"...voters had been concerned for several years about overcrowded roads and dwindling water supplies. Tonight is just a continuation of a really loud, clear message." "...incumbents were challenged by opponents who ran with one central issue: growth is out of control."

The challengers - a retired attorney, an affordable housing expert and a top federal education official - won by substantial margins.

"There is no question the community wants a change in the way we approach growth," Ed Marton told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Builders poured money into an effort to defeat the super majority movement, but had no success.It was important for them to win in Sarasota, because it is a microcosm of what is going on statewide.

Florida Hometown Democracy is a grass-roots group seeking to gather enough signatures to place an amendment on the 2008 ballot that would require voter approval of any changes to local comprehensive land-use plans.

"...recent changes to the constitutional-amendment process require that the issue pass with 60 percent of the vote. Interestingly, that threshold was broken in both Sarasota and Sarasota County.

They (voters) made it clear that they're tired of seeing development after development approved, regardless of what the planning and zoning maps say should be put in place.

So voters grabbed the only tool they had to try to slow down growth. Sure, it's like using a sledgehammer on a fly. But if some elected officials don't offer some alternatives between now and the November 2008 elections, that big hammer will likely be swung again.