societal issues at hand should be the subject of debate. If the nation focused on personal issues, we may have been denied what proved to be some very worthy leaders. Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Harry S. Truman each filed personal bankruptcy. Personal attacks are a waste of time, and in Lake Worth we have wasted too much time and money on politics.

Mayor Waterman's withdrawal from participating in dirty politics was a valiant attempt toward the betterment of Lake Worth. Mayor Waterman has met with and will continue to meet with residents on the street, in their homes or in city hall. With our first trilingual mayor, we have an opportunity to progress in a unified and dignified manner in the practice of true democracy. A select few in our city are only interested in maintaining the status quo, one which led us to near-bankruptcy.

In Lake Worth, we have a budget team, city manager and city commission, all overseeing our expenditures. It seems that the heads of the neighborhood associations and volunteers need to regain control of their venues before they attempt to discredit our mayor.

DINA CLINGMAN-BELL

CHRIS BELL

Lake Worth

System "corrupt" says Maurice Ferre - Vote YES on Amendment 4

Former Miami Mayor Maurice Ferre is outraged enough and he planted a "Vote Yes on 4" sign in the front yard of his Coconut Grove home Tuesday and told CBS4 News that the amendment is needed if any green space is to be preserved in Florida.

Ferre said, "Under current land-use plans there is room "to add 100 million people to the state," and there is no need for further intrusion into the green areas around cities."

"We need this because the system is broken," said Ferre. "It is visibly corrupt."Back in July while making his point about the need to amend the Florida constitution, Ferre invoked the words of one of our founding fathers.

“As Thomas Jefferson once said in a letter to James Madison, dated December 20, 1787, ‘I know of no safe repository of the ultimate power of society but the people.’ It is time for more democracy in Florida. I will vote for bold, intelligent change in our Florida Constitution. I will vote for Amendment 4 on November 2nd.” stated Ferre.

Read the full position while he was running for U.S. Senate and watch his speech here

What Thomas Jefferson has to say and why he would have voted YES on Amendment 4

We decided that this is an important response to the argument about Republicanism versus Democracy. Even the Constitution Committee sent out an e-mail on Friday telling its members to Vote NO on Amendment 4. The head of the Constitution Committee, David Wood, gave a quote by Ben Franklin who slapped down democracy as a reason to reject Amendment 4.

Mayor Rene Varela should be supporting Amendment 4 as he is a firm believer in the Constitution and he is a Jeffersonian. But most politicians speak with forked tongue. Once they get elected, who knows what they will do but we have seen the effects of their bad decisions across the State...empty developments, foreclosure after foreclosure. We don't expect many politicians to ever agree to give up the power to the people. They just want to continue to make corrupt, under the table deals and flip-flop on the very people who trusted them.

Opinion in Fernandina New Leader
by: Robert M. Weintraub

In the ongoing struggle over the Florida Hometown Democracy amendment – Amendment 4 on the November ballot – the centuries-old debate between democracy and republicanism is being revisited.The question: How much power should the people have?

Those who control government want to keep the public at bay. They say the public has enough power, and that our form of representative government is sufficient. They say we elect our representatives whom we expect will protect our interests and represent our views. But Thomas Jefferson warned: "The further the departure from direct and constant control by the citizens, the less has the government the ingredient of republicanism.”

Jefferson further wrote: "The only orthodox object of the institution of government is to secure the greatest degree of happiness possible to the general mass of those associated under it . . . unless the mass retains sufficient control over those entrusted with the powers of their government, these will be perverted to their own oppression, and to the perpetuation of wealth and power in the individuals . . . selected for the trust."

In the Hometown Democracy debate, opponents say “we are a republic, not a democracy,” so therefore land use decisions should be left to those elected to make those decisions. Proponents point out that elected officials have become a collective rubber stamp for every developers’ proposal put before them, the perversion of power Jefferson referred to.

As we have seen repeatedly, not only in Nassau County, but throughout Florida, elected officials do not listen to the public. Crane Island, the commercial development on industrial land at Chester Road, Crawford Industrial Area near Bryceville, Nocatee in St. John’s and Duval Counties and so many more across the state, was ignored by elected officials. This is exactly what Jefferson warned about.

Jefferson called those who bypass the public interest "rogues . . . who, rising above the swinish multitudes, always contrive to nestle themselves into places of power and profit . . . stealing the people's good opinion, and then steal from them the right of withdrawing it, by contriving laws and associations against the power of the people themselves."

Some say the answer is to vote out those who do not pay attention to the public will. Not an easy task when developers and land speculators bankroll their candidates’ election campaign and outspend opponents 3 to 1. Opponents of Hometown Democracy say land use decisions are too complex for the public to understand. To them Jefferson said “I am not among those who fear the people….I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of society, but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take if from them, but to inform their discretion.”

