Yes, Ed, the "private gain" is a sore point. Someone told me they liked your headline, "Domain for private gain." Forget who. There is another aspect to this case. This is not vacant land. About 50 jobs will be lost. How much will the government lose in social security and medicare taxes if Hoboken destroys these jobs? My estimate is at least 150,000 per year. This says nothing about other taxes that will not be paid such as income tax. Then there is the human misery of blue collar people out of work. Then the fellow who loses his business has lost more than a job. A business usually has a value and can be sold. If he moves the business he will lose something in the transition such as customers, key employees, inventory. IMHO there is so much hardship to go around in this deal that the only reason the Council considered it is because it was pushed from above. They are the mayor's scapegoats. And the only reason the mayor pushed it is because of the campaign contributions.

The sky is falling. They are coming to take your home.
Bogota's ordinance passed last year does not prevent eminent domain -- only eminent domain for non-public use, a loophole Steve Lonegan can fit through.

First of all bills, amendments, and resolutions restricting takings were being passed in California, Connecticut, Illinois, Alabama, New York, Texas, Tennessee, Iowa, and other states all earlier than August of last year. Each law is different: different rules concerning the distinction between public and private use, different notions of what constitutes just compensation, and a variety of rules about the process. Steve Lonegan got in the game LATE at the behest of a political consultant.

If we are to have a serious debate about eminent domain, we need to get beyond this ridiculous distinction between public and private use. Government is a racket that rewards itself through plunder and ALWAYS in the name of PUBLIC purpose. The truth is that there is no coherent way to separate public and private purpose when it comes to government. Its roads benefit private contractors and serve private interests. Its true they are "free," but so are the streets in shopping malls, which are private. As for public schools, the teachers unions and hordes of bureaucrats are private interests too. Indeed, there is no such thing as the "public," there are only individuals.

If Hoboken wants to ruin themselves with eminent domain it is up to them. It is not ironic that micromanagers from Bogota want Trenton to tell Hoboken natives how to run Hoboken.

I really appreciated the Lonegan efforts to curb Eminent Domain for private development.
Just this week Little Ferry enacted an eminent domain ordinance.

Also this past week Cliffside Park bonded 15,000,000 and according to their attorney the municipal government was going to negotiate with the land owners for their property and not take it by eminent domain.

Yes Lonegan pushed the eminent domain ordinance but the voters overwhelmingly demanded it and I was one of thoes voters.

Eminent Domaine for Pricvate development breeds corruption.So Top3 what is your problem do you just hate Lonegan

And yet these same Hoboken residents don't seem to have a problem accepting Abbott district funding. They keep building million dollar condos but the rest of the state is expected to build their new schools. If you are going to complain about unfair government practices, then don't except the benefits of other abuses. I guess this is also why Corzine will screw the middle class over his campiagn promise for rebates, his property taxes are kept artificially low by living in an Abbott district.

Great article Ed I love your site keep giving them hell....