Stan Katz: Vote ‘no’ on Silverthorne eminent domain question

“I am writing this to urge all Silverthorne voters to vote “no” at the Special Election on August 14, to reject the efforts of a small group of special-interest people who want to change the procedure for implementing eminent domain in Silverthorne. They are trying to use a current national backlash against a specific use/abuse of eminent domain to make a completely different use of the procedure (one which has not been abused) extremely difficult to implement, and in so doing further their own limited agenda.

Does eminent domain ever get abused? Many Americans believe so, and their fears have been confirmed by the US Supreme Court, which, in the landmark Kelo v. City of New London case, sanctioned the seizure of privately-held property to another private group who intended to build luxury facilities which would decrease urban blight and increase the city’s property tax revenue. This decision, to allow the use of eminent domain to transfer property from one private individual to another, however, has been almost universally criticized, and it is included in the election before us. If it were the only issue/clause in the current referendum, I might well be urging a positive vote.”

read the entire letter to the editor.

Katz, Stan. SummitDaily.com 26 July 2012.