Florida Hometown Democracy News

Florida Hometown Democracy sent out an email to me. (How did I get on their list?) FHD has 595,000 petition signatures. 611,009 are needed to get on the ballot. If the FHD amendment become laws, registered voters will decide land use zoning issues. This horrifies the business community.


Thrasher sent out a misleading letter labeling FHD a special interest and the amendment putting land use decisions into the hands of "electors." The problem with current reviews of growth management and land use is that politicians make the final decisions. Citizen voices are drowned out. Florida's growth problems are increasing. The true electors solution is to create more growth and an infrastructure that can't support population increases.

Jim Johnson argues that FHD will kill the economy. What FHD will do is get citizens involved in growth management. Johnson provides no evidence to support his claims of FHD killing Florida's economy. This is the same blogger that claims tax-subsidized sports stadiums help the economy because professional athletes buy gas, in the area. This blog has cited several studies that sports stadiums do not help local economies. Johnson provides his economic strawmen arguments without data.

The Financial Impact Estimating Conference does financial estimates for the Florida Legislature. The FIEC sent this letter to (then) Attorney General Charlie Crist.

The direct impact of this amendment on local government expenditures cannot be determined precisely. Over each two year election cycle, local governments cumulatively will incur significant costs (millions of dollars statewide). Costs will vary depending upon the processes employed by cities and counties in obtaining approval for plan amendments. The direct impact on state government expenditures will be insignificant. There will be no direct impact on government revenues.

Pro-business groups are suddenly saying economic growth will disappear. From an economic standpoint, we don't know that since there has never been anything like FHD to use as a case study model. The problem with Florida's economy is it is a growth monster that needs new people moving into the state. The housing crisis proved how bad an idea is a strictly growth economy. Voters can decide what is good for growth, the economy and environment under the FHD amendment. That scares the hell out of the establishment.