Amelia Island, FL- This past weekend, U.S. Senate candidate Maurice Ferre took a bold stand in endorsing The Florida Hometown Democracy Amendment placed on the Nov. 2nd ballot as Amendment 4. He addressed crowds in both Tallahassee and Amelia Island, FL, to elaborate his position in supporting this important measure for the long term health of Florida’s economy.
“This November 2nd, Florida voters will decide to accept or reject Amendment 4. This Florida constitutional change, called The Florida Hometown Democracy Land Use Initiative, came about because almost one million Florida registered voters signed the petition. It has cleared all legal requirements and will be on the November 2nd ballot.” said Ferre
After spending 25 years in the public sector, Ferre knows firsthand the outside pressures that influence the decisions of our elected officials. “ I was a practitioner of this black art. As a City of Miami Commissioner, Mayor for twelve years and later, a Metro-Dade County Commissioner, I saw the pattern repeat itself time and time again. It’s important to stress that not every application, or change of land use plan and major zoning change or variance, was bad. Most were good. Most of the lawyers, developers, lobbyists and bankers are also good guys, well intentioned, honest practitioners. The changes were necessary because there is no way to codify every good project, every square peg that doesn’t fit the round hole. There must be a process that gives the special circumstance relief, but it is time to tighten the noose on rampant, unrestricted development in Florida.”
“Unfortunately, money has corrupted our democracy, at all levels. Through the electoral process, money, moneyed interests, lobbyists, high powered lawyers and wealthy individuals and corporations have a constitutional right to influence the system. And, influence the system they have. So at zoning councils, city and county commissions, regional and state levels, the humongous, overbearing, over-threatening, abuse of money is ever present. We the people don’t always play on a level playing field and thus get the short end. This unfairness has to do with funding of campaigns; gerrymandering for advantages during reapportionment; blunting charter change and recall provisions; influencing labor union and Chamber of Commerce decisions. It has even reached the newspaper editorial boards with a breach in the fire wall separation between opinion/editorials and factual reporting. More and more, money wins.”
In making his point about the need to amend the Florida constitution, Ferre invoked the words of one of our founding fathers.
“As Thomas Jefferson once said in a letter to James Madison, dated December 20, 1787, ‘I know of no safe repository of the ultimate power of society but the people.’ It is time for more democracy in Florida. I will vote for bold, intelligent change in our Florida Constitution. I will vote for Amendment 4 on November 2nd.” stated Ferre.
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[...] Ferre on Amelia IslandIn a press release from Amelia Island, FL, it was interesting to learn that Ferre is the only U.S. Senate candidate to [...]
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I intend to vote for you specifically because of your support for Amendment 4. I would further suggest that you embrace a more progressive stance in regard to other environmental and land conservation issues. One of your weaknesses is that you are perceived as being wholly urban. Don’t be like Obama who talks only about energy and climate issues, strap on a pair of boots and slog through the glades, catch a fish, and win!
In researching the DEM Candidates for US Senate I was expecting to be faced with a choice of the least bad. Three of the four candidates had met that expectation. Upon researching Maurice Ferre I was please to find someone to vote for! I’m happy you are in the race.