Cypress invokes eminent domain to seize church landCalifornia, the TREND-setter. What a WONDERFUL concept to popularize across the USA... NOT!
ocregister.com
Posted on 5/29/02 12:19 PM Pacific by Retired Chemist
CYPRESS – Cypress on Tuesday became the first Orange County city to use eminent domain to seize church property to make way for a shopping center...
As others have posted previously, this "land grab" reminds of the old Joni Mitchell classic, from http://www.jmdl.com/lyrics/bigyellowtaxi.cfm:
Big Yellow TaxiYou can LISTEN to it here:
by Joni Mitchell
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique
And a swinging hot spot
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
They took all the trees
Put 'em in a tree museum
And they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to see 'em
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
Hey farmer farmer
Put away that DDT now
Give me spots on my apples
But leave me the birds and the bees
Please!
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
Late last night
I heard the screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi
Took away my old man
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
Copyright © Siquomb Publishing Company
I think it would be more effective than dealing with this city council... Just a thought. What are they going to do when, if, CostCo backs out?
While I agree that eminent domain is one of government's most significant powers, subject to dgregious abuses, I can't get worked up about the church's loss. If churches and other nonprofits paid their fiar share of taxes, I'd consider their property rights as sacrosanct as the grocer's, thebarber's or the jiggle-joint owenr's. As it stands, many cities have churches with monstrous 5000 member congregations that pay no property taxes, "consume" 10-plus acres of residential land (w/valuations of $50/sq.ft. that someone else must pay) and offer health clubs, schools, travel clubs, summer camps, and a fart of other services that limbo under the tax bar.
I'm happy for people to exercise their religious freedom. I get annoyed when the "Church of Lazarus" gets a walk on a $50,000 tax bill on their 100,000 sq.ft. facility while the neighbors have to absorb the taxes and Sunday traffic.
It seems that Mr. Manley thinks that eminent domain is OK in this case since the "victim" is a non-taxed entity known as a Church.