again, you're missing the rule of law in the application of eminent domain.
In Connecticut, they took the land just to give it to some "rich" dude with big ideas...
No they didn't. Eminent domain can not be used in that way.......had it been, the USSC would have ruled against them. The "rich dude" has to have a development agreement with the city.....which requires him to perform in a particular way. If he doesn't perform, he loses.
In Arlington, the people of Arlington voted and decided the government needed to create a government owned and controlled sports arena to benefit the people of Arlington.
Yes, the people were sold a bill of goods. "Building the stadium will mean more jobs for Arlingtonians, new businesses will move in to cater to the people attending the games, development will occur around the stadium as an attractive adjunct, the city will get all these taxes from tickets and concessions to pay off the bonds, bla bla bla etc".
Reality check........by the time the stadium is done......between it and the land needed for parking....its the equivalent size of a small city where no property taxes are collected. Arlington is big as suburbs go but that still is a big chunk of land taken off the property rolls. In addition, the way this particular stadium was built as opposed to Denver's, Baltimore's, Seattle's etc, it is isolated from the rest of Arlington by a sea of parking. To get to it, people mostly drive. As I said, the property is tax free so the city gets nothing from that. It might get taxes from the concessions and tickets but typically that's not enough to pay off the bonds needed for construction. Any new businesses? Yeah, the guy who hawks the peanuts and the beer.........real low tech. Meanwhile I don't think the Cowboys play there so the stadium sits empty for nearly six months out of the year generating nada.
I like stadiums because I like going to a ball game once in a while but I would not move to particular city because the Mariners or the Sox play there......nope. There are people who do but they are rare. Meanwhile stadiums are one of the biggest boondoggles in this country. They are the equivalent of congressional pork. Sorry.
Let me give you a point of reference. This country's politicians already have to power to take from you, and are currently taking from you, almost anything they want, and give it to anyone they want to. Land was the last shirt on our backs that a politician cannot take from us and give it to someone else who might vote for them.
No they don't. That's your paranoia talking.
As I've said many times, to some people you are rich with your three degrees driving around a BMW. How would you feel if these same politicians you are supporting at taking away my land and giving it to you for a new mall, decided you didn't "need" your BMW and would give it to me because I voted for them? Or decided your one degree is enough and took the rest of your college money and gave it to me for my first degree?
That would be against the law. Eminent domain is not against the law. I understand the controversy behind it and have opposed it on a number of occasions but I also understand why its needed from time to time. BTW my grandparents were from the Norwich-New London area so I am pretty familiar with the area's economics.......and they need all the help they can get. Its not Appalachia but the area is hitting hard times nonetheless.
Why you have not been able to understand that analogy over the years, is the reason for me, right and wrong is based upon the letter of the law, and your right and wrong depends largely upon "who" you are. You just repeated it in your post...
I am unclear what you are saying nor what it has to do with the issue at hand. |
