Borders eminent domain pledge makes some Internetz angry
But how’s it gonna play with actual Atlanta residents?
Atlanta City Council President and mayoral candidate Lisa Borders said today she’d use eminent domain to take blighted properties away from their owners.
Within minutes of Borders’ comment showing up on AJC.com, typically even-tempered local political bloggers Jason Pye and James “Griftdrift” Williams expressed outrage.
Wrote Pye:
“If you give a damn about private property rights and you live in the City of Atlanta, do not vote for @lborders.”
And quoth the Griftdrift:
“I suppose give Borders credit for blunt honesty, but advocating the government deciding who has blighted property and who is all lilies and roses is shocking. Hell, it’s frightening.”
It’s worth noting, neither Griftdrift nor Jason live within the city limits. I wonder how Borders’ position will be/has been received in parts of Atlanta where derelict or abandoned properties are real-life Honeycomb Hideouts for drug addicts, drug dealers, and gangs.
As a former Southwest Atlanta resident who attended more than a few neighborhood meetings, I don’t recall fear of eminent domain ever being publicly discussed. The dominant theme of every neighborhood meeting I ever attended in Southwest Atlanta was “Hey city government, why can’t you do more to help us clean up our neighborhoods?”
I’m only guessing, but if city residents think eminent domain is gonna help clear their neighborhoods of rotting, abandoned homes, I believe many will support it.