I was wathcing 60 Minutes tonight and I saw something that pissed me off.

It was about a town in Ohio, damn I forgot the name, but it was about "emminent domain" and the Mayor wanted to demolish a neighborhood where people have been living their whole lives so they can build condos and businesses there. Also, there was an owner of an ACE hardware store that wanted a bigger store, and so he convinced the government to get rid of a 30 year family business from it'* location so he could have his bigger store at that intersection.

The idea of the government taking someone'* house and using it for someone else'* private use is flat out WRONG and selfish and immoral. It pissed me off to know that this goes on everywhere in the US, and also the usual reason is because the new owners of the new property would be paying more taxes than the current people.

Anyone else see this??

I didnt see it, but maybe it was run down crack house/ fire hazerd style place... I think a city needs to rebuilt its innercity stuff or else it will just grow outwards and die from within...

So I would presume that houses in this place are about 90-130 years old?

No they weren't crack houses. It was a nice quiet neigborhood, the houses were in great shape. The mayor tried to justify it becuase she said their property was "blight" which to her standards meant that they didn't have Central Air or Two car attached garages. To me that'* a STUPID reason to take someone'* home away from them.

I agree that old rundown crack houses should be torn down, but this story is totally different. These are peoples' homes and businesses being taken (technically bought) by the goverment for OTHER people and businesses that would be allegedly "better for the public" (and which would pay the town more taxes)

It'* BULLSH**.

Nothing unsual for americans. I wish you could remember the name of the town. Does this also happen in Canada? I know the mayor of Columbus is dumping a crap load of money into to down town to make it nicer with expensive condos...hoping that it will rid downtown of the riff raff. It'* all about the ALMIGHTY dollar.

Yeah, land of the free my a$$!!!

Yeah he will probably get rid of low income housing too and put up condos for the rich. Poor people like me are nobodys in this country!!! I am starting to hate this country because of alot od crap like this that you always hear about. The government is getting too big

Kendra..the city is Lakewood, Ohio.

Here is the link: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/...in575343.shtml

how much was the goverment willing to pay for some of these... no central air or attached garage... lol isnt that the poverty line? no, frick my house doesnt even have central air.. oh wait.. I live in northern alberta...

Pete, I watched that footage also last night. It kinda torqued my jaws.