Freeport Uses Eminent Domain To Claim Private Property

click2Houston ^ | 7/21/04 | unkown

[eastforker]

Residents: Proposed Yacht Marina Will Not Help Community

POSTED: 10:05 am CDT July 21, 2004 UPDATED: 10:26 am CDT July 21, 2004

HOUSTON -- A Brazoria County coastal town has big plans to develop a marina to bring in money to the city, but the News2Houston Investigators reported Monday that some residents say all that money will go to the developer and not the community.

In Freeport, local government is forcing businesses to sell their land to build a private yacht marina, the station reported.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!

[Dubya]

In Hurst TX some people took the city on and won I believe.
Tell them not to take the deal until they are happy with it. If nothing else they can tie it up for a long, long, long time.

The people in Freeport have not done their home work IMO.
Dub

[Rebelbase]

"Never mind that the marina is probably NOT going to generate a hoped for tax revenue."

I don't know the plans, but lets say they were going to have 300 boat slips that rent for $400 month, plus a bar,restaurant, boat launch facility, storage and tackle shop.

Hypothecial gross revenues are in the $200,000+ month range. That would produce a heck of a lot more taxable income for the city than an old shrimp dock.

Not that I'm for the land grab, but pointing out the income differences.

[teeman8r]

if the land must be taken, give the owner or previous owner, 75% of the taxes collected from the property...for the life of the owner...

if the county deems it that important.

teeman

[anymouse]

buffyt,

Do you have any local insight into this issue?

[anymouse]

Shrimper ping

[razorback-bert]

"We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good."


HRC

[razorback-bert]

That would produce a heck of a lot more taxable income for the city than an old shrimp dock.

That is only if the local government hasn't given them a tax break too.

[Dog Gone]

This kind of thing irritates the heck out of me. Eminent Domain is a necessary evil, but it ought to be used as sparingly as possible. To use it for private enterprise is wrong, unless that private enterprise is a utility.

[RightWhale]

That's right. It should be that way. It is like the gov't is partners in the development--a massive ethics violation.

[Dog Gone]

Hey, will you please put out your damn fires in Alaska? The smoke has reached Houston.

[RightWhale]

We are working on it! In fact it rained good today although the ground is so thirsty it has all been drunk up already.

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

We had a case last year here in AZ. where Mesa went to take a garage owner's property through the use of eminent domain. A lower court ruled against the city of Mesa, because it was done for private benefit and not the public's benefit. This was a real shocker to the government types and rather than fight it (it was a real P.R. loser anyway) to the AZ. supremes, they dropped it.

We still don't know what the AZ. supremes would rule on this case, but the Mesa government didn't know and apparently didn't want to risk finding out either.

[Dog Gone]

Those must be some hellacious fires. You're not exactly down the street from southeast Texas.

[AndyJackson]

for the benefit of all

Of course we all get a bit more benefit than you all. This sounds like George Orwell all over again.

[razorback-bert]

How can you tell if it is smoke or smog?

[Dog Gone]

It's been tracked by satellite photos and confirmed by a senior meteorologist with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Houston doesn't really ever have much visible smog. We often exceed safe levels for ozone, but any smog is usually smoke from somewhere, generally from Mexican farmers burning their fields.

[RightWhale]

When we had our 7+ earthquake a couple years ago it rippled the lake in New Orleans. This time we have burned 3.5+ million acres and it took a while for the smoke to get past the Alaska Range, but it has to go somewhere.

[Redbob]

"Hypothecial gross revenues are in the $200,000+ month range. That would produce a heck of a lot more taxable income for the city than an old shrimp dock."

How much income will this produce for the owners and employees of Western Seafood?

Right now, Sunday afternoon, I'm listening to/watching a show on PBS about this very topic - eminent domain.

Looks like this is a widespread problem, not merely here in Texas.

Another irony here is the recent decision to protect domestic shrimpers from imports, to try to keep them in business - and here government goes putting a major shrimper out of business!
This is a major reason the U.S. shrimp industry is going out of business; the skyrocketing values of coastline property.

[Redbob]

"Hypothecial gross revenues are in the $200,000+ month range. That would produce a heck of a lot more taxable income for the city than an old shrimp dock."

How much income will this produce for the owners and employees of Western Seafood?

Right now, Sunday afternoon, I'm listening to/watching a show on PBS about this very topic - eminent domain.

Looks like this is a widespread problem, not merely here in Texas.

Another irony here is the recent decision to protect domestic shrimpers from imports, to try to keep them in business - and here government goes putting a major shrimper out of business!
This is a major reason the U.S. shrimp industry is going out of business; the skyrocketing values of coastline property.