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May 22, 2013

John Thorne: They launched the 'Arab Spring' but now yearn for the good old days of a strongman

John Rosemond: 'Disciplinary math' adds up to parental successl

Warren Richey: Are prayers before public meetings OK? Supreme Court to decide
Rick Montgomery: Use of ADHD drugs as study aid raises concern on campuses

Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D.: 6 convincing reasons you should keep carbs in your diet

Eoin O'Carroll: Scientists examine nothing, find something

The Kosher Gourmet by Carole Kotkin: This soup is made from one of the great pleasures of spring: A wonderful pairing of rosy color and earthy tang

May 20, 2013

Richard A. Serrano: Is Meir Kahane's assassin now a changed man?

Hannan Adely: Town raises Palestinian flag at City Hall

Melissa Healy: Genetic copies of living people from embryos no longer science fiction
Morgan Housel: When smart investors do stupid things

Sharon Saloman, M.S., R.D.: Hunger games: Eat more, weigh less, without starving

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Jews Inducted into Rock Hall of Fame; Anton Yelchin co-stars in New "Trek" film; Kutcher (but not Kunis) visits Israel; Jewish TV Star Praises Jewish Rap Star

The Kosher Gourmet by Cathy Pollak: WARNING: This WALNUT CAKE WITH PRALINE FROSTING, perfect for afternoon coffee, is addicting

May 13, 2013

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Why the giving of the document that would permanently change the world could only be done in desolation

David G. Savage: Church-state, literally? Supreme Court weighing public school graduation in a church

Emily Alpert: Recession dragged down birth rates for less-educated women
Morgan Housel: The deep downside of home ownership

Peter Teffer: Will Dutch police soon be stalking cybercriminals on your computer?

Heidi McIndoo, M.S., R.D.: Meatless 'meat' can have its own set of problems

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Celebrate! This must-try appetizer is delicate yet has depth of flavor: Corn-Leek Cakes with Caviar, Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche

May 10, 2013

Rabbi Berel Wein: Be all that you should be

Caroline B. Glick: The dirty little secret about Israel's Arabs

Mona Charen: Hawking's Moral Calculus: The man and the movement he embraces
Morgan Housel: The biggest retirement myth ever told

Sandi Doughton: Eyes may provide new insight into brain problems

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : The Great Gatsby's Jewish Ties; Jews in the "Time 100 list" List; People's Most Beautiful Women

The Kosher Gourmet by Linda Gassenheimer: A sweet-hot meal: Pear salsa spices up salmon

May 8, 2013

Peter Ford: Why China is welcoming both Israel's Netanyahu and Palestinians' Abbas

Warren Richey: Obama administration quietly backs out of appeal over new contraceptive mandate

Fred Weir: At Kerry-Putin meeting, US-Russia relations thaw --- a tad
Amanda Paulson: Study reveals sad truths about community colleges

Harvard Health Letters: Evidence weak that zinc, echinacea are beneficial

The Kosher Gourmet by Leela Cyd Ross : Almost too pretty to eat, this colorful salad with Sicilian inspiration will tickle the taste buds and delight your visual sensibility

May 6, 2013

Edmund Sanders and Patrick J. McDonnell: Think Israel's objective in Syria is to weaken Assad or embolden the rebels? Think again

Brian Bennett: Israeli airstrikes may show weakness in Syrian defense

Michael Ollove: Millions of ex-felons, parolees and those on probation are about to be entitled to tax-payer paid health coverage
Karen Kaplan: Most men can skip PSA test for prostate cancer, urologists say

Kimberly Lankford: How to track down a lost life insurance policy

Dream of Mars exploration achievable, experts say

The Kosher Gourmet by Susan M. Selasky: EGGPLANT WRAPS are an easy, sumptuous and scrumptious meal

May 3, 2013

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Human Courage and the Unavoidable, Disturbing Text

