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September 25, 2008
EMINENT DOMAINIA
WILLETS POINT
As most of you heard, the NY City Planning Commission voted to approve Mayor Bloomberg's redevelopment plan of Willets Point in Queens.
That means that the proposed plan is headed to a vote in the City Council, the legislative body that had no vote on Atlantic Yards and rubber-stamped the Columbia University expansion plan. Watchdogs anticipate a more contentious debate over Willets Point, where a majority of councilmembers have already sided with the property owners.
Here are today's headlines:
The NY Sun, Willets Point Plan Gets Planning Approval
NY Daily News, Showdown coming over Willets Point
The Wonkster, Willets Point Approved
NY1, Planning Commission Votes To Move Forward With Willets Point Redevelopment
RATNERVILLE
Because one eminent domain hearing is never enough, Noticing New York blogger Michael D. D. White sped from State Senator Bill Perkins's hearing to the NY State Appellate Court in time to catch a judicial colloquy about blight. He posted a detailed account of his eminent domain double header.
Noticing New York, Contrivance in the service of creating blight, real blight- Listen again- REAL blight
The theme for heavily-evented Wednesday, Thursday and this week as a whole is deceit, manipulation and contrivance in the service of bringing blight to our communities.
Wednesday morning State Senator Bill Perkins held hearings about the need for eminent domain reform in New York where eminent domain abuse probably outstrips such abuse anywhere else in the country.
...
After Senator Perkins’ eminent domain hearing there was hardly time to get to the oral argument, in the state lawsuit challenging the Atlantic Yards environmental review.
...
Once again we were considering a record of deceit, manipulation and contrivance in the service of bringing blight to our communities.
WOLRDWIDE ABUSE
A true sign of a progressive democracy, at least the United States can hold its head up high and lay claim that we don't jail or strip property owners who fight to keep their homes, according to the last time we checked.
Ground Report, Female Chinese Land Seizure Protesters Stripped Naked & Jailed
The NY Times coverage comes to us via a local Libertarian blog, which places Mayor Bloomberg's New York in some fine company:
Atlantic Yards, Willets Point, Manhattanville, the list goes on. Whether it is China or the United States, Zimbabwe or the Middle East, a change in philosophy is needed that embraces individualism, individual liberty, private property and markets that thoroughly and consistently rejects their opposites.
WE WEREN'T BORN YESTERDAY. YOU?
The editorial board at the El Paso Times recommends that the city use eminent domain only "as a last resort" after removing the threat of eminent domain from the table. Huh?
El Paso Times, Eminent domain: Use only as last resort
Keep eminent domain as a last-ditch tool, but don't wield it as a weapon.
To quote Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, "If you have a bazooka in your pocket and people know it, you probably won't have to use it." 'Nuff said.
Posted by lumi at September 25, 2008 5:57 AM