Manny {l Wrote}:This will come as something of a surprise, but while IB has a vague, half-formed idea of how this works, he's wrong in almost every possible way.
Manny I am sure you are right. I am not a lawyer. And I don't profess to understand the legalese of this to the level of all our law-talking guys. And I'm sure I am wrong in every possible way. But, I am a real-estate owner. I own a lot of land (both developed and undeveloped.) And I understand that when I want to buy a piece of property, I have to pay the price that the seller is demanding. If I refuse, I can buy something else, it just wont be their property. And if the property is not for sale, I can let them name the price and it won't matter. I don't have any government authority supporting my decision where I have the ultimate power of "force" to acquire land that may not be for sale.
Eminent Domain gives Newton the authority to simply seize the land for what the town feels is a "public good." But if they do that, they must pay fair market value. I have a hard time believing that 24 acres, anywhere within the boundaries of Newton, is worth $15.1 million. I think a Newton landfill breeding seagulls, mosquitos, and typhus that spanned 24 acres would be worth more than $15.1 million. This is isn't empty desert land 50 miles west of Flagstaff Arizona. I can get you 240 acres of Arizona real-estate for $15.1 million.
Instead of saying I am wrong in every possible way, how about explaining (in bullet point, preferably) why I am wrong? Put in the time. Don't be lazy. Don't be cowardly. Open yourself (and your opinions) up to criticism. Manny, be a man.
Feminism: Eve eats ALL the apples, gives God the middle finder when He confronts her, and has the serpent serve Adam with an injunction ordering him to stay away from her AND to provide her food and shelter because he dragged her out of the Garden.