Marsha's blog

One of the things that wasn't covered in the CAN Debate last week is something that I am very curious about.  It's the last paragraph of the Petition sponsored by the CPVR to increase the requirements to do away with an elected position to a Super Majority Vote. I've read it several times and to me it basically will wipe out the CTLAC Amendment provided it gets on the ballot and it passes.  I am interested in anyone else's interpretation on what this paragraph means.

"This amendement shall be effective immediately upon approval by the electors of Clay County, and shall be effective as to any question on the November 2008 general election ballot and thereafter"

Last night I attended the Debate sponsored by CAN (Clay Action Network) between Jane Padgett of the CTLAC(Citizens for Term Limits and Accountability) and Roy Lyons representing the CPVR (Citizens for the Protection of Voters Rights) over the 5+2 issue. 

I would like to Congratulate Jane Padgett on what I believe was a job well done.  In spite of the criticism of the group itself in opening statements  Jane stuck to the merits of the issues brilliantly and with extraordinary class.  When she was asked questions that either came from emails or those in person in the audience I was impressed with how well she focused and answered the questions asked.  The CTLAC was well prepared with a handout that explained why they have pursued certain petitions, and what their reasoning was and as time permitted in her opening statement went over the handout with the audience. 

April 24, 2008 – People cannot take back their support once they sign petitions to get citizen initiatives on a ballot, an appeals court ruled Wednesday in a case over whether voters should have a say in changing infrastructure and development plans.

The 1st District Court of Appeal said a law that lets voters revoke their signatures is unconstitutional, so it overturned a trial court’s ruling.

The Legislature passed the law at the request of business organizations. They then used it to revoke 13,182 signatures obtained by proponents of Hometown Democracy, an initiative that would require voter approval of changes in plans laying out where new roads, homes, businesses and other development can be built. Hometown Democracy sued even before that campaign began.

The appeals court’s seven-page ruling said revoking signatures burdens the initiative process with requirements not found in the Florida Constitution. Instead, the constitution gives citizens the right to propose amendments without legislative assistance.

The law is one of several steps the Legislature has taken in recent years with encouragement from business leaders to make it more difficult to pass initiatives. They contend initiatives such as Hometown Democracy could slow growth and the harm the state’s economy.

The issue may wind up being resolved by the Florida Supreme Court.

That word has been used quite alot in the last few days.  I don't know about the rest of you but every once in awhile I have to go back to visit Mr Webster to check on words I have used all my life.  You spend years believing they mean one thing and then after a consult realize you may have been just a bit off.  I believe there are some using the word that could be taking it slightly out of context.

In the last week I've written two blogs on the 5+2 issue.  I took my stand based upon a basic simple principle of money.  I did not lambast opponents of this issue, I did not complain about the SOE. I offered readers a valid principle with which people could identify and agree with.

Here is the link for the CTLACs' Petition to reduce the number of Clay County Commissioners from 7 to 5.

This link was set up by my son-in-law on his own server so if at anytime the link does not appear to work please let me know.  Thanks Tim!!

For those of you in favor of this petition I suggest you put in into your setup so it appears at the end of each blog entry like your name does if you do such things.  This will make it easier for people to access if it appears on a regular basis until the deadline.

For those of you out there reading that are not registered you can still click on the link and go straight to the Petition. 

Goverment and Politics is such a complicated issue, it's like a mutant Octopus with a gazillion tentacles.  Sometimes people are (like me) just overwhelmed as to which way to go and in the end do nothing out of frustration and confusion.  I've always found the best way to deal with complicated issues is to get to the core of the matter and work your way out.  There are those who would be critical of this thought process but it has always served me well. 

All other tentacles of the issue aside, I am for less Goverment, I have always been for less Goverment.  We're all aware of the waste that already exists, and we are all aware that our County Community is facing hard economic times as is this Nation.  If you're like me when the income goes down significantly, or expenses go up dramatically and unexpected you tighten the belt.  You don't increase your debt or your overhead.

When I heard the news of the three teenagers killed in a car accident that went to Nassau High School last night the first thing I did was say a prayer for those families and then I went to hug my own kids and tell them I loved them.

The news said that the Principal announced this on the Schools Public Address System.  I'm thinking the Principal as well may have been in some sort of shock because I don't understand why he would do that.  Actually let me back up and say I can see the reasoning of not wanting rumors to fly and the importance of the truth but I was very surprised to hear that it was announced this way.   I'm an adult and would find a public announcement over a PA system about the death of a friend a little traumatizing.  Imagine those students who were friends with all three.

With the housing market in turmoil, and Law Suits flying in every which direction by people trying to make someone else responsible for their choices there is a new law coming which will treat some symptoms but it won't resolve the problem.

Normally I try to keep my profession (Residential Appraising) out of the blogs because so much of what I do deals with opinion. Before I go any further into this let me acknowledge that as in any Profession or Vocation there are bad apples. I am not one of them.  There is more then one way to arrive at a value and not everyone learns all of them, nor in the same way.  Competition is stiff in my field, our company has trained many an Appraiser who at the end of their training when they can go it alone end up taking some business and then becomes competition.  There are some in this industry who acheive increasing their own business by backstabbing others. 

Ok, here's something adorable and amusing, everyone look and then the next time someone says something you don't like just use three little letters EEB (Evil Eye Baby).  I saw this several weeks ago and when I read Winns frustration at all the Obama blogs I thought about this little guy.

YouTube - evil eyes baby

I saw on the news last night that the Legislature has outlawed baggy(the ones that hang under ones arse) pants in school.  I'm glad for that but cannot help but wonder if this is really going to help anything?  It's a bit of a stereo-typical attitude to have but those who like that sort of attire are not really all that interested in an education anyway so will this in the end just cause the dropout and truancy rate to increase?