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February 6, 2006
40 States Re-Examining Eminent Domain
Home Sweet Home? States Debate When Governments Can Take Homes to Make Way for Development
AP, via ABC News
By Robert Tanner
Eminent domain action in Longbranch, NJ illustrates the nation's fight for property rights.
The property rights POV:
"Right now government, I think, is using eminent domain to take people's private properties and hand it over to another owner," said [New Jersey state Sen. Diane] Allen, a Republican. "It's really putting a hole in the American dream. Ownership of private property plays such a large role in that dream."
Local government's case:
Municipal leaders across the country are pushing back, arguing that it's false to claim eminent domain is widely abused and warning that an emotional backlash to the court ruling is putting at risk an important tool that has helped turn around neighborhoods including Baltimore's Inner Harbor and New York's Times Square.
Why do homeowners resist?
But it's not the money, [80-year-old retired pre-school teacher anna DeFaria] said: $1 million wouldn't convince her. "They're taking my home away not my house. My home. My life."
Posted by lumi at February 6, 2006 9:10 AM