The Florida Hometown Democracy Amendment that will be on the Nov. 4 ballot is either a great advance in citizens' rights and a marvelous tool for taking our government back from corrupt politicians or an evil, job-destroying measure that will put millions of tax dollars into lawyers' pockets, an outcome nobody wants -- except the lawyers, of course.
It was a spirited but courteous debate. Sarasota County commissioner Jon Thaxton, who is firmly against Prop. 4, and Manatee County commissioner Joe McClash, who supports it, are both Republicans, both more environmentally sensitive than most local government officials around here, and have worked together on many issues that affect both Sarasota and Manatee counties.
The video is a little over one hour long. You can watch all of it or skip around. Either way, these two gentlemen will give you an excellent look at both the positives and the negatives of this contentious ballot initiative.
Prop 4 is one of the few ways we can control the illegal and off the books bribes between our elected representatives and special interests i.e. large developers or friends of special interests. Instead of sending a bag of cash to the commissioners the developers will have to plan ahead and well, and face public scrutiny. Yes, the attorneys will be a little less rich also! Domage!
Posted by bill nelson on November 1, 2010
Great, more minimum wage mall jobs is what Florida needs. Malls do not "create" jobs. Most mall stores are empty about 85% of the year. It's the shared profits and losses (and tax breaks) of all the stores within these mall chains across the entire country and world for that matter that's what's keeping them afloat.
Big and even small businesses (if there really is such a thing anymore) do not "create" jobs. Supply and demand creates jobs. If there is a good or a service out there that people need or want badly enough, then jobs are created to fulfill the need for this good or service. Individuals with good ideas that made things that people wanted used to be able to "create" jobs, but the Gap, Starbucks, McDonald's, WalMart and every mall anchor store have sucked the creativity out of our economy because it costs too much to compete with these behemoths.
Anything "we the people" can do to make it more difficult for giant corporations to take over every inch of our planet, I think is a very good thing. We need to start thinking outside the "big box" and take our local economies back from the corporate boardrooms and HQs that are not even located in our state. Prop 4 seems like it may be a step in the right direction.
Posted by Joe Goldman on October 16, 2010
What ever happened to disclosure? Doesn't Mcclash own this news source?
Posted by rob turner on October 13, 2010
Excellent debate. I wonder how many Floridians will take the time to watch it. Thank you.
Posted by Y. C. Lopez on September 27, 2010
These General Plan issues are more complex than can be fully explained in 75 word ballot summary. In addition to the actual development, there are fiscal and transportation impacts to consider.
Example, a current general plan calls for a major regional shopping mall including Nordstrom, Apple, plus other high end stores and restaurants on a parcel of land, but the owner decides he?d like to change the plan and build a 5-acre lot equestrian neighborhood with riding trails around the outside and a world-class indoor riding arena in the center. What neighbor wouldn?t prefer the fewer cars and less noise in their backyard?
Guess what? Residential uses rarely completely pay for the services they consume. The lower the density the greater the cost in infrastructure maintenance and miles driven by police and service vehicles.
That shopping mall creates hundreds of jobs and millions of tax revenue dollars both sales and tourism related to the local government.
It took me 156 words to explain it.
Posted by Al Horrigan on March 11, 2010
Thanks for showing this. it was a really thoughtful debate.
Posted by Jeffrey R. Orenstein, Ph.D. on March 11, 2010
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