Your take: Representative democracy not working

March 4, 2010

Unfortunately representative democracy is not working locally or nationally. Over 70 percent of Americans think the government in Washington is broken. Our representatives are being influenced by lobbyists and special interests and are not acting in the best interests of the people at large.

Three concrete examples of the failure of local governments to represent the people are the over 90 percent exemptions applied for that were granted to developers by the Jacksonville City Council to the 2010 Comprehensive Growth Plan, finalized in 1988 (source - Ron Littlepage, Florida Times Union), the closing of beach access to vehicles at Mickler’s (pronounced Miklers, long i) Landing, by the St. Johns County Commission, at the behest of wealthy beachfront landowners (thus prohibiting thousands of people yearly from using the beach), and the rezoning of 800 acres in Palm Valley for Odom’s Mill, Plantation Oaks, and Sawmill Lakes, from Open Rural (1 house per acre) to Residential (4 houses per acre), by the St. Johns County Commission.

The last example is particularly egregious, as it not only helped to ruin the rural nature of Palm Valley, it severely limited natural drainage in the area known on the topographic maps as Cabbage Swamp. Sawmill Lakes was built with so little foresight that there is no room to expand County Road 210 to accommodate the extra traffic.

Jefferson had this to say, "Unless the mass retains sufficient control over those intrusted [sic] with the powers of their government, these will be perverted to their own oppression, and to the perpetuation of wealth and power in the individuals and families selected for the trust."

Representative government is working for special interests, but is not working for the common good. When you hear someone speak against Amendment 4, see if they have ties to the development, construction or real estate industries. Follow the money, make up your own mind, and vote your conscience in November.

David Stearns
Ponte Vedra Beach