When government abuses the powers given by the people, it is the people’s right to take those powers back as Jefferson so eloquently wrote in the American Declaration of Independence: “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it….When a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”

The Hometown Democracy Amendment follows Jeffersonian philosophy: it is conceived to challenge the despotism that has usurped our government and restore a voice to people on community changes that affect them. Amendment 4 will provide new protection for our future security.

Representative government has failed because those in power have ignored the will of the people. Jefferson said: “The mass of the citizens is the safest depository of their own rights."

That is why we must prevail; we must vote yes for Amendment 4.

Celebrating the Constitution

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As Constitution Day was on September 17, the Constitution Committee of the U.S. held its first annual picnic on Sunday at John Prince Park filled with educational family fun. All the "founding fathers" were there: Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Samuel Adams, George Washington, Ben Franklin and Betsy Ross.

The Constitution Committee says: We are

neither an instrument of, nor an advocate for, any particular political party. Rather we advocate the restoration of our Constitutional Republic by offering classes, lectures, and products designed to re-acquaint the American people with our history, our heritage, and our Constitution, which is the very foundation of our Republic.

Helen Marino with Amendment 4 was there with Ben Franklin

Commissioner Suzanne Mulvehill

The Constitution is not neutral.
It was designed to take the government off the backs of people.
~William Orville Douglas

Joe Budd,
Candidate Congress District 19
"I promise to serve you the only way I know how--
with the honor and integrity that every American deserves."
Joe is running against Ted Deutch

Katie chatting with "Revolutionary" women
on history and Amendment 4

U.S. Constitution FAQ

An estimated 9,000 candidates will become citizens (they did it legally) at 63 special ceremonies held across the country and around the world from Sept. 13-24.

This JULY 4th We Celebrate Amendment 4

Rebecca Eagan
Statewide Amendment 4 coordinating committee
Winter Park

This JULY 4 We Celebrate Amendment 4

"Government has no right to make itself a party in any debate respecting the principles or modes of forming or of changing constitutions. It is not for the benefit of those who exercise the powers of government, that constitution, and the governments issuing from them, are established. A constitution is the property of a nation, a people, or a state), and not of those who exercise the government….a constitution is a thing antecedent to the government, and always distinct therefrom.” ~ Thomas Paine, Rights of Man

On July 4, we reflect on what fired great men to risk life, fortune, and sacred honor to gain. Paramount for them – and for us today -- is that a people must own their government, and not be subject to a ruler’s (or ruling heirarchy’s) whims.

Thomas Jefferson felt the citizenry should periodically assess whether or not the American experiment still worked. To him, any steps taken by government to prevent people’s participation in it forsook the principles of a republic. As Thomas Paine points out in Rights of Man, “Res-Publica” refers to “the public good…not any particular form of government.” Its sole justifying premise is to serve the public interest.

Few ballot issues so directly track founding ideals as Amendment 4, which would grant voters final say over local land use changes. Though castigated by the “power elite” (which prefers a muzzled public), Amendment 4 epitomizes the spirit of ’76. When distress over faulty governance reaches fever pitch, as it has vis-à-vis excess development in Florida, the people act. And they are “Jeffersonian” when they do. Our state constitution provides for redress, via citizen amendment, against unresponsive elected officials.

Hometown Democracy would act as watchdog over local commissions, many of whose structures do not (in the first place) rightly separate powers, since the “executive” chairman/mayor sits also on the “legislative” council/commission, thus precluding impartial review.

The point of independence was to elevate all men onto a level playing field. The Founders knew their new set-up would be subject to abuse by representatives fixated solely on their own power, but they had no choice but to arrange America as federated states and hope the core values that most in 1776 held dear remained core and dear enough to their heirs to keep the states glued as one “country.” It worked, until the slavery issue tore our seams, demanding a better literal expression of the word “equal.”

The imperfect measure was necessary to reform toward a greater good. Our founding docs were rough diamonds, hewn by mortals---perfection being the province of God.

Without a fresh America based on equal rights---even if in reality the ideal hadn’t been met yet---any unity would have devolved into state squabbles still refereed by a remote, despotic Crown. There would have been no reform.

Amendment 4, founded on the same grassroots premise our country was---that people by right own their government and that without this direct ownership it has no grounds to exist---arms voters to hew their elected to the straight and true, and to safeguard their communities from wholesale disfigurement by developers hi-jacking comprehensive plans MEANT to provide stability and predictability to land use for average citizens.

