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Voter-Controlled Growth Debated

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By MIKE SALINERO, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 17, 2007

Is the Hometown Democracy amendment the answer to Florida's developer-driven growth machine, or is it a veiled attack on private property rights?

Members of the Tiger Bay Club of Tampa Bay got an earful of both sides of the argument Friday in a sometimes heated debate between Hometown Democracy founder Lesley Blackner and former state House Speaker John Thrasher, a leader in the move to derail the amendment.

Hometown Democracy would allow voters to approve or veto changes to a county's comprehensive growth plan. Supporters are trying to get the necessary 611,000 petition signatures by Jan. 31 to put the amendment on the November 2008 ballot.

Thrasher heads a group called Save Our Constitution, which is bankrolled by Associated Industries of Florida, a pro-business organization. Thrasher's group is trying to take advantage of a law passed by the Legislature earlier this year that allows people to revoke their signatures on initiative petitions.

Blackner attacked Thrasher for sending a letter to Floridians who signed the Hometown Democracy amendment trying to get them to revoke their signatures. The letter said the amendment would put land-use decisions in the hands of a shadowy group called "electors" who represent "special interests" and their "slick lawyers." The letter doesn't say that "electors" is another term for voters.

"It might be funny if it didn't show such complete disdain for electors, who are the voters," Blackner said. "The letter was full of lies intended to trick voters because Mr. Thrasher knows voters are desperate for reform."

Blackner repeated her oft-stated arguments that land-use decisions are made by crooked local politicians in the pay of wealthy developers. When Thrasher protested against branding local government officials as corrupt, Blackner brought up the recent arrests of two Palm Beach County commissioners accused of fraud involving land deals.

Thrasher conceded some changes need to be made to the state's growth management law passed in 1985, but he said the Legislature should make the changes. He said Hometown Democracy is a plot by radical environmentalists to shut down growth in Florida. That, he said, would kill the economy.

The argument Thrasher wanted to hammer home was that Hometown Democracy is a threat to private property rights.

"The cynicism I heard in here today from my worthy adversary about private property rights is frightening," Thrasher said.

The former House speaker's argument resonated with several club members discussing the debate afterwards.

"It sounds like government control to me," Margaret Plowman said. "I don't want the community to decide on my property. I want to decide on my property."

Reporter Mike Salinero can be reached at (813) 259-8303 or msalinero@tampatrib.com.

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