Originally Published: 23 September 2007
The Orlando Sentinel
Charla Barrett opened the brown envelope marked "Urgent" and raced through the contents.
"Oh, no," she thought to herself. "Perhaps I've been tricked, and now Florida will be in trouble."
Relax, Charla. You did the right thing.
Like 475,000 people across Florida, the 55-year-old retired administrative aide signed a petition to put the Florida Hometown Democracy Amendment on the ballot in November 2008.
That is the proposal to give voters the right to decide whether they want huge subdivisions.
What Barrett later got in the mail came from "The Honorable" John Thrasher, former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. He failed to mention that he is the current lobbyist for some of the biggest developers and land interests in the state.
Thrasher told Barrett that her signature appeared on the petition and implored her to revoke it. He enclosed a postage-paid envelope.
He warned that "special interests" will rule the state and "Florida's scenic beauty" will be destroyed by "Big Developers."
Worst of all, "electors will decide our fate." Oh, no! Voters in charge?! What fruitcake came up with that notion?!
OK, the fun is over.
The Florida Hometown Democracy Amendment is sponsored by a nonprofit group of folks sick of having developments shoved down the throats of those who don't want them -- which is to say, current residents.
Let's be clear here: "Big Developers" are not behind this amendment -- they are opposed to it.
It works like this: Each county and city has a blueprint for growth called a comprehensive plan. Under the amendment, any time elected officials vote to change that plan -- the change is most often to allow big, sprawling subdivisions in rural areas -- voters would have to approve.
This proposal has been called anti-business by those who won't be able to trample the state willy-nilly anymore. It is not. It is pro-resident.
Opponents should acknowledge that this exercise in extreme democracy never would have arisen if developers had not been greedy and elected officials hadn't continually ignored the wishes of their constituents. Are you fed up with a deteriorating lifestyle? Then this amendment is for you.
Opponents say the proposal implies that voters aren't smart enough to get rid of elected officials who don't do what they want. The truth is that voters are plenty bright. But they're busy earning livings and raising families, and they entrusted their best interest to elected officials. Let's say it didn't work out.
This amendment does not take away rights -- those wily "electors" can still toss out whomever they want. Rather, it would give them control of the single most effective way to slow growth -- by stopping changes in the comprehensive plan.
What Thrasher and his big-money supporters are mailing is an emotional scare tactic unsupported by fact.
The Hometown Democracy Amendment is not the end of Florida. It is this state's one shot at salvation.
The group has collected about 475,000 petitions but needs a total of 611,009 for the proposition to get in front of voters statewide. Then it must win 60 percent approval.
Want to help? Go to the Web site www.FLoridaHometownDemocracy.com and download the form. Sign it and send it to the address on the site.
Barrett and her husband, Frank, aren't revoking their signatures -- they weren't fooled.
"You want to do the right thing by Florida, regardless of politics," Charla Barrett said.
Lauren Ritchie can be reached at Lritchie@orlandosentinel.com or 352-742-5918.
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