Eminent Domain Locally
In the city (my the city) they need more high school. One option was to build a new school and another was to expand the existing school. The trouble with the latter plan is that city would have to take land and homes from about thirty people in the subdivision next to the school and there is apparently some dispute with a local company who has filed suit against the city. So, that, of course, is what they’re considering:
“At some point in time, we have to have land,” said Casteel, who later said some nearby land has been promised to the school system.
Then take the promised land and not that of homeowners. More:
“I don’t ever see us going to a two-high school system,” he said.
This issue was covered at Knoxviews a bit back by Flower71. I assume she also wrote this letter to the editor:
Historic neighborhoods will be destroyed. The environment will be damaged. Trees and homes that have been cherished for nearly 100 years will be taken. You can’t replace historic neighborhoods once they are destroyed.
Think about your neighborhood; think about the use of eminent domain on your house. How do you explain these things to our children? When I explained to my children, who have grown up in this historic neighborhood, about the plans for MHS expansion, do you know what they said? “Mommy, someone needs to call the police!” “They can’t tear down peoples houses.” My other son said, “Mom, lets call the President of the United States!”
July 12th, 2007 at 9:20 am
[…] December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 « « Eminent Domain Locally | Home […]
July 12th, 2007 at 9:57 am
Willing buyer and willing seller is the only proper way any private property transaction should happen.
July 12th, 2007 at 10:21 am
When expanding a school, why does it never occur to anyone to build up?
Would it really be that difficult to build over the parking lot? There’s always a parking lot! Kids are fat these days…it wouldn’t hurt to have them walking up and down stairs to get to class! Just put in one elevator for the wheelchairs.
July 12th, 2007 at 10:22 am
anon, they address that in one of the linked articles. The footers are not rated for an additional floor.
July 12th, 2007 at 10:30 am
Why NOT build a separate high school? Are they just playing the “my cods are bigger than yours” game or something? Good lord.
July 12th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
They could do what an eeeevil corporation would do, or what the Jews did in Palestine: They could, you know, buy the land from willing sellers.
Or put in new footers (yeah, I know its hard. Boo hoo).
Better yet, since it is an inarguable fact that a free market (wherein people have a right to choose where their money goes) will outperform anything else, they could get the government out of the education business altogether. It is an option.
August 16th, 2007 at 4:00 am
[…] Think about your neighborhood; think about the use of eminent domain on your house. How do you explain these things to our children? When I explained to my children, who have grown up in this historic neighborhood, about the plans for … by SayUncle at 7:48 AM […]