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This happened where I live in Brooklyn to make way for the Barclays Center. New condos, without so much as the paint dry, as well as townhouses and commercial b

This happened where I live in Brooklyn to make way for the Barclays Center. New condos, without so much as the paint dry, as well as townhouses and commercial buildings, were labeled as blight to rationalize the crooked eminent domain process. Check out the movie "Battle For Brooklyn" for more on the story.

ada1981 8y ago
I'll check it out. I live in Park Slope. What a joke. How about if you want to buy land, you make offers people can't refuse - that's suppose to be how capitalism works.
- tehlike 8y ago
  Only when it benefits the capital.
- mikestew 8y ago
  If you’re going for “offer you can’t refuse” in The Godfather sense, that’s what this, without the messing horse butchery.
  - ada1981 8y ago
    I meant more like 2-5x market rates.
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]
  - DoofusOfDeath 8y ago
    Ahem, the offer that couldn't be refused took place before the horse incident.
- perl4ever 8y ago
  Eminent domain often seems unfair, but in any situation where everyone must agree to a plan, being the last holdout gives a person power that they really didn't do anything to deserve either. I'm not sure anybody believes that getting everybody to agree on something should always be required to make progress. Something that comes to mind are the bondholder holdouts that objected to Venezuela's debt restructuring. You may side with the people being bullied by the rich and powerful in any circumstance, but that doesn't uniformly lead to defending holdouts. My point is, no, paying any price is not how things work in capitalist societies or anywhere, because it's not practical, regardless of how unfair this particular instance is. Edit: Wow, fastest downvote ever. Wonder if it is automated somehow. I don't think the ability (and prevalence) of downvoting opinions you disagree with contributes to the professed goals of HN. I appreciate strict moderation for civility, but given the ability to downvote rather than engage with (or ignore) a polite comment, people tend to abuse it.
  - figgis 8y ago
    These are peoples homes, land, and likely history. Demolishing that without the blessing of the owners is ridiculous. I just can't see how that is comparable to bondholder holdouts.
    - perl4ever 8y ago
      It's not morally comparable, which is an essential part of my point. I think perhaps my comment is inspiring kneejerk reactions as though I was defending this instance of eminent domain, but it was a response to the direct parent, which was attacking something much broader than this instance. Coordination problems preventing people from making collective progress are real, and mechanisms for eminent domain exist to deal with those real problems, is all I'm saying. That is independent of whether some holdouts are righteous or not in particular circumstances. To repeat, please interpret my comments in the context of what I am responding to, not just the article link.
      - ada1981 8y ago
        I think the issue is that people think they actually "own" property, when in fact they merely rent it from the state. It's dressed up with fancy words and paperwork, but when the State has a better use for it than you having it, they will find a way.
- communalist 8y ago
  how capitalism works. Not really, but okay.
jt2190 8y ago
The abuse of eminent domain to make way for the new Dallas Cowboys stadium in Arlington, Texas was so bad that they amended the state constitution to prevent it from happening again.
- s2g 8y ago
  Huh, well at least the billionaire owner paid for a stadium that brings in revenue locally right? oh right. https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/texas-business-report-how-taxpayers-subsidized-construction-of-cowboys-stadium/ https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/texas-business-report-...

ada1981 8y ago

I'll check it out. I live in Park Slope. What a joke. How about if you want to buy land, you make offers people can't refuse - that's suppose to be how capitalism works.

tehlike 8y ago
Only when it benefits the capital.
mikestew 8y ago
If you’re going for “offer you can’t refuse” in The Godfather sense, that’s what this, without the messing horse butchery.
- ada1981 8y ago
  I meant more like 2-5x market rates.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
- DoofusOfDeath 8y ago
  Ahem, the offer that couldn't be refused took place before the horse incident.
perl4ever 8y ago
Eminent domain often seems unfair, but in any situation where everyone must agree to a plan, being the last holdout gives a person power that they really didn't do anything to deserve either. I'm not sure anybody believes that getting everybody to agree on something should always be required to make progress. Something that comes to mind are the bondholder holdouts that objected to Venezuela's debt restructuring. You may side with the people being bullied by the rich and powerful in any circumstance, but that doesn't uniformly lead to defending holdouts. My point is, no, paying any price is not how things work in capitalist societies or anywhere, because it's not practical, regardless of how unfair this particular instance is. Edit: Wow, fastest downvote ever. Wonder if it is automated somehow. I don't think the ability (and prevalence) of downvoting opinions you disagree with contributes to the professed goals of HN. I appreciate strict moderation for civility, but given the ability to downvote rather than engage with (or ignore) a polite comment, people tend to abuse it.
- figgis 8y ago
  These are peoples homes, land, and likely history. Demolishing that without the blessing of the owners is ridiculous. I just can't see how that is comparable to bondholder holdouts.
  - perl4ever 8y ago
    It's not morally comparable, which is an essential part of my point. I think perhaps my comment is inspiring kneejerk reactions as though I was defending this instance of eminent domain, but it was a response to the direct parent, which was attacking something much broader than this instance. Coordination problems preventing people from making collective progress are real, and mechanisms for eminent domain exist to deal with those real problems, is all I'm saying. That is independent of whether some holdouts are righteous or not in particular circumstances. To repeat, please interpret my comments in the context of what I am responding to, not just the article link.
    - ada1981 8y ago
      I think the issue is that people think they actually "own" property, when in fact they merely rent it from the state. It's dressed up with fancy words and paperwork, but when the State has a better use for it than you having it, they will find a way.
communalist 8y ago
how capitalism works. Not really, but okay.

jt2190 8y ago

The abuse of eminent domain to make way for the new Dallas Cowboys stadium in Arlington, Texas was so bad that they amended the state constitution to prevent it from happening again.

s2g 8y ago
Huh, well at least the billionaire owner paid for a stadium that brings in revenue locally right? oh right. https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/texas-business-report-how-taxpayers-subsidized-construction-of-cowboys-stadium/ https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/texas-business-report-...