Posted on 06/24/2005 8:35:12 AM PDT by Happy2BMe
Some Homeowners Vow To Stay Despite Ruling Against Them
But few options seem available
New London — Drive by Michael Cristofaro's home at 50 Denison Ave. tomorrow; he promises you'll see this sign: FOR SALE.
“I'm out of here. I'm selling my home,” Cristofaro, a New London resident for 43 years, said Thursday. “I'm a white-collar worker, a computer engineer. Who do they want living in this town?”
The Cristofaro family owns a second home, at 53 Goshen St., in the Fort Trumbull neighborhood. On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the city's right to take that home, and the homes of six other property owners, by eminent domain.
The decision came as no surprise to those fighting to save their homes.
“I sort of figured it would go that way,” said Byron Athenian, who lives at what used to be 78 Smith St. before the street in front of his house was demolished. “That's the way the government works.”
But there was anger nonetheless.
“Those justices made the wrong decision,” Cristofaro said. “Four of them protected our property rights; five threw them out the door. I hope their property is chosen next for eminent domain so they know what it's like to be thrown out into the street.”
And even though, after six years of fighting the city, the group seemed to have run low on options, several promised that they would never leave.
“I'm not going anywhere. I'm here,” said William von Winkle, who owns three buildings on what remains of Smith Street. “I'm going to fight until they give up. They can do their little development around here with us here or they can do no development and try to take it, because until they stop trying to take my property by eminent domain, they will not build anything at Fort Trumbull. It's simple as that.”
“I don't know how they're going to get us out,” Cristofaro agreed. “We're going to keep our homes to the bitter end, because what they've done is wrong.”
And they warned every citizen of New London and the nation at large that the court's ruling stripped them of their right to own private property.
“One of the most fundamental rights that the country was built upon has been pretty much obliterated,” said Scott Sawyer, a lawyer who represented the homeowners. “Owning property doesn't seem to amount to much in the United States anymore. Certainly, none of us own our property anymore.”
Richard Beyer, a plaintiff who owns two homes at 41 and 49 Goshen St., agreed.
“We've pretty much lost our right to have private property,” he said. “Everybody that owns homes, their homes are at risk for eminent domain.”
And that, said Beyer, Cristofaro and von Winkle, now translates into giving the land of small property owners to big corporations.
“As one gentleman that I just got off the phone with said, ‘Welcome to Russia,' ” Beyer said. “So it's scary. I just feel bad for my kids when they get to be my age and own their own home. They don't own it. Either the bank owns it or a private corporation's going to own it.”
The homeowners predicted that more land in the city would end up in the hands of private corporations.
“I guarantee you that just about every house from Howard Street to Shaw's Cove is going to be targeted,” Beyer said. “I see that whole district in New London as being Pfizer's business park. It'll be like Avery Point minus the houses. You'll have access to Fort Trumbull State Park and that'll be it.”
Beyer, who with a partner had renovated one of his two houses and was working on the second when the city took them, said one bitter lesson he had learned was never again to do business in New London.
And he pointed out the city has never delivered on its promise that Pfizer's arrival in the city would mean lower taxes.
“The city of New London promised all the residents of New London that all your property taxes will be reduced,” he said. “That promise was never fulfilled. The taxes keep going up ... When is enough enough?”
And who, several asked, would want to build in the Fort Trumbull area now?
“They're taking the properties for an obsolete plan,” von Winkle said. “Today, who would build a hotel in New London, Connecticut? And they certainly wouldn't build an office building. We have half the city empty now. So what are they taking it for?”
For Cristofaro, the home at 53 Goshen St. is the second the city has taken from his family by eminent domain. The city took the first house, on Woodbridge Street near Shaw's Cove, in 1972.
It was a home, Cristofaro said, that his father had lovingly surrounded with fruit trees, grapevines, yews and rhododendrons.
Today it is a parking lot.
- excerpt from The Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776
Note1: The 1st Amendment provides the means to ALTER the Government
Note2: The 2nd Amendment provides the means to ABOLISH the Government �
What makes you think Bush opposes the SC ruling.
We're getting very close to "abolishing time" .
LQ
To any of you Freepers out there that don't seem to think the decision will impact anybody...please tell me WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RENTING PROPERTY AND OWNING PROPERTY? If you don't pay the rent, you get evicted. If you don't pay your property taxes, you get "evicted". Now, you can get evicted even if you do pay your "rent" if the landlord finds someone who will pay more. I think this ruling, in one fell swoop, wiped away the last vestiges of property ownership in the U.S.
Perhaps the Senate will lend assistance.
The President could intervene.
(After all 3 Bodies of the government have been exhaused with no relief - what recourse is there?)
read later
"I think this ruling, in one fell swoop, wiped away the last vestiges of property ownership in the U.S."SSsssHHhhhhh!=================================
You're going to alert the tax base - THEN WHAT?
What we need to do is a "minuteman" response to stand with these people in support. Safety in numbers.
Most on this site didn't see it comming when they supported the repeal of the first and forth. Now a big part of the fifth is gone and all of a sudden they care? Not.
These people are RBAs. (Republicans before Americans)
This same result would be welcomed if they were Republican inititives under the guise of the WOT or WOD.
I did not think about that but I would assume if they do not leave they will burn them out and arrest them and put them in jail. Just because they are Constitutionally correct and the five tyrants in black robes are not.
