A small group of wealthy extremists and sympathetic journalists have popularized three Florida Hometown Democracy myths

TC PalmPublished August 20, 2008
By Ryan Houck


A small group of wealthy extremists and sympathetic journalists have popularized three Florida Hometown Democracy myths.

They say FHD is a grass-roots movement. It is not.

They say it will lead to smarter growth. It will not.

They say it gives power to the people. It does not.

Kenric Ward's July 25 column pays homage to all three. FHD is not a "grass-roots campaign" because grass-roots campaigns inspire supporters. FHD hires them. Since 2003, Hometown Democracy has spent nearly $1 million for paid petition gathering alone -- hardly the mark of a "grass-roots" campaign.

The two unpaid volunteers highlighted in Mr. Ward's column are refreshing, but uncommon examples. If you are asked to sign a petition, the overwhelming likelihood is that you are talking to a paid professional. Some solicitors have been paid $3 per petition.

Mr. Ward notes that "surprisingly few people" have heard of FHD. However, Hometown's problem is not that voters don't care about the issue. FHD's problem is that voters aren't interested in the solution. Even the much-derided "pregnant pigs" amendment collected more than 70 percent of its signatures with unpaid volunteers. Unlike FHD, it qualified after only one attempt.

How is it possible that Hometown Democracy -- a well-funded campaign about a hot-button issue -- could not inspire a greater grass-roots following? The answer is simple: right problem, wrong solution.

Hometown Democracy has pointed out what every Floridian already knows: Our growth-management system is imperfect. But FHD supporters offer few concrete reasons why their idea will make the system better. In fact, countless business, community, growth management, environmental, planning and labor groups argue that FHD will make the system far worse.

Forcing voters to decide every technical land use plan amendment -- thousands each year -- will not improve growth management. It will eliminate it altogether.

If you think overcrowding in our schools and traffic on our roads cannot get any worse, just wait until you see Hometown Democracy in action. To get a sneak preview, look no farther than St. Pete Beach, the small Pinellas County town that adopted Hometown Democracy-style rule two years ago.Since becoming a test case, endless legal battles and nonstop political infighting have shut down the local economy. When reformers tried to work through the referenda process to promote four changes to the local comprehensive land use plan, citizens decisively said "yes" at the ballot box.

However, only two days after the "will of the people" was heard, Hometown Democracy disciples filed a lawsuit to invalidate the entire election.It seems that the message from Hometown Democracy is: "You can have any opinion you want, as long as it's ours." That is why FHD will not empower voters.

Most voters will become frustrated when they face 200 or 300 technical land use plan changes at the ballot box. Few will see 50-page ballots as an opportunity to become more involved in public planning. Most citizens will become disillusioned and many will decide not to vote. That is why I share Mr. Ward's frustration over scant media coverage.

We should shine the light on Hometown Democracy. Every journalist, every Floridian, should carefully study this proposal. But let us do more than criticize the status quo. Let us look at FHD's proposed solution.

Voters will quickly see that FHD is too radical, too overreaching and fraught with too many unintended consequences.

Houck is executive director of Floridians for Smarter Growth, an Orlando-based political committee