Amendment 4 is the sort of remedial revolt Jefferson cheered. He believed constitutions could and should be amended by whatever succeeding generation chafed under an established power structure that undermined their interests.

Critics seem to fault Amendment 4 for lacking proof that Utopia will result under it. This sets an impossible standard for any reform measure to meet. In 1776, Tory-leaning members at the Continental Congress likewise plugged the status quo.

A constitutional amendment needn’t vouchsafe snag-free Shangri-La---any more than a declaration of independence must---to be the right step to take. As Jefferson told the Marquis de Lafayette: “…we are not to expect to be translated from despotism to liberty in a feather-bed.”

Jefferson, in his last extant letter, mused: The mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred…Let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollection of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them.”

A thing so indelibly tied to the general well-being as land usage should not be ordained by a “favored few.” Let’s toast July 4 for the spirit it embodies; and embrace Amendment 4 for the independence, civic participation and enhanced quality of life it provides. This “people’s measure” is long due.

Contact: Rebecca Eagan
407/644-8402
reagan@cfl.rr.com



Pd Pol Adv floridahometowndemocracy

Political Correctness Running Amuck

Jesse Nieto is one of those many unsung patriotic Americans. He served 25 years in the Marine Corps, including two combat tours in Vietnam. His youngest son, Marc, and 16 of Marc’s shipmates were killed on October 12, 2000, by Islamic terrorists who bombed the USS Cole. Nieto has worked as a civilian employee at Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base in North Carolina since 1994.

Things are getting so twisted in this country and "political correctness" has taken over common sense. Just look at what our Commission did on Arizona.

In April 2010, U.S. District Court Judge Malcolm J. Howard delivered good news to Mr. Nieto. He ruled that Camp Lejeune officials violated his free speech rights back in 2008 when they ordered him to remove decals attacking Muslim terrorists from his vehicle. Judge Howard enjoined Marine officials from further enforcing the ban against Nieto.

Check out the license plate

The rest of the story on political correctness running amuck as follows--

Beginning in 2001, to show his anger toward the Muslim terrorists who killed his son, Nieto displayed various decals on his vehicle expressing anti-terrorist sentiments, such as "Remember the Cole, 12 Oct 2000," "Islam=Terrorism, " and "We Died, They Rejoiced." Based on a complaint from a Marine who is married to a Muslim, on July 31, 2008, two military police officers (MPs) issued Nieto a ticket for displaying "offensive material."

After Nieto refused to remove the "offending" decals from his vehicle, the Base Magistrate issued Nieto a written order, ordering him to remove his vehicle from the base until all decals were removed and banning his vehicle from all other federal installations. The order in effect prevented Nieto from driving his vehicle to Arlington National Cemetery (a federal installation) to visit the grave marker of his fallen son.

As a result of the Marine Corps’ unlawful action, the Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, filed a federal lawsuit against the Camp Lejeune Commanding Officer and the Base Magistrate on behalf of Nieto in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. The civil rights lawsuit challenged the constitutionality of the military’s ban on Nieto’s speech.

Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center, commented, "Political correctness is destroying our military. 9/11 was caused by Islamic terrorists, and our troops are being killed by Islamic terrorists overseas and on our very own military bases; yet, our commanders are more concerned about ‘diversity’ and not offending the Muslim community.

And here, the military re-victimized a father anguishing over the murder of his son by Islamic terrorists because they don’t want to offend Muslims." During sworn testimony taken in the case, Marine officials admitted they would allow speech that favored Islam, but not Nieto’s speech because they considered it "extremist, indecent, and offensive."

In his opinion, Judge Howard responded to the government’s argument as follows: "Defendants argue that the regulation is reasonable and necessary because it is aimed at preventing speech the sole intention of which is to inflame the passion of those within the Base command. However, defendants fail to recognize that pro Islamic messages, such as ‘Islam is Peace, ’ and ‘Islam is Love,’ may be just as incendiary to individuals like plaintiff as anti-Islamic messages are to the individual who complained about plaintiff’s decals."

Robert Muise, Senior Trial Counsel for the Law Center who handled the case, commented, "As Judge Howard’s well-reasoned opinion makes plain, political correctness and ‘diversity’ do not justify violating the Constitution. As a former Marine, I am ashamed at the way the Marine Corps treated this grieving father and war veteran. When I told him of the good news yesterday, he was elated. He plans to be back on base with his vehicle early next week."

“The decision to target Nieto’s opinions seemed purely content-based and arbitrary,” the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression announced last year.

What is going on in this country? The above was reported in various news media across the country. See The Marine Times for reference.

