| News-journal.com Letters to the editor for Oct. 9, 2009 Deep pockets I would like to point out some of the flaws in Kevin Kronk's anti-Hometown Democracy Amendment letter. He begins with "The basic premise that politicians are in the pocket of developers is so preposterous it is laughable, were it not that so many uninformed people believe it." Unfortunately, there are numerous instances of elected officials throughout Florida convicted of taking bribes in exchange for favorable land-use changes or other forms of financial giveaways. The FBI even set up another field office in Florida just to address the epidemic. It is interesting to note that what the bribers got in exchange is usually much less than Daytona Beach has handed out on a regular basis without the bribes. Next he says, "Leslie Blackner and the Hometown Democracy crowd will not be satisfied until every development in Florida is stopped." This too is patently false. Hometown Democracy supporters recognize the importance of development to our economy and only want development to adhere to our existing rules. Existing zoning allows many times more homes and businesses than already exist in Daytona Beach. Further changes only serve to enrich the individual who got the change and will dilute the value for all other property owners in the city. Haven't you seen your property value fall far enough that you would like the power to vote on further changes? Surprisingly, Kronk also drags out the reference to the pregnant- pig constitutional amendment approved by voters early in the decade. For newcomers, Florida had no law to prohibit pig farmers from caging pregnant pigs in stand-up crates during their entire gestation period, a common practice in other states. Please do an Internet search to see these disgusting devices in action. In 2002, Floridians did what the Legislature would not and prohibited this barbaric practice through citizen-initiative petition. How interesting that Kronk would twist an old example of large agribusiness's coverup by politicians to buy cover for his profit center too. He closes by stating that St. Pete Beach is dying because of its local voting version of the Hometown Democracy proposal. Nothing could be further from the truth. All of Florida's real-estate industry is hurting. Big campaign contributors were allowed to overbuild because politicians over zoned. Together, billions were made before they crashed the market. Politicians created these current hard times and will try to use it as justification for more giveaways. What sets St Pete Beach apart is its citizens will have final approval over new giveaways and will, rightfully, pass the ones that have real community value. I would like to congratulate Kronk on a fact he chose to leave out, his membership in the Million Dollar Founders Circle of the Florida Homebuilders Association. Although we may not have such wealth to toss around, hundreds of thousands of Floridians want to protect our future, too. That is why we support Amendment 4, the Florida Hometown Democracy Amendment. GREG GIMBERT, Daytona Beach | 
