Fliers and discussion have also begun to circulate regarding the ballot measures that will appear on the March 2011 ballot to repeal provisions of the City Charter requiring a vote to approve changes to our comprehensive plans. Unfortunately, as the March 2011 election draws near, it seems some folks want to revive the debate about the 2008 Comprehensive Plan, as if the Comp Plan is what's going to be on the ballot. It clearly is not.
The plain truth is that the March 2011 ballot issue(s) are not about the 2008 Comp Plan. They are about whether, after having attempted to implement the 2006 Charter Amendments, we the People of St. Pete Beach want to continue voting on our comprehensive plans, or whether we want to restore to the City Commission the approval power for such matters.
I believe all this talk about what's right or wrong about the 2008 Comp Plan creates the false impression that the March 2011 ballot measures are a vote to accept or reject that particular comp plan, when in fact their scope is much broader and more important.
The March 2011 ballot measures are not about the details of a specific Comp plan, but rather about the PROCESS of how our city reviews ans approves our comprehensive plans, i.e., whether we should continue to implement the novel, unprecedented Hometown Democracy-style provisions we adopted in 2006, or whether it is best to repeal them.
The issues addressed by the March 2011 ballot measures clearly transcend the limited, narrow and irrelevant focus of any discussion about the 2008 Comp plan. I believe that anyone who uses the March 2011 ballot measures as a means to either support or block the 2008 Comprehensive Plan is exploiting our electoral process to the detriment of the best interests of the people of St. Pete Beach.
In order to walk the true path to Unity, we must set aside the agendas and begin an honest, informed discussion about these ballot measures. Arguments about the 2008 Comp Plan (as a reason to vote either for or against the March 2011 ballot measures) have no place in such a discussion.
The people of St. Pete Beach deserve better than that.
Kevin,
ReplyDeleteIn 2006 a group called Citizens for Responsible Growth brought to referendum by petition the requirement to vote on all changes to, and new. Comprehensive Development plans. This referendum passed by less then 25 votes. The people of St Pete Beach in 2009 Voted 64.5 % against a State wide Amendment 4. The point here is that the voters of SPB approved by a very narrow margin the requirement to vote on Comp plans in the city but state wide they rejected this by 64% 3 years later. I believe that what this shows is the voters decided that after our experience with this voting requirement and the law suits and controversy it has caused should be given a second chance to review and vote on what was approved in 2006.
What the City Commission of St Pete Beach is asking, is that since the apparent support for voting NO on Amendment 4 Home Town Democracy, and since the City of SPB has spent close to $1mil on legal expenses protecting the voters “vote” on accepting the new Comp plan, doesn’t it make sense to repeal the city Charter Amendment that requires us to vote on these plans? Well it makes all the sense in the world to me, please vote yes in March to repeal the charter Amendment requiring us to vote on Comp plan and Comp plan changes.
Al Halpern
SPB Commissioner
Total no brainer. We live in a representative democracy. We vote for people to make decisions. If we don't like the decisions, we vote against the people that made them at the next election.
ReplyDeleteIf I wanted to decide, I would run for office and accept the BS that comes with the process. I don't, so I rely on my elected officials to do their job. We needed Ernie. We got Gomer, and the difference is making the city poor, and the lawyers rich.