From a Republican Hillsborough County commissioner: what he has to say about the 11 proposed amendments to our state Constitution tacked onto the ballot by the Republican-controlled Legislature for next Tuesday's presidential election.
“No.” “Eleven
times, no.”
Think about his rationale and use it when you
also vote on the huge number of Palmetto Bay proposed revisions to the Village
Charter. I read this and immediately
thought about how this is the same tactic currently employed by 3 of the 5
Charter Revision Commission members as well as 3 of the five Palmetto Bay Council
members who pushed for adding legislation to the Palmetto Bay Charter.
As reported in the article, this has little to do with the merits of the amendments, which run
roughly the length of Gone With the
Wind and deal with everything from property taxes to a break for
disabled veterans to abortion funding.
It's because, and this is applicable
to the Palmetto Bay Charter Changes, legislation
doesn't belong in the state Constitution. "Mucking around with the
Constitution is no way for a state to govern itself," It is
also no way for Palmetto Bay to let itself be governed.
My own problems with the
disingenuousness of some of those amendments aside, he's right. It's wrong. It
doesn't belong.
Be on
alert for sneakiness,
like the noble-sounding "Religious Freedom" amendment that is
actually about repealing a long-standing ban on taxpayer funding for religious
groups.
In Palmetto Bay, the best example is the proposed Charter Amendment # 4 - innocently entitled "Changing Term Limits" this is actually an anti-reform proposal that EXTENDS the present term limits from the present 8 to 12 years. Do not be fooled. We finally get a county charter question for 2 - 4 year terms for County Commissioners, but Palmetto Bay elected officials want to undo our earlier reforms and extend their terms to 12 years. 8 is enough! NO!
In Palmetto Bay, the best example is the proposed Charter Amendment # 4 - innocently entitled "Changing Term Limits" this is actually an anti-reform proposal that EXTENDS the present term limits from the present 8 to 12 years. Do not be fooled. We finally get a county charter question for 2 - 4 year terms for County Commissioners, but Palmetto Bay elected officials want to undo our earlier reforms and extend their terms to 12 years. 8 is enough! NO!
I agree with the opinions expressed in the
article about our state constitution and ask you all to apply it to our local
charter as well: Our Constitution is
foundational, meant to guide us. It can change, but it was not meant to be
further larded up and thickened with petty partisan measures not easily undone.
It is not supposed to be a grab bag of special interests.
But hey, confusion might
just get the job done.
Think about this when you read and consider the
Palmetto Bay proposed Charter Changes. 2012
Palmetto Bay Charter revisions – as your government is at risk by ill-advised
proposals
Why all these proposed revisions to a Charter that isn’t broken? Why does the current group of elected officials want greater powers over daily operations and our lives?
Protect Our Palmetto Bay by carefully reading
each item before you vote and do not approve any item you are unsure of or
don’t fully agree with.
Thank you Mark Sharpe, the State Senator described in Tampa Bay times as "...a political wonk, a Tweeter, Facebooker and talker of politics local, state and national."
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