Letter: Floridians for Smarter Growth is a 'front for the overdevelopment industry'

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Expect a rolling barrage of ads and speeches by Floridians for Smarter Growth against Amendment 4, which allows citizens — not just developers and their politicians — to control growth and protect home values. FSG is entitled to its own opinion, but not its own facts, as the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan once said.

The supposed fact FSG peddles is that Amendment 4 requires popular vote on “everything.” Not true. It requires a vote only on land use changes to comprehensive plans. Amendment 4 specifically says so twice in its summary and seven times in its text. FSG bases its false claim on Supreme Court comments concerning an overly broad sentence the court deleted when it approved a more narrowly focused Amendment 4.

Floridians for Smarter Growth is a front for the overdevelopment industry that has done so much economic harm. The Florida Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Florida finance FSG. This is well known. What is not well known is the personal financial interest of many of those parroting the FSG falsehood. They write letters and speak before county boards in favor of pro-developer laws. Among those who rarely mention their financial connection to developers are landowners, lawyers, accountants, architects, Realtors, planners, environmental consultants, public relations flacks, builders, engineers, contractors, landscapers, politicians receiving pro-developer campaign contributions, and bankers and investors — plus their families and friends.

These folks are a small part of the population, but they are organized and motivated to speak loudly from the pocketbook. The rest of us would be better able to put what they say in perspective if they admitted their existing or potential financial affiliation.

When someone speaks against an amendment that allows residents to have a say in community growth, we should wonder what their developer connection is.

Al Forman, Palm City