They are more at risk. Especially African-American and Latino communities (for liberals, who care about such things) in middle-income neighborhoods where the sales pitch to local officials is much more enticing because of the differential in valuation between current property values and the proposed property values. What everyone has failed to see is that without state level protections in place that prohibit this federal level ruling, a devastating trade will take place.
Now nothing stands in the way of a developer promising tax riches that reach to the sky, whatever amount it will take to sway local officials to approve the seizure. Bribes are completely unnecessary.
Here is the trade that is so devastating. Neither the developer nor the city officials are accountable for the promised tax benefits. The seizure can take place, the developer can take the land at below market rates, clear a profit on that, build the development, clear a profit on that, then skate by selling off to an investor group before any tax benefits can be realized, locking in their profits. The entire development can fall apart and tax receipts can go negative, and the people who promised good things will flow from the seizure will be long gone with their money.
This is a gift that keeps on giving, too. What, you thought that was where the damage ended? Silly, silly peons. City officials will project city revenue based upon these falsified tax receipt promises, lock in fat salaries, pensions and benefits for the government workers, and then when the tax receipts don't materialize, guess who makes up the difference? Even if you are safely protected in some way from a direct seizure, the economic impact of these seizures will hit you like an eighteen-wheeler truck. You think property taxes are bad now? You ain't seen nothing yet after these debacles are through.
This ruling has such incredibly bad economic moral hazards that America deserves the economic evisceration that will follow if the ruling is allowed to stand.
A most excellent analysis. Thanks for posting this.
This reminds me of the famous Onion article, "Congress approves $2B for Bread, Circuses". Except this story is not make-believe. Where is General Washington??