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FEATURED ITEMS |
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NOTEABLE QUOTES |
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John Cook
El Paso Mayor
"Why not pass an ordinance that really says what we will and will not use eminent domain for...so this will take it off the table once and for all."
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FEATURED AUDIO/VIDEO |
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The Journal Editorial Report |
"Blight in the Eye of the Beholder" |
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CONTACT INFORMATION |
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| Do you think eminent domain should be used for Downtown Revitalization? |
Source: ElPaso Times/KTSM Poll
*Note: Poll was made public on April 30, 2007 / 362 El Pasoans participating.
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| What is a Land Grab? |
Land Grab
"An aggressive taking of land..."
(Source: The American Heritage©
Dictionary of the English
Language,
Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.) |
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| Imagine you own a small business in downtown El Paso that has been in
your family for four generations. You
grew up watching your grandfather
sweep the sidewalk, watching your
grandmother graciously attending
to her loyal customers and watching
your father stock the shelves. As you
grew through the years, you played
in San Jacinto Plaza, you knew all
of your surrounding shopkeepers
and you attended church in your
downtown neighborhood. You loved
the parades and the marches and
the political conversations that took
place on every corner.As a young
adult you took over the business,
expanded it, |
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| nurtured it and you now
proudly support your grandparents,
your parents and your children with
its profits. Your family owns it free
and clear and you faithfully and
timely pay your property and sales
taxes every single year. |
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| Imagine that a privately owned, for profit, downtown development
company, endorsed and propped
up by your city government with
its powers of eminent domain, has
decided that a new giant chain store
would be a better use for the city
block your shop is on. You get a
notice in the mail that the privately
owned for-profit developer is going
to take your property for this alleged
higher and better use – for the
public good – without your consent.
The city newspaper is running
stories and editorials praising the
privately owned for-profit downtown
development company and its plan
every single week. You are worried
and you are angry. How will you earn
a comparable living to support your
family when this is the only life you
have ever known? How can the City
do this to you and your neighboring
business owners, long time El
Pasoans and loyal taxpayers, to
make way for parking garages, chain
stores, expensive restaurants and a
taxpayer-funded stadium? How can
this be legal in America, which was
founded on private property rights?
Unfortunately, fellow taxpayer, this
incredible and unbelievable chain
of events is happening right now in
downtown El Paso. The Downtown
Plan is shrouded with secrecy
and private interests. Questions
go unanswered, objections are
shrugged off and the powers that
be are looking the other way or are
openly supporting the private plan.
That’s why we are turning to you
and asking for help. We sent you
this mailer to share with you the real
facts and information that we have
had to discover on our own. |
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Texas and Eminent Domain |
- Senate Committee looks at Eminent Domain Law (Story)
- Senate Committee looks at Eminent Domain Law (Video)
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Eminent Domain in the U.S. |
- Information regarding Kelo vs. New London at Wikipedia
- Kelo backlash throught the U.S.
- Ohio Supreme Court Chimes In
- President George Bush's comments
- Castle Coalition/Institute for Justice
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Press Releases |
- NEW POLL SHOWS DOWNTOWN PLAN LACKS PUBLIC SUPPORT
- County Asks Legislature to Limit Use of Eminent Domain
- Stuart Blaugrund's address to the City Council regarding the TIRZ
- El Paso City Council TIRZ Vote
- Beto O'Rourke ethics complaint
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Downtown Plan |
- City Council Resolution to adopt PDNG Downtown Plan
- City Council Resolution to give PDNG $250,000
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El Paso City Documents |
- Joyce Wilson to Myrna Deckert Memo (April 19)
- Myrna Deckert to Joyce Wilson - PDNG Still Involved
- Joyce Wilson memo regarding the CBA Vote
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