{"ImagePath":"http://www.onevoiceforflorida.com/media","BoundryClass":"","BoundryClassTop":"","BoundryClassRight":"popupConstraintR","BoundryClassBottom":"popupConstraintB","BoundryClassLeft":"","CloseButtonClass":"PersonaButtonStyleContainer","HoverContainerClass":"hoverItemContainer","OnDelayTime":0,"Padding":0,"VisualPointer":false,"Shadow":false,"TrackMouse":false,"XSize":0,"YSize":0,"PopupContainerClass":"popupContainer","ConstrainTop":false,"ConstrainRight":false,"ConstrainBottom":false,"ConstrainLeft":false,"CallbackFunction":showPersonaCardSurveys}
By:
ababington
On:
7/13/2010 12:16 PM
AMENDMENT 4: WHAT EVERY FLORIDIAN SHOULD KNOW
What are the facts?
On November 2nd, you will be asked to vote yes or no on a plan to alter Florida’s Constitution called Amendment 4. Special interest lawyers, adult entertainment interests and population control groups have designed, funded and proposed this amendment to our Constitution. Take a moment to learn more about who’s backing Amendment 4 and why.
What is the issue?
Amendment 4 will prolong the recession and...
Read More 
By:
ababington
On:
6/7/2010 2:54 PM
Amendment 4 President's Use of Racially-Charged Term Draws Call for an Apology
(Orlando, FL - June 7, 2010) In a public email dated May 13, 2010 to the Volusia County Council of Governments, Amendment 4 president and author, Lesley Blackner, referred to the group as "step & fetch it"-a term that is historically synonymous with degrading, racial stereotypes.
On June 2, 2010, former South Bay Mayor and past National League of Cities President, Clarence Anthony, sent Ms. Blackner a...
Read More
By:
ababington
On:
4/25/2010 7:41 PM
Nearly 2 years after a federal judge appeared to put an end to the Guns at Work debate in Florida, the gun lobby is back, trying to undermine current law and the rights of private property owners across Florida. Late Friday afternoon, an amendment was filed to a bill on agriculture, SB 2074, that would reopen the debate on having guns at work.
On Monday, the Florida Senate will consider this amendment, which has already drawn the attention of the media.
This may...
Read More
By:
ababington
On:
4/24/2010 1:54 PM
Rather than trying to engage in a constructive dialogue about creating jobs in Florida, the gun lobby is once again attempting to undermine the Constitution. More here.
By:
ababington
On:
1/23/2010 9:34 PM
The following message was sent this week to Lesley Blackner, president of the Amendment 4 campaign:
Lesley Blackner
President
Amendment 4 Campaign
Dear Ms. Blackner:
On January 11th, St. Petersburg College invited you to participate in a forum on Amendment 4. In an email to the college, you wrote that your organization would only participate in the debate if you were given veto authority over who would represent the opposing side.
Your attempt to infringe on our First...
Read More
By:
ababington
On:
1/22/2010 10:51 AM
Last Friday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released its proposed water regulations that will apply only to the state of Florida. These regulations would take effect starting in October. A wide coalition of businesses, local governments, and organizations have already spoken out against this rule: http://www.donttaxflorida.com/docs/statement.pdf.
You can view the proposed rule here: http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/standards/rules/florida/
With the release of this rule, the 60...
Read More
By:
ababington
On:
1/5/2010 11:53 AM
A lesson in how not to manage growth
Published Thursday, December 31, 2009
Florida voters will decide this year whether to move local land use decisions to the ballot box, and St. Pete Beach's three-year experiment along a similar path offers a good lesson on the downside of letting voters manage planning by election.
There are indeed some important differences between what has happened in St. Pete Beach and Hometown Democracy, the constitutional amendment expected to appear on...
Read More
By:
ababington
On:
12/15/2009 4:52 PM
Check back here starting at 5 pm on Wednesday, December 16th, for a live blog from the Senate Select Committee on Inland Waters in Ocala!
By:
ababington
On:
11/23/2009 9:03 AM
This weekend the Palm Beach Post became the 11th newspaper in Florida to editorialize on Amendment 4, and the 11th newspaper to publicly oppose it. Here is their editorial:
The town that saved Florida
If Floridians approve a constitutional amendment on the November 2010 ballot, local voters would have to vote on every change to a city or county comprehensive plan — the blueprint for development — no matter how innocuous. Ballots would be full of items that have little...
Read More
By:
ababington
On:
10/21/2009 10:52 AM
On Wednesday, October 14th, Future of Florida Forum attendees were presented with the game plan for how to defeat Amendment 4 in November 2010. I moderated a panel composed of Ryan Houck, executive director of Floridians for Smarter Growth, and Jacob Stuart, president and CEO of the Central Florida Partnership.
After I gave an overview of the history of the special interest efforts to get "Hometown Democracy" into Florida's constitution, Ryan Houck talked about the...
Read More