Posted on 01/23/2016 10:01:45 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
DES MOINES - If nothing else, Donald Trump certainly didn't toe the company line or kowtow to the citizens of Pella, Iowa, while touting his support for eminent domain during his second campaign stop in the Hawkeye State on Saturday.
With only eight days until voting, the Republican Party front-runner continued to back eminent domain before a crowd interspersed with locals from Pella and Oskaloosa as the two cities continue to push to build a regional airport next to Highway 163 using the practice. Twice, Trump called the practice a "positive thing" while talking up the necessity of its use.
"I'm not in love with eminent domain, but eminent domain is a good thing. It's necessary," Trump said, adding later that "eminent domain is something that's a positive thing - not a negative thing. Yeah, sometimes cities will use it in order to do business."
"Let's say a person has a house or a person has a backyard and they're going to build a factory that's going to employ 5,000 people, and sometimes the city will use the power," Trump said. "And by the way, if you don't get that property, they're going to go to another city, and they're going to spend millions of dollars and they're going to build a factory there, they're going to employ 5,000 people - but not in your city. Eminent domain is a positive thing. It's got to be used judiciously."
According to reports, the building of the proposed airport, which has been talked about for over a decade, would seek to use eminent domain to take property from nine separate properties. Despite largely enjoying Trump's remarks, locals in the crowd admitted they were a little surprised Trump used the occasion to support the idea.
"If I had to say yes or no to the airport ... I would say no. It's going to be a huge tax burden on the community. I don't want to see that," said Guy Schwab, a Pella resident. "I don't want to be given the bill for ... private enterprise thinking that they want something. Right now, we've got private businesses that front that airport. I don't want the bill."
Schwab, a 65-year-old impending retiree, argued that the airport isn't a necessity as the two current airports (Pella and Ottumwa) aren't deficient structurally or financially.
In his pitch, Trump also touched on the building of pipelines, specifically mentioning the Keystone XL and Bakken pipelines, which runs from Northwest to Southeast Iowa to deliver crude oil from North Dakota to Illinois.
"Where else is eminent domain used? For pipelines. All of these [GOP 2016 candidates] are in favor of the Keystone pipeline," Trump said. "You couldn't build five feet of the Keystone pipeline without eminent domain. It's going through people's farms, it's going through people's houses."
"Without it, you wouldn't have any highways, you wouldn't have laws," Trump continued. "Did anyone know that that's how you build roads and thats how you build schools and that's how you build other things?"
Bob Owens, a 61-year-old resident of Pella, agreed partly with Trump's points, stating, "yeah, you've got to think about progress, and you've got to think about things that [Trump] was talking about. But when it gets to actual personal and talking about taking away your farm, then it gets to be a little bit of a different deal [who's against the airport.] We have a good airport. We have an airport that's functional. I just personally don't think there's a need for it."
Although the situation is in limbo, the stance of many area residents is clear with signs lining Highway 163 protesting the airport. Other candidates who have come into the area have taken on the issue directly, with Sen. Rand Paul hosting a town hall on the subject in Oskaloosa on Jan. 7.
Trump is currently in a heated battle with Sen. Ted Cruz to win Iowa. According to the latest RealClearPolitics average, Trump leads by 2.5 points over the Texas senator. In the Washington Examiner's presidential power rankings, Cruz is in first place with Trump in second. While Trump is slated to make stops in Iowa on both Sunday and Tuesday, Cruz will be holding events from Monday to Friday, with the two meeting Thursday at the GOP debate in Des Moines.
I do own real estate property.
I don’t have a problem with the purchase offer.
I have a big problem in suing to try force his way anyway.
To defend yourself in court costs a fortune and is an awful experience - all because you don’t want to sell.
For Trump as an urban developer, eminent domain is a practical necessity. Of course, reasonable compensation for the evicted property owner is also a necessity. 3x market value is acceptable compensation. But it’s a gamble to determine market value whether before or after the infrastructure change.
Properly used eminent domain is indeed a good thing
Problem was she wanted to sell but she kept holding out for MORE money Trump offered her 3x the value, after the loss in court she ended up selling anyway for far less than Trump offered!!
I already said I didn’t disagree with you on that front.
I also own properties with no mortgages. My annual property tax bill is about the average per capita income of someone in the US... No income from any of it... It makes me real grumpy...
Agreed
So what? They didn’t reach a mutual agreement. That’s all that matters.
>> Trump offered her 3x the value
That makes sense. But didn’t know that with respect to my post #143 above.
3x just makes sense notwithstanding the corner cases.
It matters because SOME make it sound as if this poor widow was pushed out of her home into the streets penniless !
I never said that or implied that.
If you have a problem with eminent domain, then you have a problem with the last provision in the 5th amendment that states how government can take private property.
Let’s face it. You Cruzers don’t have a problem with Article 2, Section 1, clause 5 that sets forth presidential eligibility requirements: you just ignore it.
Just as you manufacture umbrage against “eminent domain” and evil capitalist Trump.
Your problem is with Trump and those parts of the Constitution you don’t like.
“Constitutional originalists” indeed. Maybe you’re reading the wrong country’s laws?
Exactly why you are on the wrong side of the issue tough guy. You are just too in love with Trump to understand that. You are bitching and moaning about not owning your property and supporting a clown who takes that exact position when it feathers his best. If it wasn’t so tragic it would be hilarious.
BTW, why haven’t you stopped paying taxes to stand on your principles?
Sorry, whatever Trump says is the Conservative position. The Trump is always right. The Trump knows all. the Trump is The ONE.
“..Btw - that old woman’s house is still standing, so don’t bother. That one has been debunked quite handily.”
No, no, it has NOT been debunked. Trump finally LOST in the courts, so the widow got to keep her property.
NO THANKS TO TRUMP! Can you imagine the kind of stress Donald Trump put that elderly woman through for years?
You rant over something that happened what - over 20 years ago? Let’s talk about recent events by your boy - Ted Cruz, who didn’t know he was a dual citizen until 2014, or conveniently forgot to file 2 loans on his FEC filings, or how about how he and his wife liquidated their assets for his campaign? Oh yeah, now, there’s the facts that he didn’t know they had health insurance coverage. One final point - he had some records sealed - too bad Trump couldn’t do that with this case which occurred over 20 years ago.
Who is paying you to stay up late every night and post hit pieces? Come on - fess up. You are quickly becoming a laughing stock around here and a boorish one at that.
I don't work for anyone.
Early to bed early to rise....
I'm beginning my day.
So what's your story?
Trump gave an excellent explanation in his speech both on the spirit and application of eminent domain.
“..If The Trump is for eminent domain, then eminent domain is the conservative position.
Get with the program.”
lol
Can you imagine what kind of judges Trump would pick if he ever became president? It was the LIBERAL justices who voted for the UNconstitutional eminent domain, the same kind of liberals who would vote for all liberal causes, including abortion.
My story is my business. I don’t spend my waking hours scouring hit pieces on another candidate like you do. Your life must truly suck.
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