Many historians believe that the Founders considered using the phrase; “Life, Liberty, and Property” when writing the Declaration of Independence and influenced by Thomas Jefferson, they settled on Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. The phrase “Life, Liberty, and Property” is mentioned in the 5th and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. There is no doubt the founders believed private property rights were the foundation of individual liberty based on the natural right to own with what our labor produces.

It has been our free market system that has allowed individuals to prosper and the free market system depends on private property rights to function. Private owners take better care of their property, if not they will bear the consequences of reduced property values and in contrast, government-owned land is often in disrepair, and resources are depleted.

When the government places restraints on property rights it takes away our freedom to prosper and moves more power to the government. We need strong protections of property rights to protect individual liberty and restrain the growth of government. The Founders created a government to protect private property rights.

RLCFL Legislative Goals

We support legislation requiring local government comprehensive plans to include a property rights element for the protection of property owners.  All counties and municipalities in Florida must adopt local government comprehensive plans that guide future growth and development. Comprehensive plans contain chapters or “elements” that address topics to be coordinated. Absent from the list of mandated elements is an element protecting property rights.

Election law in Florida provides for the establishment of “Political Committees” and “Election Communications Organizations” which can be operated by industry and trade groups, unions and other special interest organizations, and elected officials and candidates. In the case of elected officials and candidates, these PCs and ECOs operate independently of candidate campaign accounts. They can accept unlimited contributions and spend unlimited amounts of money advocating for the election or reelection of said candidates thus making campaign contribution limits meaningless. PCs and ECOs can also make contributions to other PCs and ECOs which can then make unlimited contributions to PCs or ECOs operated by candidates, making it exceedingly difficult for voters to understand where the money really comes from that finance’s campaigns for public office.

It is time to put an end to the “legal laundering” of millions of dollars in special interest campaign contributions through political committees and electioneering communications organizations.

RLCFL Legislative Goals

We support legislation that would prohibit these transfers or contributions between PCs, ECOs, political parties, and affiliated party committees.