D.C. judge allows city to buy, seize 33 properties for baseball stadium

TBO.COM ^ | July 8th 2005 | AP

[AmishDude]

City hall wouldn't cover it. The area required for a stadium plus parking is tremendous. One holdout ruins the whole operation. When e-d is not used, the path of last resistance is farmland.

[AmishDude]

You undermine your point when you look for Kelos that aren't there.

[AmishDude]

last=least

[Dead Corpse]

Any time you have public tax monies being transeferred to a PRIVATE business, you have too much government. Period. End of story. Despite any bleatings about some ephemeral "public good", it is WRONG and very counter productive.

MLB is a huge industry full of zillionaires. There is no reason what so ever for them to not pay for their own G*dd*mn stadiums. Not one red cent of taxes should end up in their coffers.

Same goes for farming, auto manufacturing, the airlines, trains, and energy production. Let the free market handle it instead.

[GAB-1955]

You have to count the outlying suburbs, who share a cultural identification with D.C. It's the suburbanites who are pouring into Nationals and Wizards and Caps games... well, in the latter case, the hard-core suburbanites.

Having said that, in the case of the D.C. stadium, I don't think the decision to use eminent domain is based on the last S. Ct. case, but on more traditional uses for eminent domain.

[MikefromOhio]

What the hell is wrong with RFK? Hasn't it sat idle for long enough?

it's falling apart and it is a pitchers ballpark. That won't generally put butts in the seats.....

[Stew Padasso]

"D.C. is one of the ten biggest cities of the U.S"

In what?

You must work for the DC Chamber.

[GAB-1955]

The D.C. Metropolitan area, where I live, is one of the ten biggest in the nation. That includes the surrounding counties: Montgomery, Prince George's, Fairfax, Alexandria, and Arlington. You put us together, that's over 3 million people--and we want baseball.

I was born in Washington. I've lived a good chunk of my life here. I work here. In fact, the city, under Anthony Williams, is getting some things done. I can't walk to work from the Metro without dodging new building construction everywhere.

I hate having my hometown slapped around by reflex. Marion Barry isn't Mayor anymore, and if that sleaze pocket around Half Street and O, S.E. is torn down for a parking lot, let alone a new stadium, it would be a blessing for this town.

[konaice]

it's falling apart and it is a pitchers ballpark. That won't generally put butts in the seats.....

Ditto for Wrigley Field. Yet every one gushes about that park. (The place needs a fresh coat of Bulldozer, IMHO).

A pitchers park is where you see the best baseball. Plays have to be made, defensive gems to be performed, way more exciting than watching outfielders staring at fly balls over the fence located 6 feet from second base.

It will cost less to fix anything wrong than to build new.

[MikefromOhio]

not in that area though...

Baltimore has absolutely NO pitching this year, but they hit the ball pretty well.

The Nats are different in that they have decent pitching, but for some reason have very little hitting.

They need to find the right balance, but baseball fans are increasing wanting to see homers and not DPs...

I agree with you that it is better baseball, but there is an objective reality they must deal with.

[SALChamps03]

Did Kelo v. London or did not Kelo v. New London make it easier for these types of property confiscations to occur?

[AmishDude]

Kelo did not make it easier to take property for stadia. Sorry. It didn't.

[SALChamps03]

Kelo made it easier to take property for any reason. I respectfully disagree.

[AmishDude]

You are absolutely wrong. Don't undermine your point by saying things that aren't true. Railroads, public buildings, highways, bridges and stadia -- all could be built on e-d property. But not private property.

If you want a hidden consequence, here's one: When Wal-Mart came to town and wanted to buy your house to build a store, you were in the driver's seat. Because they couldn't use e-d, they had to pay you a good price. And they often did. Unless you were an 80-year-old woman with way too much sentimentality, it was a good deal for you.

Now, with the mere threat of e-d, they can demand a lower price. That's something to talk about. Don't make up problems that don't exist.

[SALChamps03]

I am making up nothing. Kelo v. New London has essentially opened the flood gates. Anyone who desires another person's private property can skip the negotiation process altogether, and go to the government. They can tell them that their project will increase the tax base, and boom-eminent domain. Just because you are pretending that this doesn't apply to stadiums doesn't mean that it doesn't. No property is safe from any person who wants it for any reason.