Steven Emerson: Attorney General Fights CAIR in Court, Lauds it in Public

Mediterranean diet helps beat dementia: study
Harvard Health Letters: When to be screened for a hearing problem

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Iron Man's Jewish Connections; Marc Maron's New TV Show; Martin Landau Grows Up with Israel; Shalom, Allan Arbus

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: A sweet surprise for Mother's Day dessert

May 1, 2013

Jonathan Rosenblum: An Improbable Journey to Orthodoxy

Jonathan Tobin: Blame Obama, Not Israel for Syria Push

Kids, kittens the Same? With employee perks at struggling Internet pioneer Yahoo! it's hard to tell
Halena M. Gazelka, M.D.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: What you need to know about implanted pain relief devices

Sandy Kleffman: Artificial kidney offers hope to patients tethered to a dialysis machine

Jessica Shugart: When it comes to math, MRIs may be better than IQs

The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: The celebrated chef on how high-maintenance ASPARAGUS RISOTTO need not be

April 29, 2013

Roy Gutman: Poland's new Jewish museum celebrates life, doesn't revisit Holocaust

Mark Clayton: Terrorism in America: Is US missing a chance to learn from failed plots?

Kim Murphy: Boston Bomber's 'Svengali' Revealed
Morgan Housel: He's rich, smart and old: Listen to him

Thomas Salinas, D.D.S.: Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: The safety of amalgam fillings

Harvard Health Letters: Tomatoes and stroke protection

Pete Spotts: Tiny satellites + cellphones = cheaper 'eyes in the sky' for NASA

The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Swing into spring with lemon cream pie

April 26, 2013

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: The world is a mirror

Caroline B. Glick: Time to confront Obama

Clifford D. May: Defense in the Age of Jihadist Terrorism
Kimberly Lankford: New strategies ease pain of paying for long-term care insurance

Howard LeWine, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Too much ibuprofen?

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: How to feel your best -- with plenty of energy, a healthy weight and optimal mental and physical function -- without driving yourself batty

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Jewish Major Leaguers, 2013; New Movies and Comedy Show; Shalom, 'Lumpy' (Leave it to Beaver)

The Kosher Gourmet by Emily Ho : A bright and cheerful salad to herald the warmer months ahead

April 24, 2013

Steven Emerson: Boston Bomber Exposes Islamist Secret

Morgan Housel Admit it: No one has any idea what's going on
Harvard Health Letters: Can you get headaches from headache medication?

Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D.: How to easily get more Omega-3s in your diet

Melissa Healy: Pot in a pill: All the pain relief without the smoke

The Kosher Gourmet by Susan Russo: Chipotle Chili Butternut Squash Soup is bold, zesty, hot

April 22, 2013

Ken Dilanian: Counterterrorism's future is unclear

US man departing country arrested on terror charges
Barbara Williams: An unorthodox but growing treatment in a 9-year-old's battle against cancer

P.J. Skerrett, M.D.: How to recognize a good whole grain product

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Teen actor Jonah Bobo in New Flick: Hunky James Wolk on Mad Men; Erich Segal's Daughter Writes Prize-Winning Jewish Novel


Jewish World Review August 4, 2005 / 28 Tammuz, 5765

A citizen by force is not a true citizen

By Debra J. Saunders

Debra J. Saunders
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | On July 1, Oakland took possession of two properties that housed two viable businesses — Revelli Tires and Autohouse, which provided the livelihoods of John Revelli and Tony Fung — by eminent domain so that a private developer can build apartments in the redevelopment zone.

On Aug. 1, Oakland took possession a parking lot about one block away — on which owner Alex Hahn says he wants to build housing — so that Sears can relocate its Auto Center on that lot.

If you had to re-read the above paragraph, it is because this story makes no sense. Oakland, you see, is using government's supreme power — the ability to seize citizens' private property — so that bureaucrats can trade years of sweat and dreams as if they were property cards for a Monopoly game board. Except Oakland pols view all properties as if they are inexpensive purple ones, Baltic and Mediterranean.

