City Seizes Art Studio [satire]

Semi-News/Semi-Satire ^ | 8 Oct 2014 | John Semmens

[John Semmens]

The Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority (PRA) has received court approval of its seizure of the art studio of James Dupree. It plans to bulldoze it and sell the land to a private grocery chain. Despite renovating a dilapidated warehouse and converting it into an attractive and bustling center for artistic expression, Dupree’s property rights are being sacrificed to the PRA’s vision of what the City needs.

“It’s a question of whether the rights of the collective community should take precedence over the rights of a single individual,” PRA Executive Director Ed Covington explained. “Far more people will eat the food sold at the proposed supermarket than will ever see the works of art produced or displayed at Mr. Dupree’s studio. Social justice commands that the benefit of the greater number takes precedence over the rights of one man.”

Covington dismissed the possibility that the supermarket could be built at another location. “I suppose that if we were to search hard enough we might find such a place, but it might not be as conveniently located,” he said. “Should we really undermine the convenience of thousands of shoppers in the name of the abstract property rights of a single individual?”

if you missed any of this week's other semi-news/semi-satire posts you can find them at...

http://azconservative.org/2014/11/08/president-ready-to-use-executive-action-for-amnesty/

[Albion Wilde]

This is not satire -- this is really happening to a very good man who has built a beautiful studio out of a nothing neighborhood and who thought he was living the American Dream. He is well known in Philadelphia and personally well known by friends of mine. He has been married to the same woman since youth and is a caring father. He is a black man whose work is art, not black art or political art, but fine art. James has given back to all kinds of students -- white, black, hispanic and other. He has had five of his works included in the prestigious Philadelphia Museum of Art and many private collections; and is now in his older years and with serious illnesses, is being persecuted by the self-important bureaucrats in the City government. It is a travesty. Please go here and read about James Dupree:

Save Dupree Studios (video of the studio and some art work)

JamesDupree.com (Home page and links)

This guy is now struggling to avoid having his life's work in building his studio grievously devalued by government overreach. Here is a black man who has achieved a measure of success in a field where artists normally struggle and starve, has done it through his own hard work and talent, and ironically in these days of political correctness, the City of Philadelphia is using "Eminent Domain" to push him under, as the video explains.

Mayor Nutter, Return the Deed to James Dupree (petition circulated by Dupree's supporters)

....

Any of you guys with Philly or Pennsylvania ping lists, Art ping lists, Kelo or eminent domain lists -- would you kindly ping this out? Thank you so much.

[ChildOfThe60s]

When Charlie Crist was the attorney general of Florida years ago there was a nasty piece of Eminent Domain sleazyness by the city of Riviera Beach (run by Dems of course). He said he saw no problem there.

My point? My evidence is anecdotal, but I believe that liberals are by far the worse perpetrators of Eminent Domain abuse.

[Albion Wilde]

Another great video about the legal aspects of the Dupree cause, with details about Kelo and eminent domain abuse. Even though the City has seized Dupree’s deed, he still has to pay taxes. They have offered him a truly crap building in horrible location at nickels on the dollar, but many people have urged James to take up a legal fight:

Philly Artist Fights City Hall Over Eminent Domain Abuse

Where are Jesse, Al and even Bill Cosby to help this Philadelphia artist?

[left that other site]

How on earth did this story get stuck with a “satire” label? It is not satire, but a very important story of injustice.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[Albion Wilde]

FRiends on the Boy Scout pinglist:

Please see Post 4 and if you have time, scroll up to Post 2.

Many of you arrived on the Boy Scout pinglist when the City of Philadelphia grabbed the beautiful Liberty Council Boy Scout building over the issue of gay rights. I am pinging you today to ask a favor of support for a Philadelphia artist who is a personal acquaintance whose art work I have admired since the early 70s.

Under the doctrine of Eminent Domain, the City is now trying to destroy a major portion of his life’s work: his studio that he developed over many years and from which he has fed the Philly arts community. It’s ironic, since he is a black man, and you may spy an Obama campaign sticker in the video of his studio. But he has not made his career on hand-outs and welfare, but on hard work, education, talent and drive. He has been married to the same woman from youth and they are the parents of three beautiful daughters.

Now that he is in his late 60s- early 70s with no pension and everything he has tied up in his studio, the City has seized his deed and wants to shut him down. They have offered him a horrible derelict building in a crap part of town for a SMALL percentage of what his present building — in walking distance of the Philadelphia Art Museum — is worth. This has caused him to have a stroke and to be emotionally devastated.

