We Have Met The Enemy and He Is Us (2)

The Florida Legislature had many critical issues to address in 2009. The economy was in a tailspin Unemployment was growing. Home foreclosures led the nation. For the first time in decades, growth was non existent. Ten of thousands of new residential properties sat without buyers. The State budget had multi-billion dollar deficit. Education was in severe financial distress. Trust Funds were being depleted to meet current operating expenses.

The legislative response was as direct as it was irrelevant irrelevant. With ten of thousands of homes and condominiums unsold and many more in foreclosure, the legislature decided that the economic woes of the State were due directly to the minimal limitations of Florida's Growth Management Act which has existed since 1986. This act placed some restrictions on unlimited development in areas without adequate schools, sewers, water or roads for any increased population. Implementation of this Act would not have allowed development in excess of 96 million people in the State over the next 50 years. Apparently this limit was too low and the Growth Management Act was effectively gutted. The State currently has several years of excess housing inventory. With the removal of growth management, development can now return to selling swamp land to foolish northerners even if they can't sell their own homes.