SOME TEA PARTY PRINCIPLES SUPPORTED BY FLORIDA HOMETOWN DEMOCRACY AMENDMENT 4

"Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves, therefore, are its only safe depositories."
Thomas Jefferson

"The people who own the country ought to govern it."
John Jay

"All political power is inherent in the people."
Florida Constitution, Article 1, Section 1


SOME TEA PARTY PRINCIPLES SUPPORTED BY FLORIDA HOMETOWN DEMOCRACY AMENDMENT 4


• REPUBLIC. It is important to understand that "democracy" and "republic" are not opposite ends of a continuum. They work together to form the government we enjoy today, a constitutional republic based on democratic principles, starting with the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights guarantees members of tea parties and Amendment 4 the right to protest and redress their government. This is an important tool that manifests itself through rallies, town hall meetings and a direct vote on some issues, such as special taxes, amendments, and, if Amendment 4 passes, issues involving comprehensive plans. The right to vote is another tool guaranteed by our federal and state constitutions. Some tea party members have questioned citizens' right to vote on comprehensive plans, using the argument that we are a republic composed of representatives who make our decisions for us. If they believe that, why are they comfortable with powerful lobbyists' attempts to influence lawmakers? Shouldn't the special interests, who pay these lobbyists big bucks to peddle their influence, be satisfied with whatever decisions are made under our republic? One of the purposes of our government is to promote the general welfare. Are our elected officials doing a good job promoting the general welfare?

• CITIZEN PARTICIPATION. Even though Amendment 4 is a state constitutional amendment, if passed, it will be manifested at the local level, where the rubber meets the road. Citizens will vote on comprehensive plans in their own communities, not in other communities or counties in Florida, thus encompassing the spirit of the town hall meetings and rallies utilized by tea parties. Citizen participation is an effective tool used by Amendment 4 and tea parties to ensure accountability and effect positive reform.

• LIMITED GOVERNMENT. Tea parties are all about limited government. So is Amendment 4, which seeks to limit government by controlling growth. There is a strong relationship between population growth and the expansion of government. We encourage you to research your county's population growth rate for the last decade. Compare this rate with the growth of your county's budget during the same time period. Chances are, you will find that your county's budget has grown at a much greater rate than its population. Government uses population growth as an excuse to expand in both cost and size, thus causing our taxes to increase. Amendment 4 supporters believe that giving citizens veto power over our comprehensive plans or plan changes will further limit the power of local governments.

• INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS. The right to vote, which Amendment 4 embraces, is an integral part of our constitution and promotes individual rights. Many of the amendments to the U.S. Constitution address the right to vote. Amendment 4 uses this basic, inalienable right to balance the rights of all citizens.

• PROPERTY RIGHTS. Opponents of Amendment 4 try to equate it with the loss of property rights, claiming that it denies property owners the right to use their property as they wish. Of course, this argument assumes that we have 100 per cent freedom with our property now, disregarding the power of homeowners' associations, code enforcement laws, zoning laws, taxes, and regulations, to limit your use of your property. Adding one more step to the land use process will not take away property rights. Even if a property owner is denied a change request, his status as a property owner remains the same. He never loses his current standing as a property owner. He cannot lose his property or his right to own property. Remember, the only land use changes to be voted on under Amendment 4 are those outside the comp plan. This protects, not destroys, property rights. People who own property inside the comp plan lose when developers are allowed to continually build on cheaper land outside the plan. This leads to sprawl and the increased costs of government and infrastructure. Costs go up; taxpayers pay more. Overdevelopment lowers the value of property and raises taxes, threatening the right to own or profit from property.

• FISCAL CONSERVATISM. We have a glut of houses in Florida, not to mention empty strip malls. Florida has suffered more than most states in the United States and all states of the Southeast in this recession. Why? Because Florida relies too much on growth as its major industry. What happens when there is an oversupply of homes? Values go down. The values of many Florida properties have declined, yet property tax rates have increased to help government make up for lost revenue. So, our home values go down, taxes and fees go up. And, as population increases, government grows in power, size, and cost. What is the answer proposed by developers and government officials? More of the same. Studies have shown that residential housing does not pay for itself. Taxpayers pay. Offering tax breaks, incentives and fair share deals to developers, and suspending impact fees, are local examples of government bail-outs that increase our taxes and lower our quality of life. Amendment 4 believes that before we are asked to pay more for overdevelopment, we should be able to vote on land use plans. If you impact it, pay for it.