A4: Jobs Killer or Environment Protector?
October 21st, 2010 by flanewsWith all eyes on Florida’s starving job market this election cycle, one amendment is being called a jobs killer by its opponents. Amendment 4 would require voters, not elected officials, to approve changes to city and county comprehensive plans. As Whitney Ray tells us, a nonprofit research group says the amendment would cost Florida 260-thousand jobs.
Zombies, vampires and even Godzilla came out a little early this Halloween season to scare you into voting. Supporters of Amendment four use the characters in a campaign ad saying it’s scary to let elected officials change city and county comprehensive plans. John Hedrick, with the Yes of Four Campaign, says voters should have the final say on development in their communities.
“It allows them to have veto power when the city or county government change their comprehensive plans,” said Hedrick.
Florida TaxWatch, a nonprofit research group, says the amendment would slow down development and lead to thousands of costly special elections statewide. TaxWatch coauthored a report with the Haas Center, claiming the amendment would cost Florida 260-thousand jobs by 2016.
“Developers will then decide that the risk and cost is too high and they will locate elsewhere,” said Harper.
The 76 page report released claims amendment four would cost the state nearly 17 billion dollars in lost salaries, 2 billion in state tax revenue, and more than 220 million dollars in lost property tax by 2016.
Supporters object, and say their opponents haven’t even considered the threat the current system brings to our environment.
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