Crist signs growth management bill

As expected, Gov. Charlie Crist on Monday signed the bill that makes changes to Florida's growth laws. The bill (SB 360) loosens development rules in a number of areas with the intent of promoting economic development. It's a highly controversial piece of legislation, which explains Crist's decision to forgo any bill-signing ceremony in favor of a 5 p.m. statement by his press office. 

Comments

[Fire the engine UP]

Good job Governor - get the economy rolling again so we can afford to save all those bunnies and bugs!

[MenckenJr]

Fire:

Hometown Democracy is now a lock to be passed with way over 60%. Even a moron (but not, apparently, the governor) knows you don't stimulate an economy by making it easier to build more things that we already have way too many of and that nobody can afford to buy now anyway. Or don't they teach supply and demand where y'all went to school?

[Paul]

Please don't blame Charlie.

After all, He is only doing what his wealthy Republican
friends are telling him to do.

He probably didn't even read it, or have someone read it to him over the phone while was in Miami, St.Pete, or New York.

[Dawn]

Of all the stupid things to do. Obviously he's still enough of a republican to be depended on to make a situation worse instead of better. Over growth is a major part of the problem. Let's build more houses for more families to put kids in schools we can't afford to run now. Brilliant Charlie, Brilliant. And while you want to run away to DC to represent us. Not on my vote you won't.

[T.D.]

Way to stand up to the clueless local governments and useless enviros! Thanks for helping real Floridians!

[Robert]

The bill is a good compromise. It loosens growth restrictions in urban counties with population densities of over 1,000 people per sq mile. It should channel development into the urban counties while making development in rural counties less desirable and more costly.

[bigbobbopper]

That horse has done left the barn,the barn yard and even the county where the barn was located.

[Trafficjamcentral]

Hit the road Charlie and I wish you lots of traffic on it as you go, or will you and your "wife" be flying instead at the expense of taxpayers?

[Bobbert]

For this bill to stimulate the economy there has to be a demand for new housing. With the number of vacant, repossed homes continually growing it hardly seems likely that there will be much demand for new housing. This is just a case of the Pro-Growth crowd taking advantage of a bad situation and panic to push bad legislation that would not otherwise pass.

[Dori]

Watch the backers of this bill be 'big time' contributors to Crist's Senate Campaign...it's politics, as usual, 'for the developer'...we have so many legislators in the real estate business, it is a wonder that they haven't 'sold' Florida to China.

[Vikki]

I make a pledge today that I will now do everything I can in my power to work within all political groups against Crist's ever serving this state in ANY capacity. He has sold our beautiful state of Florida to the devil. I will work to no end to ensure that Tan-Charlie will never represent Floridians of this state ever again. The developers will ruin our state and Tan-Charlie is to blame. Charlie doesn't love Florida, he only loves himself and the greedy people that back him.

[Get off your high horse enviro freaks!]

lot of tree huggers on this blog!

[KenM]

Great work, Charlie. The only thing this garbage legislation will do is pay off a few fat cat developers, while continuing Florida's ill-fated dependence on never ending "growth". Our resources are already strained to the breaking point, with water only one of the first to become obvious. And now you saddle the taxpayers with the many costs of even more development. I agree with the commenters who say we'll work to see Charlie never has another job for us.

[rick]

hey Charlie Tuna,,,,,,,try signing the unemployment extension bill (sb810) something that will HELP people.

Hope everyone remembers this BS he has pulled with this bill,been on his desk for 3 weeks now,and IF he dont veto it,tomorrow it becomes law,NO THANKS TO MR TUNA!

SENATE? no chance Charlie,snowball in the Keys will have a better chance of surviving than your gonna have.

[Paul D. Harvill]

Major disappointment:

His signing the developers' dream legislature to future erode Florida and Floridians regarding growth management, water quality and quantity and related issues.

Another negative though is the lack of enforcement of the environmental laws: Please see PEER.org - the Florida section.

[whasup]

Well, Shucking Chuckles bumped into something right to do. Congratulations, Gov. Maybe all is not lost in your shift to run for the Senate early.

Don't mind all the enviro-wacko-greenings on the blogs. We all know they'd be voting for Meek in the Senate race anyway.

[midtown]

Thanks Charlie,,,,have you no shame again? Crap on the environment and hope to leave the state, I hope Marco cleans your ...hmmmm,,,

[Stevie]

Governor Crist = Champion of Nothing
This is a pro-growth bill and we are out of water. How is that justified? What about the insurance crisis? This bill will hurt the middle class and deepen economic problems. Those that have their house for sale are really in trouble now. Well, you don't need a paddle when the crick is already dry.

