Study: Eminent Domain Used As First Resort, Not Last

A new report by the Reason Foundation finds that using eminentdomain often fails to help achieve economic development goals.

1 minute read

February 12, 2005, 9:00 AM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen

As the Supreme Court prepares to hear the enormously important property rights case Kelo vs. New London on Feb. 22, a new Reason Foundation report finds that eminent domain is being abused as a tool of first resort by governments seeking the new revenue streams that come with redevelopment projects. More and more we are seeing homeowners and small businesses displaced by the whims and financial desires of city councils under the guise of eminent domain, said Samuel Staley, Ph.D., director of urban land use policy at Reason Foundation and lead author of the report. Once upon a time, eminent domain was reserved for severe cases of blight. Now, if a city thinks that it can generate more tax money with redevelopment, the government plays the eminent domain card."

[Editor's note: The link below is to a 150KB PDF.]

Thanks to Chris Steins

FULL STORY: Study: Eminent Domain Used as First Resort, Not Last

Friday, February 11, 2005 in Reason Public Policy Institute

Government / Politics United States

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