A Walking Tour of the Kelo "Redevelopment"

Damon W. Root | September 29, 2009

Four years ago the U.S. Supreme Court upheld New London, Connecticut's controversial use of eminent domain to implement a "comprehensive redevelopment plan" that would provide "appreciable benefits to the community." So how's that working out? Rick Koster of Connecticut news site The Day has a great new video showcasing exactly what New London has done so far to implement this desperately needed economic development.

Watch it here.

Comments

|9.29.09 @ 5:29PM|#

New London - Your tax-funded plunder at work.

jtuf|9.29.09 @ 5:45PM|#

I'm still waiting the boycott of Connecticut, the UN commission for displaced New Londoners, and the collection of World leaders trying to broker a peace deal.

|9.29.09 @ 6:40PM|#

Next step: Condemn the cat hotel!

Mister DNA|9.29.09 @ 6:43PM|#

Is there enough room for the Atlantic Yards/New Jersey Nets to move there?

Paul|9.29.09 @ 7:34PM|#

Of course they'll blame the lack of progress to the stonewalling by Kelo et al. Had the Kelo's just sold willingly, the project wouldn't have hit delays, Pfizer wouldn't have lost interest and it all would have been complete before the real estate bust.

Paul|9.29.09 @ 7:37PM|#

Of course, the followup argument is that's why it's so important to stonewall and fight every eminment domain taking to the last human soul. If everyone getting ED'd would treat their house like Stalingrad, the message to the government would be clear: We ain't gonna give this up without a brawl, no matter the cost and in the end, the cost for government victory will simply be too high.

|9.29.09 @ 9:32PM|#

Another triumph for our black-robed guardians: now New London has a cathouse. Hell, no town is complete without a cathouse!

|9.30.09 @ 1:43AM|#

I don't think people comprehend how much of a shithole New London is and has been for a really long time. It along with Bridgeport are probably the two shittiest cities in CT.

|9.30.09 @ 11:00AM|#

Episiarch,

Well, sometimes cities need to just fade away.

MikeB|10.2.09 @ 8:31AM|#

There is wisdom to the comment about property owners treating their "asset" like the defenders at Stalingrad. Fight because there is power in informed tenacity.

My wife and I are among a group of property owners who have endured a transformative two-year eminent domain fight with Houston-based Spectra Energy, backed by the power of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

This was a project located in Bedford County, PA (about 2 hours from Washington), that involved a 12 billion cubic feet underground natural gas storage facility -- dubbed the Steckman Ridge Project.

The learnings are many and, as we know, it is not a level playing field legally or ethically for property owners. Among other issues, there is a lot of play in the "just" of just compensation.

For example, the energy industry has sweetheart lease deals with government entities that are very different from what it offers private property owners next door.

To the energy companies, as one right-of-way agent admitted, governments (i.e., the regulators) are big and scary -- property owners are not. So it is good politics to give the government a better payment deal than property owners.

Private property owner dealings with the regulators at FERC is an adventure by itself.

Our fight led to the development of a website which focuses specifically on property rights that come under pressure from energy and utility companies. We are now helping and responding to inquiries from property owners in Pennsylvania, Texas, Oklahoma and elsewhere.

In various blog posts, we talk to company officials, regulators, legislators, lawyers; and we provide a list of links and resources within or at the end of each blog. There is also a landowner video on the site that puts a face on the impact of "taking" under the badge of government.

The site has drawn visitors not only from the U.S. but from Canada and the UK, among other places. In addition, tips come from many sources, including the energy industry itself.

Blog postings are on the right side of the website page under "Recent Posts." For those looking for information or support, the website link is below.

http://spectraenergywatch.com/blog/