[John]

He now is showing his true colors. Anything for a buck Charlie

[MenckenJr]

We aren't "tree huggers". We're air-breathers and water-drinkers, and we're tired of *our* state being sold out from under us to line somebody else's pockets. Make no mistake, "boneless chicken Charlie" has just signed a bill to let developers pick out pockets and he deserves to be tossed onto the garbage heap so he can't do any more damage.

[terminator]

I don't want to say termie didn't tell you guys three years ago what a stuffed suit, empty head and no show gov Chuck was going to be but TERMIE TOLD YOU GUYS!

[get-smart]

You jerks on the blog don't have to worry about development. The economy is sinking and is barely buoyed up by the trillion dollar spending spree with borrowed/printed fiat dollars by the non-American third worlder in DC.

Once the final dissolution of America is complete, the American economy will slip silently beneath the waves. By the end of the year the stock market will fall to DOW-6800 and the signs of rampant inflation will be felt. You have seen nothing yet by the trillion dollar looting. The criminals on Wall Street will move off-shore to safe havens with the spoils of their looting, soon to be followed by the dirtbag politico/lawyer cretins on the Hill. Before they devalue the dollar here in the US, they will exchange their dollars for gold.

The money (capital) will leave this country along with the few remaining jobs. You are going to feel like the eighty year old widow woman living in a rented apartment all alone and with Social Security as your only means. No Job, No Prospects, No Money! How does that make you feel?

Believe me. I know what I am talking about. This has been my rant now for a year, beginning with the Rays Downtown Stadium and so far I have been right on the big stuff.

Cheers -

[Paul]

Get-Smart,

Are you the guy that talks to his shoe?

I guess you actually believe that any who does not agree with
you is a Jerk?

Look in the mirror, you may be surprised.

[MenckenJr]

get-smart:

One of the reasons for the delicate economy (at least in Florid) is its over-reliance on a secondary commodity. Here, we're like a Middle Eastern country that relies heavily on oil for its revenues so it doesn't have to do the heavy lifting of finding something renewable to run its economy on. For Saudi Arabia and Iran it's oil; for us, it's cheap tract housing and unneeded office parks and strip malls.

[Get lost Crist you are scum!]

Let's get rid of Charlie Crist. What a mistake we made ever trusting this guy. All his moderate views are exposed as pandering when he can sign a bill like this. A death sentence for our state - sold to the same developers who already flushed our economy down the toilet. (hate!)

[...]

I am somewhat torn on this decision...

On one hand, I like my waterways, nature, etc...

On the other hand, I like my rights to do what I want with my own property... Not that I own any, but the principle of the idea...

That being said...

There is way too much supply for lenders to jump up and down about this bill... it will not result in banks giving money to developers when there is no market for development...

So, will this result in unristricted growth given today's economic situation - no...

If this bill were passed 5-6 years ago - maybe, but then again, what was on the books did nothing to protect over-development and resulting bankruptcies/foreclosures...

So... what is the solution? Not this, but it probably is not the downfall... at least for the upcoming several years...

[get-smart]

MenckenJr - Florida's prosperity to a great extent relied on new people moving in. If they were retirees, they brought with them their savings and retirement benefits from their working lifetime .. that is all gone now ...poof. Employee Retirement Plans no longer exist unless you are one of the looters on Wall Street or a dirtbag in DC. These plans will never comeback to the average citizen in this country. Even the 'poor mans' retirement, the 401k's are stripped of their gains.

Tourism is also important. That industry can be worked on and improved, but all the jobs are service jobs and it is a seasonal industry. Like I said before, you don't have to worry about further development as long as there are [as you said] 'unneeded office parks and strip malls.' And now the construction industry is dead!

This country will have unemployment at 15 to 20%. Botox Pelosi, Reid, the criminal Dodd, the pervert Frank with their simian pet, will be printing more money to payback the crooks on Wall Street who put them in office. While they're at it, they will be stuffing their pockets as inflation goes double digit.

Much of the money (capital), job opportunities and economic dynamics are being driven out and moving off-shore to Asia, never to return to our shores in our lifetime. To the sub-specie and cretins on the Hill, America is just another country equal to the third world garbage out there.

Cheers -

[.]

