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Editorial: Three ballot issues worth a close look

 
The race for governor and the constitutional amendment that would legalize medical marijuana have soaked up most of the attention this election season. But there are other races and issues on the ballot that will have long-term consequences for Tampa Bay and Florida. Here are three subjects that voters should pay particular attention to as they make their decisions.
The race for governor and the constitutional amendment that would legalize medical marijuana have soaked up most of the attention this election season. But there are other races and issues on the ballot that will have long-term consequences for Tampa Bay and Florida. Here are three subjects that voters should pay particular attention to as they make their decisions.
Published Oct. 24, 2014

The race for governor and the constitutional amendment that would legalize medical marijuana have soaked up most of the attention this election season. But there are other races and issues on the ballot that will have long-term consequences for Tampa Bay and Florida. Here are three subjects that voters should pay particular attention to as they make their decisions.

Greenlight Pinellas

The transit referendum is an opportunity for Pinellas voters to make a bold investment in the future that would create jobs, attract younger residents and set the stage for a modern regional system. A 1-cent sales tax would replace an existing property tax, dramatically expand bus service and build a 24-mile light rail from downtown St. Petersburg to downtown Clearwater.

Widening roads and creating more sprawl is not the answer for the state's most densely populated county, particularly in an era when younger residents prefer an urban environment over suburban subdivisions. An independent research group at the University of Minnesota recently found that cities such as Denver and Pittsburgh have far more jobs within a 30-minute transit commute than Tampa Bay. Pinellas business and community leaders are solidly behind Greenlight Pinellas, because the region cannot fall further behind.

Three issues to keep in mind: First, about one-third of the cost will be paid by tourists, and homeowners with houses valued at $190,000 and a $50,000 homestead exemption will break even. Second, Greenlight Pinellas is just the first step toward creating a regional transit system that would span the bay. Third, even the modest status quo is not sustainable with the existing property tax. Bus service would have to be cut if the referendum fails.

Pinellas voters have a history of investing in the future, from the Penny for Pinellas to public schools to juvenile welfare programs. Greenlight Pinellas would add to that legacy.

Hillsborough County Commission District 7

The Hillsborough County Commission loses its strongest voice on transportation when term limits force Mark Sharpe out of office in November. Sharpe understands that a modern transportation system is essential to compete, and he is fearless as a Republican in standing up to antitax zealots when it matters. The candidates in this race present a clear choice on who is best prepared to carry on his forward-looking legacy.

Democrat Pat Kemp has long recognized the need for smarter transit planning, and she grasps the impact a modern system would have on both the regional economy and individual lives. She understands there is no one-size-fits-all solution for gridlock, and her public service in urban and rural communities alike enables her to balance the competing needs of a countywide constituency.

Republican Al Higginbotham threw bombs at the county's transit referendum in 2010 when he represented east county on the commission, though he promises now (as he seeks urban support in this countywide race) that he would back the effort to put a transit package on the ballot in 2016. This election-year conversion is a gamble for a county that cannot afford to keep losing ground on transit.

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The next Hillsborough County Commission needs to put a transit package on the ballot and advocate for it. Kemp would best fill the void Sharpe is leaving by bringing a genuine commitment and urgency to improving the transportation system before the county and the region fall further behind.

Amendment 3

The most dangerous constitutional amendment on the ballot is the least understood. It is a power grab by Republicans unhappy with Florida Supreme Court justices, and it would politicize the appellate courts whose independence already has been undermined.

Three of seven justices — R. Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince — are expected to retire in January 2019 as the new governor takes office. Amendment 3 would give outgoing governors the authority to appoint justices in that situation, enabling them to pack the court as they leave office without being held accountable by the voters. There is no constitutional crisis here, and the damage that would be done by politicizing the Supreme Court could last for decades.

The stakes are particularly high because the nonpartisan method for screening judicial candidates already has been compromised. Now governors choose all nine members of the nominating commissions. Even worse, Gov. Rick Scott has repeatedly rejected the Florida Bar's list of nominees to serve on the commissions. That creates an ideological litmus test and discourages viable candidates from applying for the JNC seats and for judicial appointments. Imagine a partisan JNC selecting ideologically driven finalists for the appellate courts and the governor choosing the most radical of the bunch without fear of being held accountable. That would be bad for Florida, regardless of the governor's political party.

There are better ways to resolve this issue, including recruiting retiring justices to stay until their successors are named or starting the JNC screening process earlier. Amendment 3 takes a sledgehammer to a fragile judicial system, and it should be rejected.