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George W. Bush enriched himself by eminent domain

By seesdifferent
Sunday Jun 26, 2005 1:51 PM EDT

One of the most famous eminent domain cases involved the Cowboys’ future home of Arlington, where baseball’s Texas Rangers play. At the time, future President George W. Bush was an owner.

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Bush cheers for the Texas Rangers Friday, Sept. 27, 1996, at The Ballpark in Arlington, Texas. Bush was the managing general partner for the Rangers before his 1994 gubernatorial win. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

In 1991, the team convinced local voters to approve a tax increase that helped build a new $191 million stadium. The city of Arlington used eminent domain to acquire the property from hundreds of private owners, claiming the stadium was a “public use” just like highways, schools, and government buildings.

Several property owners were lowballed, and court decisions increased their final take. The compensation for one 13-acre plot was increased from $877,000 to $5 million, for example. The city, not the team, was held responsible for making the larger payments.

The stadium clearly benefitted the Rangers’ owners more than anyone else. Bush turned his initial $600,000 investment into $15 million when the team was sold in 1999. But it has produced little of the promised economic benefit to Arlington, and there has never been a real “public use” factor aside from baseball fans’ paying their money to see games.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/6/26/125539/-