Nationally-syndicated columnist George Will takes aim at the absurd
"blight" designation used to justify eminent domain abuse in Prospect
Heights.
of Brooklyn, which was fought in fields and woods where today the
battle of Prospect Heights is being fought. Americans' liberty is again
under assault, but this time by overbearing American governments.
The
fight involves an especially egregious example of today's eminent
domain racket. The issue is a form of government theft that the Supreme
Court encouraged with its worst decision of the last decade — one that
probably will be radically revised in this one.
The Atlantic
Yards site, where 10 subway lines and one railway line converge, is the
center of the bustling Prospect Heights neighborhood of mostly small
businesses and middle-class residences. Its energy and gentrification
are reasons why 22 acres of this area — the World Trade Center site is
only 16 acres — are coveted by Bruce Ratner, a politically connected
developer collaborating with the avaricious city and state governments.
No Land Grab has an excerpt and a link to the actual column.