Can you imagine? A black man, under a black Mayor and the first black President, who has worked for almost 50 years to become a well-known artist, is being persecuted by the City’s Redevelopment Authority so they can build a grocery store.

As in the 2005 Supreme Court Kelo v. City of New London decision, where long-time homeowners were driven from their homes for a waterfront development that NEVER MATERIALIZED — the City has no grocery chain offer nor any contract on the table.

So I’m asking for your help with this issue of a worthy citizen losing his property rights, after living a life of struggle and hard work. Do you have a ping list on FR, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or email that you would be willing to use to help this issue go viral, whether or not you live in Philly, but just because, in your heart, you’re still a loyal Boy Scout?

I would be personally most grateful for any spreading of the word.

If I pinged you previously or you have already responded, please forgive me.

[kaehurowing]

Unfortunately, ever since Hawaii Housing Authority v. Midkiff, the public use clause of the constitution has pretty much ceased to exist.

[Pollster1]

I would suggest a petition, with locals promising never to shop at the store if the land is stolen from this artist. To my mind, the most significant part of the Kelo decision aftermath was that they never built the shopping mall on the stolen land because it had become too controversial. If he can show the same antipathy, with a significant fraction of potential shoppers alienated, that may remove the market incentive for stealing his land in the first place. Granted, the consequence may come too late, but then at least there will be another example the next time that corrupt crony capitalists consider stealing private property for personal gain.

[Pollster1]

It’s labeled semi-news, semi-satire because it blends absurd quotes with real facts. The story is real, but it’s presented in a way that exaggerates (not by much) the naked use of power to steal private property as a reward for those with political connections.

[BenLurkin]

He is entitled to challenge the amount of just compensation before a jury. In California he can also seek loss of business “good will” (not the gaap definition but has defined by statute in the code of civil procedure).

He is also entitled to appeal the relocation assistance.

Don’t know about pa.

[left that other site]

Ok. I see.

[skinkinthegrass]

Slightly used KY. Ping List
interesting story, folks.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3225823/posts

[Marine_Uncle]

Yet another case of how socialism had taken over this city many many years ago.

[rlmorel]

That is a good explanation, Pollster1.

Mr. John Semmens has it tough for this niche (as I have often told him) because any kind of satire is now nearly impossible to do, unless you throw in some kind of reference to zombies, vampires or the eating of human babies.

And even then.

I hope people don’t skewer Mr. Semmens on this, since we need his kind of satire on this site, if not to illustrate amply to us that, in these times, there is often not much distance between satire and reality.

Thanks for posting your explanation as well, AW...I will check out the links.

[Albion Wilde]

I believe that liberals are by far the worse perpetrators of Eminent Domain abuse.

They manage to achieve the direct opposite of every one of their grand anti-establishement schemes that set out to revolutionize the world and free everyone from the oppressive chains of Christianity and human nature. Just look at the horrendous tide of child abuse, illegitimacy, abortion and broken families their sweet little birth control and family planning movement has produced. And the Great Society? Don't get me started...

[Albion Wilde]

With all due respect, promising to boycott a store that may never get built, if Kelo is any example (it's been 9 years since their houses were stolen and still no development there) is unlikely to have any effect on the grand illusions of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority. They think they will improve a blighted area by tearing down its one successful business to put in a grocery store, even though the housing is too decrepit to attract any upscale residents. If it does get built any time before comprehensive reform of the housing takes place, it will be a no-profit, often robbed location for the local food stamp users and shoestring-budget kids from the two nearby universities.

The City would be better off to raze a different, derelict block for a store. It should be preferable to relocate a handful of low-income families dotted amongst the boarded-up row homes than to finance any remotely comparable equal compensation for destroying an entire art studio installation covering half a city block. You get the feeling there is just stubborn vengeance at play here now. And it would very much surprise me if the principals in the PHA were white, since most of the City administration is minorities.

[Albion Wilde]

Sorry, I didn’t read one word of exaggeration in the article above. The only thing reconstructed may be the final quote, which is “fake, but accurate.”

[Albion Wilde]

It’s not exaggerated; and all that I posted is real. Please help spread the story to your friends, or anyone who may be an artist, an entrepreneur, a Kelo victim, a property owner....

[Albion Wilde]

Thanks for the pingout, skink!