excellent post - nice to see some facts around here
The facts are that Vera is not a sympathetic character, and she was into this as a business owner who wanted an upfront chunk of the action (as in $1,000,000 payment for her slum property).
Vera proved her stones by getting Bob Guccione out of there. That deal sent chills up and down my spine ~ I knew then she wasn't exactly who she was portrayed as.
Trump used guile and wit to negate Vera's big win over the casino.
The eminent domain part of the deal is a sideshow of only minor interest. Doesn't matter what Trump thinks about Kelo ~ Fur Shur his own lawyers found out early on that the ACRDA didn't have legislative authorization for use of eminent domain. You can probably find that out in some of the earliest NYT stories about the ACRDA. This whole thing was supposed to be about the AC business community pushing back against the forces of evil and darkness and bringing jobs and the 21st century to Atlantic City.
Sometimes the forces of evil and darkness win ~ but for a short time only. Am I surprised that Michelle Malkin got caught with her knickers down on this one? No, not really. She, herself, in a book, has actually stated that she supported rounding up Japanese-American women, children and citizens in WWII ~
Coveting Thy Neighbor’s Goods
The prime location of Vera Coking’s three-story house has attracted unwelcome interest before. In 1983, Bob Guccione tried to purchase the property for $1 million to construct a casino. Vera didn’t sell, so Guccione built a steel and concrete structure all around (even over) her home. When Guccione’s project failed, the land and its structural skeleton was purchased by Trump and razed. In the process of removing the frame, demolition crews started a fire on her rooftop, broke windows, removed her fire escape, and nearly destroyed the entire third story of her home by dropping concrete blocks through the roof. Now dwarfed by the giant 22-story Trump Plaza, Vera’s little home certainly stands in disrepair, but through no fault of her own. (Coking has since filed a lawsuit against the demolition company seeking compensation so she can repair the damage.)
On May 6, 1994, Vera Coking received a letter from CRDA stating that her property had been “appraised” at only $251,250 (nearly $750,000 less than her earlier offer). CRDA offered her that amount to acquire the property and notified her that she would have 30 days to accept or CRDA would institute suit in the Superior Court “to acquire your property through CRDA’s power of eminent domain.” In a May 24, 1994, letter, CRDA Executive Director Nicholas Amato stated in capital letters, “You may be required to move within 90 days after you receive this notice. If you remain in possession of the property after that time, CRDA may be able to have you and your belongings removed by the sheriff.” On July 28, 1994, Susan Ney, Director of Housing Development for CRDA “instructed CRDA’s counsel to commence condemnation proceedings in the Superior Court of New Jersey.”
Vera Coking opposed the condemnation in court, and while the case was pending, Trump continued with construction. The Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino was completed; grass was put down on one side of Vera’s property and parking lots operate on the other sides. The only part of the project left is razing Vera’s house and two other buildings on the block. The final project included a new casino (even though Trump’s original plan did not.) In March 1995, the Atlantic County Superior Court ruled that CRDA could not fund projects with new casino space and, because CRDA couldn’t fund the project, it also couldn’t condemn Coking’s and her neighbors’ properties. On November 13, 1996, however, the Appellate Division reversed this decision and stated that the condemnation should go forward.
Vera Coking and her neighbors, who have been similarly mistreated, cannot believe the government can throw them out of their homes and businesses in order to give the property to Trump. Vera Coking explains, “This is my home. This is my castle.”
Vincent Sabatini lives on the same block as Vera. He and his wife own and operate Sabatini’s Italian Restaurant, a family business that put four kids through school. When asked about CRDA’s offer of $700,000 for their property-a figure that wouldn’t even cover the cost of legal fees and starting up a new restaurant-he exclaimed, “I’ve been here for 32 years, and they want to give it to Trump. I don’t want their money. If they left me alone, I’d be happy and sell a few spaghettis.”
Peter Banin and his brother own the third building on Vera’s block. A few months after they paid $500,000 to purchase the building for a gold shop, CRDA offered them $174,000 and told them to take the money and leave the property. A Russian immigrant, Banin says, “I knew they could do this in Russia, but not here. I would understand if they needed it for an airport runway, but for a casino?”
http://www.ij.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1003&Itemid=165