Better reasoning needed to defeat controversial Amendment 4

Jane Healy | Feet to the Fire
Orlando Sentinel
June 28, 2009

It's no wonder that opponents of Florida Hometown Democracy have suddenly gotten very nervous. The proposed constitutional amendment passed muster with the Florida Supreme Court, and the secretary of state last week placed it on the 2010 ballot, naming it Amendment 4. The battle will be fierce, but if opponents really want to defeat this proposal, they had better come up with some new arguments against it rather than the hysterical ones they are spouting now...

New growth law and proposed amendment pose problems and hold promise for Florida

by Kevin Spear
Orlando Sentinel
June 26, 2009

A state law enacted this month does away with some requirements in urban areas for developers to improve roads when their projects would boost the number of cars. And earlier this week, the controversial Florida Hometown Democracy constitutional amendment was certified for a 2010 statewide ballot; if passed, voters could have potent say over growth...

Tell Congress to Choose Real Health Care Reform

Florida PIRG

Insurance executives testified in Washington, D.C., last week. They refused to stop dropping coverage on individuals -- once they get sick -- because of minor, honest mistakes on their application forms. Watch this video to see them defend this practice.

We need health care reform that tackles exploding health care costs and ensures real choices for families and businesses.

Please sign our petition to your members of Congress...click on Title above!

Court to the rescue on voter initiatives

St. Petersburg Times Editorial
June 19, 2009

The Florida Supreme Court came to the rescue of the state's voter initiative process, protecting it from undue legislative meddling in a welcome ruling Wednesday. With a full written decision to come, the justices issued a brief 4-2 ruling to strike down a law that had let voters revoke their signatures on initiative petitions to put constitutional amendments on statewide ballots...

Click Title above for full article

Update: Crist signs controversial growth bill

By Jim Ash • florida capital bureau chief • June 1, 2009
Tallahassee.com

Gov. Charlie Crist, a U.S. Senate candidate who frequently crosses the state for high-profile bill signing ceremonies, took a far different approach Monday when he signed a controversial growth management bill vehemently opposed by environmental groups...

Floridians need more say in development decisions

Florida Times-Union
By Ron Littlepage
Story updated at 6:28 AM on Thursday, May. 21, 2009

I haven't been a fan of Florida Hometown Democracy, but that's changing. Here's why:...

In other words, legislators have pretty much given free rein to developers to continue building; quality of life and the state's natural resources be damned, even though there are currently 300,000 homes in Florida sitting empty...But it's not just the betrayal by the Legislature that's making Florida Hometown Democracy more attractive.

Efforts by the Jacksonville Aviation Authority to extend a runway at Craig field despite overwhelming opposition is growing tiresome.

The aborted attempt by the Jacksonville Port Authority to cram a cruise ship terminal down the throats of Mayport residents is another example why land use changes to our comprehensive plan should be more difficult.

That's what Florida Hometown Democracy would do.

The proposed constitutional amendment likely will be on the ballot in November 2010. If voters approve it, land use changes would have to be approved by that jurisdiction's voters...

Special interests funnel $6 million to Florida lawmakers

By Steve Bousquet, Breanne Gilpatrick, Alex Leary, Marc Caputo and Mary Ellen Klas, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
In Print: Sunday, March 15, 2009
St. Petersburg Times

TALLAHASSEE — In the latest election cycle, dozens of Florida legislators raked in $6 million in special-interest campaign money and spent a good deal of it on themselves for meals, rental cars, plane trips and hotels...