Saving homes still the goal: Asbury Park NJ Press, 10/15/06

Topic of the Day: Eminent Domain
By Scott Bullock
The Oct. 12 article "Eminent domain litigants in talks" stated that the Institute for Justice engaging in discussions with city officials and developers about settling the Long Branch eminent domain controversy was a "significant departure" from our earlier claim that the case was ground zero in the fight against eminent domain abuse nationwide. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Until eminent domain is taken off the table and the homes in the MTOTSA neighborhood are saved, the Long Branch case will remain at the forefront of our nationwide efforts to stop the abuse of eminent domain for private parties. If the city and the developers wish to discuss ways of keeping people in their homes that would not require the parties to exhaust the appeals process, we are certainly willing to listen and discuss those options.

But nothing will shake our resolve and commitment to the MTOTSA homeowners to stop the city and the developers from taking their homes against their will.

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Asbury Park NJ Press: www.app.com

Scott Bullock is Sr Attorney at the Institute for Justice: www.ij.org