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Highlands Today

Hometown Democracy Is A Bad Idea, But So Is Bad Growth

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By None Selected

Published: November 18, 2007

Make no mistake about it, the ballot proposal "Florida Hometown Democracy" is a bad idea that, if passed, would begin a nightmare of voting on every growth and planning issue at the local level. It's exactly what our state doesn't need.

That said, we like that the threat of Hometown Democracy has pushed a lot of politicians and big developers to agree to more stringent regulations and hurdles for building developments. It's about time Florida finally slowed the "Sprawlification" of our state.

Hometown Democracy is a ballot initiative founded by Leslie Blackner, an attorney living in Palm Beach. She and another attorney took on the issue to force politicians and developers to ask voter approval on growth and planning changes. They were sick of what's happened to their state.

They started a petition drive and threatened to put it on the ballot. Indications showed that many Floridians agreed with the allegation that too many elected officials are in bed with developers and business interests who do not care about Florida's environmental quality of life.

Wording on the the first measure was tossed by the courts, then it was reworded and signatures are being gathered to get it on the ballot again. Business and development interests are fighting back with their own petitions and by making it harder to get initiatives on the ballot.

The fatal flaw with Hometown Democracy is that it will spark the beginning of big-dollar campaigning for every development wanting to turn soil in our state. The developers with the bucks will be able to buy the advertising and spinmeisters to get their projects through, while other developers will see their projects go down in flames.

If you don't think this is possible, look to other states where too many things are on the ballot for voters to decide. The last thing we need is for an uninformed electorate to be voting on important growth matters. It's also true that the next to the last thing we need are good old boys approving developments and growth because big money is involved, without any regard to what it does to communities and our state.

Hometown Democracy is too draconian. Of course, it's because of Florida's raping over the last 50 years or more that people are supporting it. Common sense is what's needed. That can be fostered by more rigorous systems, like concurrency, that makes sure infrastructure is in place before growth is allowed to happen.

We're already on the right track. With a few more changes, ballot measures like Hometown Democracy won't even be necessary.

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