"This is not about some great public use"

CNN had a nice segment last Friday on the Atlantic Yards eminent domain fight, featuring lead plaintiff (and Reason contributor) Daniel Goldstein explaining why New York's highest court should put a stop to this shameless case of eminent domain abuse:

Comments

[Old Mexican]

Remember:

It's only shameless when a government uses Eminent Domain to violate (i.e. PILLAGE) our Private Property in favor of a private entity, but not when the government violates (i.e. PILLAGES) our Private Property to benefit Itself or special interest groups like Enviro-crazies or Tree Huggers - those are a-Ok.

[J sub D]

You must be new around here.

[J sub D]

Hey New Yorkers! The basketball team Ratner wants to bring to your fair city is 0-13. They have never won an NBA title.

Give him millions in tax incentives and land deals to move that laughingstock of a franchise to Brooklyn. New Jersey will appreciate it.

[Not To Be A Dick, But]

They did win an ABA title or two, didn't they?

[bohica]

ABA titles? That's like winning a WNBA or MLS title -- nice for those on the team but pretty much irrelevant to anybody else.

[Crusader Rabbit]

Why doesn't Goldstein just put together his own project?  He can float some publicly rated IRBs to get the cash, then condemn a really nice location in the city, tear down the buildings that are there, and build a really nice mansion for his family.

Think of all the publice benefits!  10 jobs to float the bond issue, 40 jobs to tear down the old buildings, 50 jobs to build his new house, 5 jobs to maintain the house, property taxes he would pay on the new house . . . man, it just goes on and on.  This would be a HUGE benefit the city!

[Warty]

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