|
CITY
PLANNING? – OR CHAOS CAUSED BY GREED FOR PROPERTY TAXES?
By
Jan Bergemann
Published
August 15, 2014
Many
of
Florida's big cities don’t really have a city center – like
a city core. This is most likely caused by the fact that these
cities don’t have a long tradition. Most cities grew quickly
after WW II – and no city planning was undertaken at the time.
Every developer and contractor just built what they could
quickly sell for the highest profit.
Some
cities are now trying to create a center, but that sure isn’t
easy because most of the spaces in the center of cities are
already taken. Let’s
face it: Most of the life in these cities centers around the
beaches, because that’s where the people are drawn to.
And
there is always the question of “How to get the most property
taxes” out of any free space. Hi-rise condos sure promise the
most effective use for cities – cities that are notorious for
lack of funds!
But
let’s just face it: Florida
was never really meant to be a cultural center. Florida’s
reputation is based on being the Sunshine state, the Mecca of
retirees tired of shoveling snow in Winter – and having
early-bird dinners.
I
guess that means that we should look more for white sandy
beaches, blue water, palm trees and sunshine. Isn’t that
really what most of us came here for in the first place?
|
|
 |
Jan Bergemann is president of Cyber Citizens For Justice,
Florida
's largest state-wide property owners' advocacy group.
CCFJ works on legislation to help owners living in
community
|
associations. He moved to
Florida
in 1995 - hoping to retire. He moved into a HOA, where the
developer cheated the homeowners and used the association dues
for his own purposes. End of retirement!
CCFJ was born in the year 2000, when some owners met in
Tallahassee
- finding out that power is only in numbers. Bergemann was a
member of Governor Jeb Bush's HOA Task force in 2003/2004.
The organization has two websites to inform interested
Florida
homeowners and condo owners:
News Website: http://www.ccfj.net/.
Educational Website: http://www.ccfjfoundation.net/.
We think that only owners can really represent owners, since all
service providers surely have a different interest! We are
trying to create owner-friendly laws, but the best laws are
useless without enforcement. And enforcement is totally lacking
in
Florida
!
|
