Presidential Candidate Defended Black Church Dispossessed By Eminent Domain

Justin A

17 years ago

Categories: OpinionPolitics

Presidential Candidate Defended Black Church Dispossessed By Eminent Domain

By Richard Cooper

In 2000, when the Town of North Hempstead used eminent domain to stomp on Rev. Fred Jenkins and St. Luke’s Pentecostal Church, a poor black church in the hamlet of New Cassel next to Westbury, New York, the Nassau and New York Libertarians I chaired spoke out in their defense. See

http://www.antonnews.com/westburytimes/2000/04/07/news.

The town offered $80,000 for a property that the church paid $130,000 and held a $200,000 mortgage. A member of the zoning board said "We have enough churches here in New Cassel." Rev. Fred Jenkins and St. Luke’s Pentecostal Church did not want to sell at any price. The Church wanted to renew the community and the building with "God’s plan and their money" instead of "the Town’s plan and the taxpayers’ money."

2008 Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, MD (R-TX) heard our voice as reported in Libertarian Party News and acted. He introduced a bill with the cosponsorship of Congresswoman Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI) to bar the use of federal funds to seize houses of worship. His legislation was reintroduced as an amendment to a housing department bill. This amendment passed the US House of Representatives on a voice vote. However, the housing bill it was attached to failed in the Senate.

Ultimately, the town has settled with the church for the land and building taken from them but they still have to pay their mortgage and the rent on the basement they still use to hold services and conduct their ministry. They still seek a permanent home in the Westbury and New Cassel area. Those who would like to help can send contributions to St. Luke’s Pentecostal Church, PO Box 834, Westbury, NY 11590.

A few years later, the groundbreaking was begun for the urban renewal scheme which took the church’s land and demolished its building and that of other victims. There to take credit for the federal funding were US Senator and now presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy, Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi, and Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman, together with other Democrat party cronies.

The New Cassel urban renewal scheme handed over the property of the church and others to developers who have seen fit to give Kaiman and the North Hempstead Democrats substantial contributions as reported by Newsday. Of course, there is no connection. The land will supposedly become a bank and a chain drugstore. One developer in the New Cassel redevelopment scheme was just arrested for passing bad checks, not to the Democrat officeholders I presume. http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/friday/longisland/ny-libath185542485jan18,0,1219576.story

One of the properties was built in such a substandard way that the still uncompleted building is already sinking.

What does Ron Paul have to say about eminent domain? http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues/property-rights-and-eminent-domain/ "We must stop special interests from violating property rights and literally driving families from their homes, farms and ranches….Property rights are the foundation of all rights in a free society. Without the right to own a printing press, for example, freedom of the press becomes meaningless. The next president must get federal agencies out of these schemes to deny property owners their constitutional rights to life, liberty, and property."

When it came time defend a poor black congregation, Ron Paul stood up and showed leadership in Congress for what is right while Hillary Clinton brags of her leadership doing wrong by urban renewal schemes. He showed that he could work with Democrats and to pass legislation. That is why many Americans like myself regard him as a hope for America that can heal our country because freedom brings people together and makes for a more just, peaceful and prosperous life. By contrast, Barack Obama has not advised his position on eminent domain abuse.

(About the author: Richard A.Cooper is the export/import manager for a Westbury, Long Island, New York manufacturer. He is a libertarian activist, with a particular interest in fighting eminent domain abuse. He chaired the Nassau and later the New York Libertarian Parties during the thick of the St. Luke’s battle. See www.ny.lp.org and www.lp.org. Always enrolled as a Republican, Cooper is a longtime financial supporter of some of Ron Paul’s previous campaigns and is facing New York voters in the February 5th Republican primary as a Ron Paul delegate.