More Spin From California's Property Takers

by Timothy Sandefur

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that "Bay Area governments have very rarely used powers of eminent domain to seize private homes and turn them over to developers over the last decade…." Of course, that's probably true–homes are rarely taken for development because homes are in residential areas, and development takes place in business areas. That's why it's small businesses that are the most common victims of eminent domain abuse. And that's why, earlier this year, politicians wanted to limit eminent domain reform to just "owner occupied residences": because what they want is the power to seize small businesses like John Revelli's tire shop or Ahmad Mesdaq's cigar store or Bob Blue's luggage shop. How sad that the Chronicle chooses to help the politicians in their effort to distract people from the truth.