CITIZENS FOR SENSIBLE GROWTH

In Sarasota County, Florida

JOIN THE CAMPAIGN

Against sprawl and overdevelopment

Political ad paid for by Citizens for Sensible Growth in Sarasota County, Inc., 1422 Ranchero Drive, Sarasota, FL 34240 sarasotacitizens@comcast.net

News stories showing why we need to set higher standards fro Sarasota County growth:

• Speculative homebuilding-buying-selling in Sarasota/Manatee at epicenter of world-wide credit crunch
  

• North Port "ground zero for speculation" dilapidated roads and thousands of homes for sale
  

• Federal grand jury investigates financing of speculative homebuilding/home buying/flipping scheme.
  

• City of North Port, which relied on building permit fees to fund municipal services, has to cutback
  

• Florida (Sarasota) is "canary in the cage" for speculative housing bust and credit crisis. (Financial Times of London)
  

• Habitat for Hustlers..freewheeling banks and lenders preying upon those needing affordable homes
  

• Region places high in foreclosures
  

WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR DUMB GROWTH IN SARASOTA COUNTY

Speculative building and building approvals key to current economic mess

Control Dumb Growth

REQUIRE VOTER

APPROVAL before

county commissioners approve   more sprawl

2. Why developers have undue influence over county growth decisions:

"If you look at most of the campaign contributions, the majority of it comes from the development community," including contractors, lawyers and Realtors, McClash said. "They have the clout. They have the ability to raise the big money."

Comments about developer influences over  public officials in story about Sarasota County school board members and pressures from developers. Manatee Commissioner Joe McClash (Sarasota Herald Tribune Oct 28, 2002).

1. How developers got intoxicated with speculation and fast buck profits:

"All of us in the food chain -- bankers, builders developers, mortgage lenders ...we all got a little bit intoxicated with the market..."

Jody Hudgins,local banker and Sarasota County Planning Commission member. Sarasota Herald Tribune 8/18/2007

3. Why "explosive growth" keeps drawing huge builders to area (even in 2007):

"But it is the appeal of so many new homes built or planned for the region that is drawing huge builders like Suffolk." 'They follow the rooftops,' said Jay Brady, executive director of the Gulf Coast Builders Exchange..."

Sarasota Herald Tribune June 25, 2007

What developers and officials have said about: