Is eminent domain the answer?
“Private property ownership is the cornerstone of our country. Our founding fathers knew implicitly that property and liberty are deeply intertwined, and you cannot have one without the other. In New Jersey, property rights are not protected to the extent they should be. This is evident by redevelopment laws, which give local governments a blank check on taking one’s private property.
The taking of private property through eminent domain is an abuse of power by local officials, who wish to impose their view on what an area should look like, over that of a current owner.
No matter how anyone wants to argue the merits of using eminent domain to either rid a town of blight or build something that will bring in more tax revenue, the moral reality is that to take a property from one person to benefit another person is wrong. It is not like they are building a road or a modern train station, which is something that will benefit the entire town and all of its residents.”
Penna, Sue Ann. NorthJersey.com 25 October 2012.