Urban Environment League » State Government

Overhaul of Growth Management Rules

Tony Garcia — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 14:11:00 +0000

The Republican-controlled Florida House handed business interests and Gov. Rick Scott a victory Thursday by passing legislation that would lift most state controls over urban sprawl, leaving it up to local governments to deal with that issue.

And:

“We are taking a step back,” acknowledged Rep. Chris Dorworth, R-Lake Mary. “We are saying that we trust the local governments to make those decisions.”

House Democratic Leader Ron Saunders of Key West said that trust is misplaced. He cited bribery charges recently filed against local officials in South Florida in connection with development decisions.

“This is not a job creation bill except for one group and that’s criminal defense attorneys,” Saunders said.

The Elections Bill being heard today.

Tony Garcia — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 13:06:00 +0000

In addition to the Miami Herald editorial below, there was a last minute addition:

They added ….the elimination of any recourse to a voter challenge that would allow you to vote at the poll. In other words, they if you’re in line at the polls, and someone challenges your right to vote, you have no choice but to vote by provisional ballot which often go uncounted.
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Miami Herald: Another Flori-duh moment?

OUR OPINION: Speaker Cannon’s bill sets up obstacles to voting

A decade after the Sunshine State earned the moniker Flori-duh for those indiscernible hanging chads used in the old punch-card ballots during the 2000 presidential election, some legislators in Tallahassee seem to want to take us back to that confusing and divisive time. As if Florida doesn’t have enough problems already.

On Thursday, the House State Affairs Committee will take up legislation, HB 1355, drafted by the office of House Speaker Dean Cannon and introduced into committee by Rep. Dennis Baxley, that’s supposed to strengthen Florida’s election laws. In fact, the 128-page bill would undo some of the sensible reforms imposed after the 2000 election debacle and adds a plethora of requirements that would tie the hands of independently elected elections supervisors, disenfranchise voters, dissuade volunteers from engaging in voter registration and discourage many voters’ participation on Election Day.

Among the bill’s onerous requirements:

• A newly married woman wanting to vote on Election Day would no longer be allowed to show elections officials at the polls documentation with her name change to vote on that day. Instead, she would be forced to use a provisional ballot, which likely will mean that vote won’t be counted. In 2008, half the provisional ballots in Florida were thrown out, making it hard to contest.

• Voter-registration groups would have to register all their volunteers and paid staff with the state’s Division of Supervisors of Elections, which would create a database. What’s the purpose? Harassment of volunteers or particular organizations?

• Volunteers, who now can help resolve legal issues for individual voters at the polls, would be restricted because the bill lumps “legal advice” into the definition of solicitation and prohibits it within 100 feet of a voting line.

• Any voter who has moved and shows up at a polling site with evidence of the new address would also be forced to use a provisional ballot even though county elections supervisors now have access to a statewide voter database, created back in 2003, that can easily confirm a voter’s change of name or address. This would potentially disenfranchise thousands of college students.

This bill reeks of partisanship. Why?

One theory: Mr. Cannon wants to limit students’ participation in the voting process — as volunteers and as voters. That may be because his district includes the University of Central Florida, and College Democrats at UCF registered almost 11,000 voters in 2008 when Barack Obama won Florida.

The legislation also potentially would restrict the ability of news media and bloggers to take video or audio of voters at polling places, whether during early voting days or on the final Election Day.

As the ranking Democrat on the committee, Rep. Jeff Clemens, noted, “The language in this elections bill seems to place a presumption of guilt on the voters.”

Indeed, at a time when technology has made voting easier and more transparent, when databases have been established for easy and exact access to voters’ information to combat fraud, this bill sets up obstacles reminiscent of Jim Crow.

The Great Debate: July 29th

Nancy Lee — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:46:00 +0000

The Tropical Audubon Society and the Urban Environment League hosted a debate for Florida State Senate District 36 and Florida State Representative District 117 at South Miami City Hall. Oscar Musibay, Reporter for the South Florida Business Journal was the Moderator. We want to thank all the candidates that came. They answered some very tough questions.

Oscar Musibay prepares for the moderating job.

Marcus Rivchin and Ernie Martinez, Republican candidates for District 117.

Julio Robaina, the only State Senate District 36 candidate to show up out of a field of 5 candidates.

Lisa Lesperance, Democratic candidate for State Representative District 117.

Jose Pazos is also a Republican Candidate for District 117.

Florida Cabinet denies Lowe’s move of Urban Development Boundary

Tony Garcia — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:00:00 +0000

According to the Miami Herald, the State Cabinet voted 3 to 1, siding with an administrative law judge, to reject the County Commission’s move of the Urban Development Boundary for a Lowe’s store. The County Attorney signaled that it was over for the County. Lowe’s might appeal.

The Urban Environment League was a founding member and driving force in the Hold the Line movement which was a broad coalition of people, government entities and groups in favor of holding the line on development in areas not served by infrastructure. The UEL agrees with the ruling, we don’t think it is the time to move the UDB line.

The Miami Herald says:

Environmentalists and urban planners hailed the decision, saying it sets a precedent for dealing with counties that attempt to bend state growth management laws and allow sprawl. They hope the ruling will halt attempts by politically powerful developers who are seeking to move development boundaries in other counties, including the creation of a new suburb on the Everglades’ doorstep in Miami-Dade called Parkland.

Can we get some good news?

Tony Garcia — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:23:00 +0000

News has been grim in the dog days of Summer: We have to fight with lawsuits to protect our quality of life in South Florida as our elected officials are not doing it for us. It was recently announced that Lowe’s is going to appeal an Administrative Hearing decision, which would not allow them, through our County Commissioners, to move the Urban Development Boundary for a store. There is also the lawsuit that has been filed by Weston to challenge SB 360. 360 is now a law put in place by our State elected officials. We recently found out that County Manager George Burgess was not accurate in his assessment of the cost of the Marlin’s Stadium deal. Outside sources confirmed it would cost at least $2.4 Billion, at a time when our community is scrambling for funds. Governor Crist has given the power to control Florida’s greatest commodity “water” to 5 individuals, removing 5 water management District Boards and public comment from the process.

News for our pocketbook is also grim. The newly elected Miami Dade Property Appraiser has revealed that almost every city has seen more than a 5% property value decline which translates to less revenues. The County decline is at about -10%. The unemployment in Miami Dade is at about 9.6%. Citizen Insurance premiums are set to sky-rocket according to reports in today’s Herald and FP&L is having hearings to increase rates. Mortgage’s low introductory interest rates are resetting for thousands. The middle class is getting squeezed from every direction.

Citizens are feeling more and more powerless in South Florida. What are our next steps to turn things around? Any of you have any ideas?

Governor’s Letter on SB 360 Legislation.

Tony Garcia — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:17:00 +0000