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this appearred in today's Asbury Park Press: Election Day
"Beauty" came from ugly action
As much as I can appreciate the beauty of something new, the Oct. 29 letter
"Long Branch looks beautiful" dismisses the seriousness of eminent domain abuse
in the process of renewal, similar to a bank robber telling a jury, "I only
robbed the bank because I was broke and needed the cash for my sick
children."
The end does not always justify the means. When the writers'
family members walked along the boards in their tuxedos, they walked past the
very homes and businesses that are now being ripped away from owners and
demolished.
How does a community get so run down in the first place? When
local governments start spending tax dollars irresponsibly and property taxes
get so high, single-family homes are sold to people who convert them into
multiple rental units. This draws a completely different crowd to a
neighborhood. Boarding and rooming homes flourished during the initial imbalance
of real property taxes. Then you have government overlooking code restrictions
because it needs the increased tax revenues.
The fault lies with local
elected officials. To blame those who remain faithful and continue to keep their
properties safe, attractive and useful to a community is justifying bad
government. To praise the developers for coming in and making it beautiful is
downright offensive. And the latest national polls put the letter writers in the
6 to 8 percent who agree with eminent domain abuse.
Kevin Brown
LONG BRANCH
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