"When my clients first contacted me with this story, I didn't believe them," wrote attorney Wallace Smith, who represents Hahn, in an e-mail to me. But it's true. Oakland used its big-gun power to take property for public use — and in this case, the public use was giving the land to Sears. Director of Redevelopment Dan Vanderpriem told the City Council in October that the city needed other land owned by Sears. In order to get it without exercising eminent domain, the city agreed to find a lot that would allow Sears to relocate its Auto Store within a block of the main store. So Oakland used eminent domain on Hahn.

Don't expect the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn this scheme. In June, the Big Bench issued a 5-4 ruling that affirmed government's right to treat economic development as a "public use" that would justify government takings (the Kelo case).

That decision sparked public outrage. Now, liberals and conservatives are working on state laws to limit "public use" to, well, public use — that is, roads, transit lines and other infrastructure projects.

Meanwhile, Oakland is operating in the pre-Kelo era, when cities grabbed what they wanted and no one paid much attention. A tape of a November City Council meeting, before the council voted 6-1 to seize these properties, tells the story. Fung, Revelli and Hahn protested that the city didn't need to seize their land. (Oops, Vanderpriem doesn't like the word "seize.")

They don't believe the replacement projects — apartments built by another developer — qualify as public use. The Oakland Three also said they were not offered either enough money or a good relocation option. The City Council then voted 6-1 to take their property.

It's not for me to say whether the city offered a good deal or not. Be it noted, however, that because their properties aren't blighted, they should be able to say "no" to the city. And you have to figure these entrepreneurs would grab a good deal rather than pay private lawyers to fight the government's better-financed lawyers.

Former Oakland Councilman Danny Wan made a good point. He noted Oakland's strong interest in keeping Sears in Oakland. If Sears ever leaves Oakland, blight will move in, and everyone loses.

Then Wan scoffed at Fung, Hahn and Revelli for having benefited from redevelopment efforts. That's right, they risked their capital buying in downtown Oakland, then they made a profit — and for that they earned a city pol's contempt.

Councilman Larry Reid, the lone "no" vote, noted, "There is no public benefit for the taking of the Hahn's property other than to accommodate Sears." Reid added that if he were a judge, he'd likely rule against what Oakland redevelopers were doing. (Both sides agree that if this goes to court, legal bills will approach $200,000.) Reid also talked about what, as a student, he thought government should do: It was "our responsibility to make sure that those businesses" — those that exist, and might exist — "have a right to exist and to thrive."

Tell that to the rest of City Hall. Mayor Jerry Brown called me Wednesday to repeat his pledge to take care of the Oakland Three. The goal of these projects, he noted, isn't to throw people off their land, but to renew a blighted city. And: "We're helping little people get into a house."

Vanderpriem of the redevelopment agency struck the same note when he stressed, "We do everything we can to avoid using eminent domain. We have to work face-to-face with people for years."

Vanderpriem also told me that the city offered the Oakland Three $80 per square foot, which is $10 less per square foot than Sears got. Wallace said Sears can settle for $90 per square foot for because it will get Hahn's land — which is worth "substantially more" than the city offer.

For their part, city solons wonder if columns like mine will jack up the price of what the city has to pay to complete a project that is supposed to revitalize downtown Oakland.

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Of course, if that happens, it will be in part because in the pre-Kelo world, the city failed to think about the rights of good citizens who don't want to sell. They didn't try to accommodate their own constituents as much as a private developer would have to bend to accommodate red-legged frogs and endangered snakes.

In the post-Kelo environment, governments are going to have to increase their respect for homeowners and business owners.

One redeveloper noted that redevelopment is a wonderful tool where cities take from a few people and make life better for everyone.

Another word for that scheme is: communism. In a free country, where individual rights are supposed to be paramount, a city can revitalize itself without seizing the land of dissenting law-abiding taxpayers.

And if it can't, it has no concept of what it means to represent citizens.

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© 2005, Creators Syndicate

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