Robbing from the poor (typically affected by this ruling) to benefit the wealthy.
Isn't that a reverse Robin Hood and something the liberals have accused conservatives of doing?
That's exactly what it is. There are many poorer neighborhoods in many cities, that are near downtown or near something that would be quite valuable if the neighborhoods were replaced with something else, and developers are going to be all over this. These are people that can least afford to move - they may get some money for their property, but where the hell else are they going to be able to own property for that price, unless they go a ways outside of the city.
The liberals talk about Conservative policies creating a class-based society, and they are wrong - if anything, we remove classes. This ruling, on the other hand, has the potential to truly create classes. Over the next 20 years, you could see a lot of people displaced, who can't afford to go elsewhere.
It's not just poor minorities, it's poor people in general, it's the elderly, it's the disabled, it's retirees that planned their retirement carefully, that could have it pulled out from underneath them.
Justice Clarence Thomas was right about the article he quoted that referred to "urban renewal" as "negro renewal", but the article didn't go far enough - This is cities being given the real-world ability to play
Sim City and wipe out entire areas they don't want, simply because some developer whispered something in their ears.
It's gonna end up being just a way to increase the cities tax roles. That's it. Highest bidder. Whoever has the deepest pockets.
So if any city tries to come along and say "We're doing this for economic development", they're lyin their a$$e$ off.
The ONLY way they should be allowed to use emminent domain is if the parcel comes off of the tax roles.