This should come as no surprise to anyone who lives in Florida. Our politicians are owned by the developers and Crist is a politician running for an undeserved promotion to the Senate. Like Bush handed the banker billions on his way out the door, Crist just handed our state to the developers on his way out… on his way out for good I pray.

Charlie Crist is not even worthy of governing our state – not that he has – and he is certainly not worthy of a promotion to the Senate.

[get-smart = racist]

get-smart regulary exposes his racism and bigotry in his Buzz posts. Clearly not a decent person and certainly not someone who's opinions should carry any weight with decent people either.

[MenckenJr]

get-smart:

Tourism is seasonal and it can be improved. We also used to have much more agriculture than we do now, but that's something that can be brought back (and with modern farming technology it can be done without leaching nearly as much fertilizer or pesticides into the groundwater and the bay). Surrounded as we are on three sides by water, we have an almost untapped aquaculture potential (not just fish - blue and stone crabs come to mind). Or how about becoming a solar energy supplier? We get enough sunlight all year round to make this a real possibility.

The list goes on. Falling back on growth in population as the only way to run an economy is nothing more than a lack of imagination and a lack of guts.

[~]

Return Florida to the “Build at will” days! Let’s build more empty condos and houses to add to the already historically-high number of vacant and unaffordable units that pepper our state. Just think of what we’ll gain:

More empty units that do not generate tax revenue.

More work for illegal immigrants.

More taxes going toward care for the illegal immigrants.

More rich developers.

More strain on an already outdated and antiquated infrastructure.

More money for Chucks’ campaign coffers.

More failed economic policy from TallyTown!

BRILLIANT!

“Last in Education; First in Corruption!”

… go figure

[get-smart]

MenckenJr -

All I have to say is 'Wasted again in Margarettaville.' and this reminds me of the SciFi SG1. All the planets are populated by pastoral peace-niks (iron age w/ occasional alien weaponry). The bad guys are vampires and the good guys are space cowboys .. haha! Low budget, much computer effects.

Cheers

[get-stupid]

MenckenJr -

As you can tell, I can't think for myself and I'm only original when I'm posting my racist spew. If I happen to make sense at all it's only because I usually cut and paste from some right-wingnut confederate flag waving site.

Cheers

[doorworker]

Craziness.

As if we're about to sprawl & fee-waive our way out of our economic hole ("dig faster! That's how!!").

Brazen kowtowing to donors and primary-voting dittoheads...or perhaps at 5pm Crist will offer a 'good' reason for signing the worst of many awful bills to come out of this session.

It'll offer fodder for the Dems come general election time...that's about all you can say. I can't see how this doesn't ding Crist's 'environmentalist' image.

[~]

Insurance industry gives millions in donations to Chuck and company… insurance industry skates accountability and gets a fee increase.

Gambling industry gives millions in donations to Chuck and company… gambling industry gets new gambling operations.

Developers give millions in donations to Chuck and company… developers get to treat Florida as their own personal Monopoly game board.

Business as usual in Floriduuh politics:

“Last in Education; First in Corruptions!”

… go figure

[Chuck the Duck Sucks!]

The open door development policy Crist just gave to developers, in return for campaign contributions, will assure that more illegal immigrants will flow into Florida and suck from the public teat.

Chuck has done well for the economic stability of illegal immigrants and Mexico... and for Florida; not so much!

[Sean]

The Republicans have just lost their only chance to have a moderate to balance their whacko majority. What little credibility he had gained went up in smoke on this decision since he confirmed his membership in the developer's pimp club and sold out via rollin' over for the bucks to get to D.C.

[Jesse James]

If most of those who have commented had actual read the changes to SB360 there comments would be different. Just as most of the public read the newspaper and found your opinion.

[OMAR]

SORRY CHARLIE, YOU LOST MY VOTE!THIS LEGISLATION WAS TO PAY OFF CHARLIE'S FAT CAT FRIENDS! JUST SEE WHO GIVES TO HIS CAMPAIGN! FLORIDA THIS IS A CONARTIST WHO ONLY CARES ABOUT HIMSELF...THAT IS WHY HE IS RUNNING FOR US SENATE BECAUSE OF HARD TIMES ARE AHEAD FOR FLORIDA AND NOW WE MIGHT HAVE A DEM IN OFFICE AS GOVERNOR! GEE THANK'S AGAIN CHARLIE! BUT THATS OK BECAUSE MARCO RUBIO IS MY GUY NOW!WWW.MARCORUBIO.COM