Attorney: Let citizens make land decisions

Published - June, 3, 2007 
By Wendy Wills
Pensacola News Journal

Lesley Blackner, an environmental attorney from Palm Beach, believes residents of Florida should have a major say in decisions regarding land development.

As president of Florida Hometown Democracy Inc., a nonpartisan group, she offered her ideas at The League of Women Voters of the Pensacola Bay Area's 57th annual meeting Saturday at New World Landing.

Blackner and her group are working to pass a constitutional amendment, the Florida Hometown Democracy Amendment, that would give residents, rather than local government officials, the direct power to approve a county's comprehensive plan.

Blackner discussed how important it is for Florida voters to have a voice in local government comprehensive land use plans. Comprehensive plan amendments allow for more development on a particular portion of land.

So far, the group has collected 300,000 signatures on a petition to put the amendment to a vote in 2008, but the group needs to collect 311,000 more by the end of the year.

Blackner said putting approval of such plans in residents' hands would give them confidence that their votes count.

"Who gives the most money to these local commissioner campaigns? It's the developers," she said. "Why is it so hard to fight city council in court? Land use decisions are political decisions made by city and county commissioners." Blackner said her years of studying the law taught her that voters have more power than they might imagine.

"I've come across cases that say if voters are dissatisfied with the way their representatives are voting, the voters delegated power to their representatives. Guess what -- they can take that power back."


Article Comments

Reader Comment Sun Jun 03, 2007 4:37 am
Finally an amendment that makes real sense; we can NOT trust those that are running things now to do what is in the public's best interest. This amendment would move Florida back toward a true democracy instead of teh lobbyist-run plutocarcy that we have today. No matter how many developers line commisioners pockets, no matter how people like Whitehead get elected in their districts, no matter how people like Touart get hired, we can regain control of at least some aspects of our lives.
Posted by: MSILVA
Sign Petition Sun Jun 03, 2007 9:53 am
The pnj reporter "forgot" to include the website where we can get a petition to sign! Good job, again, pnj.

www.floridahometowndemocracy.com
Posted by: PBphotog
COMP PLAN Sun Jun 03, 2007 2:09 pm

To MSILVA and Pbphotog –

Have either of you ever read a county’s (any county’s) Comprehensive Plan? Do you feel that you are competent to interpret a Comprehensive Plan?

Do either of you own property? How would you like it if you had to get the majority of your county’s voter’s approval anytime you wanted to build on or to renovate your property?

Posted by: Xochitl
Give it back to the people, it will be ok Sun Jun 03, 2007 4:37 pm
Occam's razor...

This is often paraphrased as "All things being equal, the simplest solution tends to be the best one." In other words, when multiple competing theories are equal in other respects, the principle recommends selecting the theory that introduces the fewest assumptions and postulates the fewest hypothetical entities. It is in this sense that Occam's razor is usually understood.

Point is, common folks can usually see through the BS.
Posted by: omgwhatnow
Reader Comment Sun Jun 03, 2007 7:15 pm
Yes, I own property, yes, I have read through this (and other) county's comprehensive plans, and yes, I'm sure as hell as competent as Whitehead, Young, et al.
Posted by: MSILVA
COMP PLAN Sun Jun 03, 2007 7:56 pm