If this site is about activism like some claim, they should be calling for hundreds of thousands of Americans to surround these homes on the day the government thugs come with their bulldozers. And stay til the government thugs back down.
"These people are RBAs. (Republicans before Americans)"
I know what you mean, I'm a conservative libertarian American first and a republican second.
Congress has NO POWER. The black robed dictators have taken all the power to themselves.
We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good.
"After all 3 Bodies of the government have been exhaused with no relief - what recourse is there?"
The Second Amendment.
I wonder if they could incorporate and declare themselve self-governing? Get the city off their backs.
If you want to let Pfizer know how you feel, here are some phone numbers:
Pfizer contact numbers:
Pfizer Prescription Medicine
1-800-TRY-FIRST (1-800-879-3477)
Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST
Legacy Pharmacia Prescription Medicine Questions
1-800-TRY-FIRST (1-800-879-3477)
Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST
Pfizer Consumer Products
1-800-223-0182
Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST
Legacy Pharmacia Consumer Products
1-800-223-0182
Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST
Pfizer Animal Health Customer Service and Product Support
1-800-366-5288
Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST
Legacy Pharmacia Animal Health Customer Service and Product Support
1-800-793-0596
Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. EST
Shareholders
Pfizer shareholders of record needing assistance and information.
Phone
1-800-733-9393
Weekdays 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST
An automated response system is available 24 hours a day.
Headquarters
Pfizer Inc
235 East 42nd Street
New York, NY 10017
USA
Phone
1-212-733-2323
If you want to know what Pfizer makes so you can decide how to spend your money, here is a partial list:
Pfizer Products:
Actifed®
Actifed® Cold and Sinus
Actifed® Cold And Allergy
Benadryl®
Benadryl® Severe Allergy and Sinus Headache Caplets
Benadryl-D™ Allergy & Sinus Fastmelt® Tablets
Children's Benadryl® Allergy and Cold Fastmelt® Tablets
Children's Benadryl® Allergy Chewables
Benadryl® Allergy & Cold Caplets
Benadryl-D™ Allergy & Sinus Tablets
Children's Benadryl-D™ Allergy & Sinus Liquid Medication
Benadryl® Allergy Kapseals® Capsules
Children's Benadryl® Allergy Liquid Medication
Benadryl® Allergy & Sinus Headache Caplets & Gelcaps
Benadryl® Allergy Ultratab® Tablets
Children's Benadryl® Dye-Free Allergy Liquid
Benadryl® Dye-Free Allergy Liqui-Gels® Softgels
Children's Benadryl® Allergy Fastmelt® Tablets
Benylin®
Benylin® Adult Formula
Benylin® Expectorant
Benylin® Pediatric
Luden's®
Luden's® Cough Drops with Vitamin C
Luden's® Sugar Free Throat Drops
Luden's® Throat Drops
NasalCrom®
NasalCrom® Nasal Spray
PediaCare®
Children's PediaCare® Cold & Allergy
Children's PediaCare® Long-Acting Cough Plus Cold Liquid and Chewables
Children's PediaCare® Medicated Freezer Pops Long-Acting Cough
Children's PediaCare® Multi-Symptom Cold Liquid and Chewables
Children's PediaCare® NightRest Cough & Cold
Infants' PediaCare® Decongestant
Infants' PediaCare® Decongestant & Cough
Infants' PediaCare® Long-Acting Cough
Sinutab®
Sinutab® Non-Drying Liquid Caps
Sinutab® Sinus Tablets
Sinutab® Sinus Allergy Caplets
SudaCare™
Children's SudaCare™ Nighttime Vapor-Plug™ Mini Waterless Vaporizer
SudaCare™ Nighttime Vapor-Plug™ Mini Waterless Vaporizer
Sudafed®
Children's Sudafed® Cold & Cough Liquid
Children's Sudafed® Nasal Decongestant Liquid
Children's Sudafed® Nasal Decongestant Chewable Tablets
Sudafed® 12 Hour Tablets
Sudafed® Sinus and Allergy Tablets
Sudafed® Cold & Cough Liquid Caps
Sudafed® Sinus & Cold Liquid Caps
Sudafed PE™ Maximum Strength Nasal Decongestant
Sudafed® Nasal Decongestant Tablets
Sudafed® 24 Hour Tablets
Sudafed® Non-Drying Sinus Liquid Caps
Sudafed® Severe Cold Formula Caplets & Tablets
Sudafed® Sinus Headache Caplets & Tablets
Sudafed® Sinus Nighttime Tablets
Sudafed® Sinus Nighttime Plus Pain Relief Caplets
Unisom® Unisom SleepGels® Gelcaps
Unisom SleepTabs® Tablets
Zantac®
Rolaids®
Dramamine®
Emetrol®
Gelusil®
Kaopectate®
Benadryl®
BENGAY®
Cortizone
Desitin®
Micatin®
Neosporin®
Polysporin®
Proxacol®
Wart-Off®
All Listerine products
All Efferdent Products
Plax
Fresh n Brite toothpaste
All Tucks products
All Anusol products
Hemorid
All Lubriderm products
All Pacquin products
All Purell products
Cornhuskers Lotion
All Bengay products
I'm glad I don't own any stock in this company. I have a feeling it won't be worth much for long.
I imagine the city council thinks they have just fulfilled the will of New Londoners, helping the economy. It's perfectly democratic, the majority voted to help themselves to the property of the minority, for the common good. And, as the Supreme Court just ruled, the USA is all about, not individual rights, but the common good and democracy.
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