Update on Hometown Democracy

Below is a copy & paste from the Florida Association of Realtors, you know the group whos President Elect is our very own BCC Chairman.

Commercial Realtors oppose Hometown Democracy

ORLANDO, Fla. – June 19, 2009 – Constitutional referendums slated for Florida voters to consider next year will either kill development or ease developers’ tax burdens, legislators told a group of Orlando-area commercial real estate professionals Thursday.

Three Central Florida lawmakers advised the group to organize opposition to a ballot initiative that would require voter approval for changes to local governments’ comprehensive plans, giving voters power over land-use changes needed for development.

Backed by Florida Hometown Democracy Inc., the measure has exceeded the 676,811 voter signatures needed to place it on the ballot in November 2010.

The ballot language sounds ambiguous, state Rep. Chris Dorworth, R- Heathrow, told a luncheon audience of the NAIOP, an association of commercial real estate development professionals.

“But it’s priority No. 1 for all us,” Dorworth added.

Alan C. Sheppard Jr., chairman of the group’s public affairs committee, said the recession and credit crisis have made it harder to raise funds for political issues, but he said the group needs to band together and contribute financially to defeat the proposal.

“We will need a lot of money if we want to keep developing and continue bringing business to Florida,” he said. Sheppard predicted that the measure could halt development altogether.

State Rep. Stephen L. Precourt, R- Winter Garden, said decision time for voters is still a long way off, but “there’s a lot of things we could do in the meantime to ding this thing.”

One way opponents are trying to undo the ballot initiative is to get legislative approval for allowing people who sign such referendums to later revoke their support. That follows a recent court decision upholding the Hometown Democracy signature process.

Also on the November 2010 ballot is a measure that owners of commercial property should support, legislators told the group. The measure would help cap the property taxes of buildings, warehouses and other structures not used as homes. The amendment would lower the annual cap on assessment increases for those types of commercial properties from 10 percent to 5 percent.

“It’s a good thing for us,” said state Rep. Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island. “It does spur economic development.”

Both ballot proposals would require 60 percent approval from voters to pass.

FAR and the Chamber of Commerce and just about everyone else are going to go ballistic trying to fight this. 

Last week an economist noted that even when this recession/depression starts to recover, property values will fall for the next 5 years.

How do you feel about that property owners?  Personally I am not happy.  There is a glut of homes on the market and building has not stopped despite what some prominent voices in these blogs would like you to believe.  Each new house dumped on the market is one more competitor to yours mr. or mrs property owner.  Competition means lower prices.  When I say dumped I mean they are priced to move and that price typically means lower values.

Hometown democracy, is about what America was founded.  The Florida Constitution, the US Constitution are written for the people.  The people are to govern.

What is the big deal about Florida Home town Democracy, it provides we the taxpayers with a veto, something the legislature and governor will not like.  If politicians do not like it you have to think why would they not like the people having a say in the government.  There are two things that come to mind, first all the lobbyists money for special interest projects will dry up, where will it go, it will go to informercials to try to get the people to support the special interests.  Thus drying up funds to elect our illustrious leaders.  Poor boys will have to go door to door and meet the people to get elected rather than have some Madison Avenue publicity company paint an honest picture of a corrupt person.

Second, the politicians will not like it because many of them have hidden interests in the maintaining of uncontrolled growth.  It will affect these less than transparent interests and slow the progression of legislature persons becoming multi million dollar wealth persons with only one tour in the legislature.  Shucks now they may have to earn their money.

Folks with Home Town Democracy slowing the mindless greed in growth guess what your property values will increase.  Many wise people have suggested that if Home Town Democracy were in place 5 years ago, Florida would be prosperous today and property values would be high.  Yes Florida would return to being a nice place to live.

As a retired military person I honestly believe in Democracy.  It works, the only time it fails is when those we elect become so corrupt that the peoples will is no longer represented, kind of like today.  To me Home Town Democracy will at least slow the corruption and prolong our independence.

Another plus for Home Town Democracy is that we will get to see some people squirm and try to figure out how to find loop holes in it.  We will also see our friends who have lots of money challenging peoples initiatives back in Court "defending our peoples rights"  by this the true definition is "defending my special interests buddies rights".

So once the ballot is printed watch who comes out in defense of Home Town Democracy, bet you all a nickel that it will not be those who get large campaign contributions from growth industry. 

People are fed up with government corruption.  People are fed up with having to pay for special interests to rip us off.  Our billion dollar boondoggle of a beltway would be allowed most likely in a vote but the people would vote for what is the best route and not what is most convenient to lobbyists and those lobbyists supporters.

So if your like me tired of seeing my equity go down the drain, and tired of paying for special interest projects, look forward to voting for Home Town Democracy it will not cure everything, but the message it sends will be strong and who knows some of our illustrious leaders might heed the message and do what is right for a change for the people.

Marsha – thanks for the HTD update.

As I drove up to Orange Park yesterday from my home, on CR 220 I noticed the vacant land where all the trees were removed and many, many tons of fill brought in and now we have a man made lake existing after the rains, but NO buildings!!  I also noted the now vacant building next to Chili’s that housed the LazyBoy store for only a year or so.  And in the Kohl’s strip mall behind the vacant land and the vacant store, there is still an empty store or two after at least two years.  Moving along to SR 17 North, two, perhaps three new commercial centers are being built and I would bet the farm that they will not be occupied with any lasting business.  All of this within 9 miles of my home.  I can’t begin to imagine the depth and breadth of these vacancies throughout the state.

Who is paying taxes on these vacant buildings?  Who is going to occupy them and pay taxes?  Who paid taxes on the land before it was “developed”? Clear cutting the land to build more unoccupied buildings just doesn’t make any sense to me and I consider those buildings a blight on our existence.  There seems to be no forward thinking on the part of the people who approve these changes – only greed.  My husband says they'll make good housing for the homeless.

My former boss at my workplace (in Jacksonville of course), bought her home in Eagle Harbor back in the late 90s after doing much research in regards to big box stores, gas stations, mini marts, etc. and was assured at that time there would only the small business condos in the development according to the "Plan".  Soon after she and her husband purchased their home came the strip malls and gas stations with the bright lights shining into the windows of those homes in Eagle Harbor.  Look at the area now!  Strip malls, box stores, and the worst traffic pattern I’ve ever seen.  Who in the world designed that mess at the Kohl’s strip?

If Home Town Democracy had been in effect a few years ago, there might still be some trees, wildlife and the roads might still be clogged, but not as much.  “If we build it they will come” was and is the mantra of the developers and politicians but it hasn’t worked out so well, has it?  If logic and common sense were in place rather than whose pockets would be lined, it would be of great benefit to the people who live here.  It might also encourage people to move here instead of leaving as is happening now. 

Support Home Town Democracy.