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May 05, 2006
NY Times report on eminent domain & the Yards
From the New York Times
Bloomberg Says Power to Seize Private Land Is Vital to Cities
By DIANE CARDWELL
Published: May 3, 2006
"The vast, overwhelming majority of Americans are opposed to using eminent domain," said Dana Berliner, a senior lawyer at the Institute for Justice, a leading advocate for curtailing its use.
"The only people who are really supporting it are government, planners and the developers that take advantage of eminent domain," she said.
In New York, for example, the proposed use of eminent domain by the developer Forest City Ratner to bring a basketball arena and a swath of residential, office and commercial towers to the Atlantic Terminal area touched off fierce opposition, especially in surrounding neighborhoods.
The concept, though, proved unpopular elsewhere as well. A New York Times poll in April 2004 found that only 18 percent of city residents favored the construction of a new basketball arena in Brooklyn if it required the demolition of homes and businesses."
Posted by klowy at 10:35 PM | Comments (0)
April 30, 2006
File Under: More IND Craziness
This was posted on another blog by an IND member who needs to read the By-Laws a little more carefully.
He wrote:
May 4th is the endorsement vote for the NY-11 Congressional primary. Yesterday I received a letter signed by the following individuals asking IND members to join them in support of David Yassky in this race:
Debra Scotto, identified as being on the Executive Board
Joe Ringston, identified as Treasurer
Marisa Ringston, identified as Member
Tom McMahon, identified as Member
Eleanor Cunningham, identified as Recording Secretary
Bob Zuckerman, identified as being on the Executive board
Ira Cure, identified as past President
and Stephen DiBrienza, with no noted identification with the club
The letter is addressed to "Dear Fellow IND member." According to the Constitution of IND, these individuals, by using their affiliation with IND in written material connected with a campaign that has not received the endorsement of the general membership, are violating IND bylaws.
Actually, what they did was fine because the club has NOT voted yet. They identified themselves as IND members, but did not write that they are speaking for IND. Once the vote is taken, IND board members must either support the candidate the club endorsed, or take a leave of absence during the campaign. In the past, many board members do just that.
There is something interesting about the letter. Ira Cure is the only person who signed that letter who lives in Yassky's district and can vote for him. This doesn't bode well for Yassky. He could only find one IND member in his district to support him? The letter that was sent goes on to say that David Yassky is an "independent". In Yassky's case this means that David represents David.
Kenn Lowy
Posted by klowy at 12:12 PM | Comments (0)