The Florida Hometown Democracy amendment is a proposed revision to the Florida Constitution that's necessary if the people of St. Johns County and Florida want real growth management.

It will establish that before a local government may adopt a new comprehensive land use plan or amend a comprehensive land use plan (the binding plans that determine what kind of development goes where), the proposed plan or amendment shall be subject to a local voter referendum.

We must take control of future growth decisions in our communities because county and city commissioners are not doing it and the state Department of Community Affairs challenges very few amendments. The comprehensive plans are not controlling growth; growth is guiding the plans.

Most commissioners have become part of the developers' growth machine largely due to campaign contributions, and are no longer able to make unbiased decisions that are responsive to the public. Too many developments have been approved in St. Johns County with no regard for what effect they will have on roads, schools, water supply, sewer systems, police and fire protection, libraries, wildlife, open and recreational space as well as all the other quality of life standards that make a community a desirable place to live.

If the Florida Hometown Democracy amendment had been law years ago, the people of St. Johns County could have voted on, and possibly prevented mega-developments like Nocatee, Marshall Creek/Palencia, Walden Chase, Rivertown, and all the numerous developments that were comprehensive plan amendments. These changes are transforming areas designated as low density, rural areas into permanently sprawling, congested housing developments masquerading as progress.

To counter the most vocal critics who say Florida Hometown Democracy is an attack on property rights, it should be noted that property owners do not have a right to change zoning under current comprehensive plans. When they seek and obtain a zoning change the local government is giving the property owner a right that they did not have when they purchased the property. Therefore, their rights are not being taken away if they are denied a zoning change. Furthermore, the amendment does not change anything about the current growth management process other than to add one final step: submitting comp plan amendments approved by commissioners to the electorate for final approval or rejection.

Our county and city commissioners can and should in most cases say no to comp plan amendments. For those who worry about construction jobs for millions of people that want to move to Florida, don't forget about a 1999 study that added up all the growth authorized by county and city comprehensive plans in Florida. It found there was housing already allocated for more than 100 million people. It's now eight years since that study and thousands of comprehensive plan amendments later all authorizing more housing. If the voters of this state never amended another comprehensive plan there will be plenty of construction jobs and a booming economy.

I believe that if people have the power to directly influence growth in their community they will go to the polls and make there voices heard.

The developers will have to prove to voters that amending the comp plan is in the public's best interest and will pay for itself instead of raising taxes for existing homeowners. We've been told for decades that growth pays for itself and we need that tax base -- well that's simply not true. Look at your current tax bill and you'll realize that the rhetoric from our county and city commission, Chamber of Commerce, Florida Builders Association, etc., has been a fairy tale.

These future growth decisions are political decisions and often determine the future of our communities. Why shouldn't we have the final say? Let's halt a government of the developer by the developer and for the developer in our county and state.

Show your support for real democracy by going to www.floridahometowndemocracy.com copying, signing, and sending in a petition to show you care about Florida's future.

Julie Parker is a long time supporter of Florida Hometown Democracy.