Amendment 4 foes name Manatee/Sarasota co-chairs

The statewide organization leading the campaign against the Amendment 4 growth-control measure on the November ballot has named its co-chairs for Manatee and Sarasota counties. They are:

•  Mike Burton, a natural resource regulatory policy and wildlife habitat restoration consultant. He also is chairman of the Palmetto Planning and Zoning Board.
• Rev. Don Roberts, president of Goodwill Manasota and a Methodist minister.
•  Jon Thaxton, an environmentalist and a member of the Sarasota County Commission.

As experts in their respective fields, our Sarasota/Manatee team brings fresh insights to the Amendment 4 debate," said the campaign's executive director Ryan Houck. "We are honored to have their full and active support."

Amendment 4, speared by the Florida Hometown Democracy organization, would require local governments to win voter approval before they can change their jurisdiction's comprehensive plans, which guide all growth and development related decisions.

In a related development, the Federation of Manatee County Community Associations on June 9 will host a debate on Amendment 4. It will be from 6:30 to 8:45 p.m. at the Manatee County Central Library, 1301 Barcarrota Blvd., Bradenton.

For more information, call (941) 746-2151.

Crist: No special session on drilling ban

Gov. Charlie Crist told the Miami Herald today that he has ruled out calling a special session to consider putting on the November ballot a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban drilling 10 miles off Florida's coasts.

The political winds in the Legislature, said the governor, don't make this a good time for the idea, despite the Deepwater Horizon spill now threatening the state.

"The Senate is more amenable than the House, although I’m trying with the House,''Crist said, according to the Herald's Naked Politics blog.

"The holdup in the House is that I think they pushed very hard previously to get drilling in the Gulf and maybe time will help bring them around to the view that isn’t such a wonderful idea given what has happened,'' he said.

Crist said he hopes a special session could consider new incentives to encourage renewable energy development in the state, "because I think more than ever it should be blatantly obvious that clean energy is the way to go."

Read more: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2010/05/crist-no-special-session-next-week-still-trying-to-persuade-house.html#ixzz0oPOIvZDp

Gubernatorial candidate Dockery to speak in Bradenton

State Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, who is vying for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, will be guest speaker  May 25 at a meeting of the Manatee Forum, Republican Women Federated. She will present a report on the Florida legislative session, according to organizers.

Introducing Dockery will be state Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice.

The meeting will start at 6 p.m. at Bradenton Country Club, 4646 Ninth Ave. W., Bradenton. Dinner is $20.

For more information and reservations contact Sandy French at (941) 758-0096 or Jane Grace at (941) 758-4878 or Janebgrace@aol.com

PolitiFact checks out Buchanan (with video)

Republican Rep. Vern Buchanan, representing Sarasota and Manatee counties, voted April 27 to block a cost-of-living pay raise for himself and other members of Congress. He made a claim on video that, "In the last 50 years, we've only balanced the budget five times." St. Pete Times/Miami Herald's PolitiFact/Florida decided to "see if Buchanan's recollection of history is correct."

He passed. Check out this link to PolitiFact's research for the results.

Here's the video: