Lesley Blackner — president of Hometown Democracy, the organization that worked to put Amendment 4 on Florida’s November ballot — contacted us in response to a piece about opposition to the amendment becoming more vocal in North Florida that we published Tuesday. Here is her statement in full:
It’s no secret that a who’s who of the folks who crashed Florida’s economy with overbuilding oppose Amendment 4, the proposed constitutional amendment sponsored by Florida Hometown Democracy, an non-partisan group. This important reform will let voters have the final say over whether their local growth plans should be changed. Real estate speculators and politicians paved over paradise and Florida taxpayers have been left holding the bill. Taxpayers got the insane traffic, overbuilt sprawl, the housing meltdown, and rising taxes.
Hopefully Florida voters are connecting the dots that irresponsible overdevelopment leads to higher taxes and lower quality of life. Voters have been betrayed by the political class over and over again and realize that our homes and our communities are too important to leave in the hands of politicians and the lobbyists parked 24/7 down at city hall.
Amendment 4 will give voters the right to decide if a proposed change to the community plan is worthwhile for the community. Voters should get a seat at the table — a chance to vote — because we’re the ones who pay the taxes and have to live with the mess caused by speculator give aways.
On November 2nd, Floridians will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for real change that can stop the Ponzi-scheme economy that politicians and speculators created. Vote yes on Amendment 4 in November.
Lesley Blackner
Blackner is president of Florida Hometown Democracy, the sponsor of Amendment 4. To learn more go to: www.floridahometowndemocracy.com
