Can Someone Help James Dupree? And Let’s Fix Eminent Domain While We’re at It.
“It’s not about whether seizing Dupree’s property is the right or wrong thing to do (it’s wrong, by the way). It’s more about the process.
Eminent Domain shouldn’t be decided by the city of Philadelphia or any government. Who made the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority the boss? What gives them the right to decide whether a guy’s property should be bulldozed in order to achieve their objectives? Eminent Domain is a necessary thing. But it needs better and more balanced oversight, and not just in the city of Philadelphia but in cities like ours. I suggest an elected or appointed board of government, business and otherwise ordinary civic minded individuals who can fairly rule on whether a government has precedence over the property of its individual citizens. Oh, and choose these people from some other part of the country, not Philly. Let’s get some clear-headed thinking from the outside. We’ll return the favor elsewhere.”
Marks, Gene. Philly Magazine 30 January 2014.