Hanging on to Free Enterprise

Bank of America now says that if a borrower can prove he can no longer pay his mortgage or that he owns few or no assets, it will waive its right to a deficiency judgment at the sale. In other words, that borrower will be off the hook to pay any of the money owed over and above the sale price.

This is just another business decision by the bank to avoid the government’s interference with Obama’s new “entitlement” program, Making Home Affordable, which essentially says that lenders are required to participate in the foreclosure-prevention program that will slash mortgage payments from those borrowers who are unemployed for at least 3 months up to six. Borrowers must owe at least 1.5% more than their home is worth to qualify and must be current on their payments.

Bank of America took $45 BILLION dollars of taxpayer money to bail them out and returned all of the money on December 9, 2009 plus interest of $571,576,269. Its stock closed Friday at $15.60, creeping up from a 52 week low of $11.20 and a high of $19.86.

Our founding fathers believed in the free enterprise system. Right now we do have a cultural war in this country. 30% are of the mindset that believe that taking from those who have or who are responsible citizens should be given to those who aren't or those who won’t.

We have two units in foreclosure in my building and this has affected all the rest of us here as we have to pick up all their condo fees. Everyone should be responsible for his/her own actions and be accountable. Bank America will allow owners to stay in their homes until the short sale takes place. This would be a win for our condo building as our fees would be paid and the unit would be maintained.

Thomas Jefferson said to beware of government’s economic control. “Experience has shown, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.”

Bank of America took its own action and it makes sense. It has also learned and paid a big price from the experience…up the standards for those wanting to borrow.

Memorial Day, A Day to say Thanks

This Memorial Day, we pause to thank our military, who defend our great country. I’ll be remembering my father, a career Navy pilot, away at sea for long stretches of my childhood. Our men and women in uniform, and their families, make great sacrifices for the rest of us. Thanks to them, our democracy has survived for two centuries and we have real freedom and the power of a vote that matters. Thanks to them, the United States is still “the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

Thomas Jefferson described the foundation of our country’s political system when he said: “The basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very first object is to keep that right…Cherish, therefore, the spirit of our people, and keep alive their attention.”

You may be surprised that some of Florida’s most powerful players are spending millions of dollars trying to deny we the people our right to vote. They don’t want us to have the right to vote on a certain local decisions that often determine the fate of our communities for generations to come. It boils down to this: They don’t want us to have the right to vote on whether our community’s overall plan for growth should be changed to accommodate even more development.

The very people who crashed Florida’s economy with speculation, flipping and over-building have spent $6 million to try to defeat Florida Hometown Democracy, on the ballot this November as Amendment 4. They’ve raised $1.4 million January alone. Our opponents have hired high-priced spinners to spread lies and scare you into voting against Amendment 4. Why are the Big Money players and the politicians who serve them so scared of voters?

Florida Hometown Democracy’s Amendment 4 is a grassroots, nonpartisan citizen’s petition drive that will simply give ordinary Floridians the chance to vote when a local commission wants to change their community’s overall land-use plan (called a comprehensive plan.). When a real estate speculator doesn’t want to play by the rules and insists on changing the plan, and the local officials roll over and approve the requested change (like they seemingly always do), voters will have the final say over whether the change should happen. New construction that goes where it’s already designated in the plan requires no vote. That’s it.

The citizen’s vote isn’t some new substitute for the regular approval process we have in Florida now, it’s just an add-on at the end. Here’s how it works: Under Amendment 4, local city or county commissions will, study, hold public hearings, and vote on proposed changes to the comprehensive land-use plan just like they do now. If they give someone the go-ahead to build outside the plan, voters will get the chance to veto or approve their decision on the next regularly scheduled election day.

Citizens deserve a seat at the table. We’re the ones who pay our tax dollars to extend the police, fire, water, sewer, schools and roads to these new developments. Is a new development worth it? We should get a vote before we’re forced to pay?

As we know all too well, the big money funnels campaign cash to politicians to rubber stamp whatever they want. Do you really want to continue to allow politicians to have absolute control over our communities? All you need to do is check your tax bill and get into your car and drive around Florida for your answer. The evidence of the politicians’ gross mismanagement of Florida is there for all to see. Voters need a seat at the table. Amendment 4 will give us common-sense oversight on this “pay-to-play” politics.

Voter control is the only way to change the status quo. If you believe in the power of your vote, please join our nonpartisan, grassroots citizen’s movement to pass Amendment 4 on Election Day, Nov. 2. You can learn more at Florida Hometown Democracy We need to stand up together for our democratic way of life, our votes, and honor those who sacrificed to protect it.


Lesley Blackner

Vote YES 4 Hometown Democracy!