Comedian and Libertarian Party member Drew Carey is hosting a series of Internet TV programs for the Reason Foundation, which publishes Reason magazine. Reason.tv now has its third program "National City: Eminent Domain Gone Wild." http://reason.tv/video/show/56.html)
The short program focuses on eminent domain in National City, California where a Community Youth Center diverting at-risk youth with its boxing program is threatened with removal by eminent domain abuse in order to install a luxury condominium development. To the rescue arrives the Institute for Justice (http://www.ij.org), the libertarian public-interest law firm.
The show is interesting, informative and fast-paced. It may be my Internet connection but it was jumpy, requiring me to push the show along.
But it is well worth watching and giving careful consideration. As an eminent domain abuse activist and Libertarian, I heartily approve of its message. Today, we face the New York Regional Interconnect, the Atlantic Yards, Willets Point and Columbia’s West Harlem eminent domain schemes. As usual, the public officials and developers lie.
Next year, Americans will elect a new president and Congress. New Yorkers will elect a new state legislature. Let us all ask every candidate how they stand on eminent domain abuse and what they are going to do to eliminate it.
(About the author: Richard Cooper is an export/import manager with a Long Island, New York manufacturing firm. He is the former chair of the Libertarian Party of NY www.ny.lp.org. He has articles on the topic of eminent domain at www.groundreport.com:
"Columbia University Eminent Domain In Harlem Condemned By Libertarian Alumni", "Barclays Bank Boycott To Protest Eminent Domain Abuse," A Child’s Book of Eminent Domain)