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July 4, 2007
What's up, Chuck?
As if voters are a bunch of idiots, this week NY Senator Charles Schumer came out against eminent domain abuse in Upstate New York, although he remains a big booster of the practice in New York City, especially for Atlantic Yards.
Schumer makes a good point, as reported by the Oneida Daily Dispatch, "Schumer: Don't let bureaucrats overrule states:"
"It makes no sense to give a private company the right to eminent domain," Schumer said. "Communities and neighborhoods should not have their homes taken at whim by private companies."
Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn takes note of the Senator's inconsistency:
Ok, we did a double-take when this article came to our inbox today. Senator Charles Schumer, a full-throated supporter of Atlantic Yards and its intended use of eminent domain (we say it's an abuse) for a private developer, went Upstate to support residents there fighting the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC, no relation to FCRC) intended use of eminent domain for a private developer for a traditional public use--power lines.
...
Yes, this is the same Senator Schumer who once said the following about those critical of or opposed to Atlantic Yards (which, by the way, uses eminent domain for a private developer):"[Borough President] Marty [Markowitz] is taking it on the chin," sympathized Schumer, "from what I call the culture of inertia, this small group of self-appointed people. If we do not grow, we will die."
He's also the same politician who promoted "making greater use of public condemnation" (eminent domain) in the Group of 35 Report.
The Daily Politics ran a blurb and a link in its daily political roundup:
The anti-Atlantic Yards faction sees some hypocrisy in Sen. Charles Schumer's opposition to the use of eminent domain for a private developer that wants to build a 200+ power line upstate.
NoLandGrab: On the face of it, it may seem that NYRI's plan is a traditional use of eminent domain, as opposed to Bruce Ratner's private Atlantic Yards project. However, at issue in both eminent domain actions is WHO is drawing the lines and making the decision about WHAT land and HOW MUCH to forcibly take.
The lack of transparency and appetite for eminent domain in the upstate and downstate takings bridge regional differences and questions of public or private use.
Posted by lumi at July 4, 2007 8:35 AM