Supremely puzzled
This Supreme court decision is really bothering me. The operative word is private. While working for the Town of Addison I had the opportunity to deal with eminent domain issues first hand, and while you certainly empathize with anyone who is effected, it's a necessary power to have. You cannot have one guy holding the tax payers hostage.
But in the case of private development I simply don't get it. It goes against the capitalist way of doing things. If a private venture wants Grandpa's farm they will need to pay Grandpa's price, or build elsewhere..simple enough you'd think.
I wonder under what circumstances this power will be used, and what criteria must be met. We can only hope there is sufficient devil in the details, cause on the surface it stinks.
But in the case of private development I simply don't get it. It goes against the capitalist way of doing things. If a private venture wants Grandpa's farm they will need to pay Grandpa's price, or build elsewhere..simple enough you'd think.
I wonder under what circumstances this power will be used, and what criteria must be met. We can only hope there is sufficient devil in the details, cause on the surface it stinks.
posted by Robert_M at 9:15 AM
4 Comments:
After a little research on this I am outraged. I can understand the argument for a hospital or school. While private they receive a lot of federal and local money while adding to the greater good. If a stadium is at least partially owned by the city, I can get passed it with some difficulty. To remove someone from their land, home, business for a hotel?!? I do not get that. Tourism is not the problem of the current landowner. Pay up or shut up. I am really shocked that the Supreme Court potentially cleared the way for Wal-Mart to take my home if the city supports them.
That is troubling, since cities tend to bend over backwards for businesses.
I've read up on this. And the majority on the high court believes that the projects should happen if it's in the "economic interest of the public." So jobs, tax base and the like will be the reasons a local government will cite to take my house.
That's a real possibility as I live on a street that is prime for redevelopment near downtown Dallas. What a nightmare.
I bet you and I and sa-eric are the only people in the US who realize how serious this is. Everybody else is concerned with Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes and the missing chick in Aruba.
You hit the nail on the head, it's not like it has to be a hospital or somesuch. Tax base,and jobs are good enough reasons. Well any effing walmart will offer those things.
This is truly effed up.
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