In a Gulf Breeze News article written by Joe Culpepper on Aug 19 that reported the Chamber of Commerce’s claims about Florida Hometown Democracy’s Amendment 4, Chamber spokespeople made misleading statements about Amendment 4.

The correct information is that Amendment 4 will help, not hurt, Florida’s economy. Florida residents and businesses will rejoice because it will bring an end to the state’s rampant and notorious political corruption.

Amendment 4 gives you a say in major changes that developers and politicians want to make to our local land-use plan, which embodies our shared vision for the future of our community. All too often we citizens go to County Commission meetings to protest some of these changes – a big box store in people’s backyards, or high-rises on the beaches. We use our three minutes in front of the commission only to see the plan passed or tabled until the people don’t show up. Then it’s passed. Developers, in contrast, have unlimited time – and unlimited money – to persuade politicians otherwise, and they virtually always succeed.

These land-use changes are, for example, from open space (such as wetlands or agriculture) or low-density development, to high-density residential development. You can imagine the profits pocketed by developers and land-speculators when low-value land is changed, by the Commission, to high-value land. The developer doesn’t even have to build; he can flip the land and reap millions.

The rest of this scam is that taxpayers get stuck with the bill for extending water, sewer, roads, schools, fire and police, etc., into these hinterlands. Our own neighborhoods are neglected as our taxes go to provide infrastructure and services for the new houses that – it’s been shown – always cost much more than they provide in new taxes. The result has been the crashing of Florida’s residential-development-based economy . . . and joblessness for millions of Floridians.

As a fix for Florida’s economic disaster, the Chamber proposes simply more of the same. “Build, baby, build!” And they are frantic to kill Amendment 4. Why else would they be spreading lies about it? They predict economic catastrophe due to uncertainty whether projects can be built. There’s a simple solution to that: Just follow the comprehensive plan, and there won’t be any problems.

More than 1 million Floridians signed the petition that put Amendment 4 on the ballot in order to give the people who live in a community – rather than politicians unduly influenced by out-of-town developers and their high-paid lawyers and lobbyists – the final say when major changes are proposed. Remember, Amendment 4 does not include small matters like zoning. Amendment 4 is about major land-use changes, changes that affect the character of our neighborhoods, changes that may well be unaffordable to us taxpayers.

With Amendment 4, any changes that our politicians make to our local land-use plan will appear (at no cost) at the next regularly scheduled election for us to okay or to veto. And by the way, supporters of Amendment 4 aren’t advocating “no-growth;” we’re just insisting on sensible and affordable growth that’s in everyone’s interest.

In addition to ending pay-to-play political corruption, Amendment 4 will improve Florida’s economy by guaranteeing the value of our homes and land. No longer will there be an excessive number of new and vacant homes. The number of people fleeing Florida’s soaring taxes and disintegrating quality of life will be reversed. Businesses will want to relocate here because they’ll know that our pleasant, non-bankrupt communities are well-run and well-maintained. Florida’s notorious boom-bust Ponzi-scheme economy will no longer jeopardize everyone’s future and jobs.

Voters must consider the source of the information they receive about Amendment 4. A check of the pro and con Web sites reveals that developers and the politicians allied with them are the people who do not want you to have a seat at the table when major decisions about your community are made. On the “pro” side are the many civic and environmental groups who truly care, without any profit motive, for the future of Florida and its once-high quality of life. Visit www.FloridaHometownDemocracy.com for the facts about Amendment 4, and immunize yourself against the false claims from developers.

Our homes, our communities, our jobs are too important to be left in the hands of politicians and developers. Vote ‘Yes’ for Amendment 4 on Nov. 2.