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August 4, 2006
EMINENT DOMAINIA: Local takings abuse small business owners
Both of these pieces focus on the injustice to small businesses as they face eminent domain abuse in New York City:
Castle Watch (Online Newsletter of the Castle Coalition)
Bring Out the Wrecking Ball, Columbia Says
In April 2004, the private, ivy league university nestled in the heart of New York City announced its plans to expand into West Harlem—a five billion dollar, five-square-block project to build a research facility, university housing and an art center, among other things. Only one problem: neither the university nor the City owns the land on which Columbia plans to build. But Columbia administrators say the university will simply use eminent domain to clear out the many existing businesses and apartment buildings that currently occupy the area.[4] Interestingly, the university’s exceptional journalism program brought this to the public’s attention—after the Columbia Daily Spectator filed a Freedom of Information Act request to acquire this information.
NY Sun, Op-ed, An Eminent Threat To the City
Columnist Alicia Colon says, "Wake up New Yorkers: Eminent domain may be considered constitutional, but it can also be unjust and immoral."
NY Daily News, 'Iron'-willed bizmen fight city
With the city close to unveiling a redevelopment plan for Willets Point's "Iron Triangle," area business owners are mounting a campaign to short-circuit any such proposal.
...
"We are trying to get the word out that we are not a bunch of junkyards - that we have thousands of employees and probably do $1 billion in revenue a year," said Howard Feinstein of Feinstein Iron Works.
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"We have had these rumblings through various administrations. We are going to fight this. We are trying to run our businesses and this is always a distraction. It is always looming," Fodera said.
Posted by lumi at August 4, 2006 9:26 AM