I’m sacrificing most of my column for information on some of the Amendments that you will be voting on Tuesday. I urge you to vote and let your opinions be known. To avoid some bias, the descriptions of some of these controversial amendments have been taken from other sources.
My opinion comes last because I want everyone to vote based on the facts first and weigh out the pros and cons for themselves. In the voting booth, you’re alone.
All of the outside voices screaming at you to vote one way or the other are silenced.
Be an educated voter and research the amendments outside of these few opinions. Check my facts and those of your politicians. Republican, democrat and rent-is-too-damn-high party affiliates, make your vote count on November 2.
Amendment 2: The information in this section is provided by the article “Amendment 2 Getting Mixed Reactions,” by Joe Roetz, an NBC correspondent.
This amendment would provide members of the military extra tax breaks on things like property taxes. Some military veterans are in line to vote “yes,” while others aren’t so keen on it. Some people don’t believe that some veterans should get a discount, while others don’t.
Explanation: “Amendment Two is what many call a chance to give active military members an additional tax break while serving overseas. If passed, Amendment Two would allow active military, military reserves, the National Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard to cut down on property taxes based on their time served overseas. They would only qualify if their homes are already homesteaded.”
For: “Veteran Kent Corey says he considers Amendment Two a thank-you. ‘I served our country back in the ‘80s. If this was going on then, I’d want a break,’ he said.” –Joe Roetz
Against: “I have to pay property taxes just like they do and everyone should pay the same. I don’t see why anyone should get a discount,” said Fort Myers Beach resident Scott Camp.” –Joe Roetz
Amendment 4: The information in this section is provided by a voter-guide compiled by Jolene Elberth, a recent graduate of New College. This proposed amendment would require voter approval of proposals that change local growth-management plans.
Comprehensive plans, as they are known, are blueprints that cities and
counties use to visualise what their communities will look
like.
These plans are those that make sure that high-
rise condos, for example, don’t get put in the middle of an historic
downtown district.
Pros: While comprehensive growth plans allow citizens to control how much their city will grow, these growth plans are often ignored by elected officials who make (often lucrative) deals with developers to allow them to be bypassed.
The amendment would require that any development that requests exemption from the growth plan will need to be voted on by the local population. Proponents dismiss claims that this will “clog up” the ballot.
Cons: Those who oppose the bill give two arguments. First, they believe that allowing the bill to pass will force local governments to hold dozens of special elections each year or clog up the regular ballot with referendums that will confuse voters.
Secondly, some argue that the amendment is a challenge to the “representative democracy” system where elected officials hold the power to vote on these issues. If the amendment were to pass and the mass public were given the power to vote on these issues it would be a move toward “direct democracy.”
My vote: Yes. This amendment will restrict the ability of large
businesses to buy their way around public comprehensive
growth plans and should hopefully curtail much of Florida’s urban
sprawl.
Amendments 5 and 6: The information in this section is provided by Collincenter.org. Redistricting is the act of re-dividing the state into new election districts. By law, it happens every ten years.
Each time lawmakers begin the process, which involves using sophisticated computing, it draws intense scrutiny from critics who accuse incumbents of choosing which voters to put in their districts to ensure re-election. A new effort is under way in Florida to change that.
These amendments would establish fairness standards for use in creating legislative and congressional district boundaries. While protecting minority voting rights, the standards would prohibit drawing district lines to favor or disfavor any incumbent or political party.
Districts would have to be compact and utilize existing political and geographical boundaries. In other words, natural competitiveness and fairness would be required.
Vote for yourself. I think that Amendment 5 and 6 are very important. To me its cheating to re-align your district based off of what is beneficial to you. It also protects minorities that may risk being silenced due to this unfair practice.
But that’s all I’m willing to disclose. Your vote is your own and you should form your own opinions rather than follow any commentator or outspoken friends.
Own your vote on November 2.
Nicole Robinson can be reached at nrobinson@spartans.ut.edu