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Hometown Democracy Returns Power To Citizens

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By JOHN HEDRICK

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 26, 2008

The recent filing of a federal lawsuit is aimed at qualifying Florida Hometown Democracy for this year's election. Should the court order Hometown Democracy onto the ballot, it will validate what the over 820,000 people who have already signed petitions know - that the people must have the power to make major growth decisions directly. State and local governments have shown no ability to stand up to the development industry.

Witness what occurred this last legislative session. Not only did the legislators not strengthen growth management along the lines pursued by Tom Pelham, head of the Department of Community Affairs, but they tried to further weaken the rules that guide our state's growth. Luckily, many citizens stood up in a loud voice and said, "No more," and these anti-growth management bills died.

The Hometown Democracy initiative has the support of major organizations such as Florida Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club, the Humane Society of the United States, Environment Florida, Florida Public Interest Research Group, Florida Consumer Action Network, Floridians for a Sustainable Population, Clean Water Action, Friends of the Everglades, Save the Manatee Club, numerous local Audubon Society chapters around the state, as well as a tremendous number of local, civic, community and coalition organizations.

Individual citizens also have shown their support for the amendment, not only through continuously signing petitions, but also contributing individually to the campaign - the Florida Division of Elections web site lists 2,426 separate contributions from one-time or multiple-donation individuals.

Why should we be concerned? The "professional planners" would have you think the state can "sustainably" handle another 18 million people by 2060. However, strains on infrastructure, water supplies and the environment show we can't handle what we've got now!

And the state doesn't have viable comprehensive plans - the land-use constitutions that are developed by means of a citizen participation process. Plans now can be amended at the drop of a hat, and local politicians give out amendments like candy.

Currently, these comprehensive plan amendments end up being a "growth tax" on citizens at large, who have to foot the bill, in the form of increased property taxes, for the new roads, schools and other needs required by the increased population and commercial growth. Impact fees are either nonexistent or inadequate in nearly every local government. Hometown Democracy will not stop growth. Believe it or not, the public can say yes, as shown by votes taken in local governments that already either have some local form of Hometown Democracy or have voted on growth issues. It's just that the public is going to have to be convinced that something indeed is in their best interest. Unlike politicians, they are not beguiled by developer consultants or campaign contributions.
Florida Hometown Democracy is an idea whose time has come.

John Hedrick of Monticello is a member of the Florida Sierra Club.

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