The Free Market Place
A perfect example of how the free market takes care of things without any victims is what happened in Culver City on the intersection of Washington and National where I built our new store.
Within 12 months of my building the store — Surfas Restaurant Supply and Gourmet Foods — look what happened.
Two corners across the street from us sold to private developers. The developers paid premium prices to build their own projects without costing the taxpayers a dime.
What about the fact that once the government puts out the word it is thinking of taking your property, you cannot put it on the open market to see what you can really get for it?
Slow Passage of Time
The government can wait years to actually take a property.
Meanwhile, a person’s business decisions, his life and the lives of the company’s employees, are put on hold for years.
What about the money wasted by the city purchasing the property, paying their legal fees, paying the moving costs and, in some cases, the loss-of- business costs when, usually, the free marketplace will prevail?
Attaching a Caveat
I am not against eminent domain as long as it is for the purpose our country’s Founding Fathers intended.
By that, I mean true public use and public good — roads, schools, a fire house, a library.
Eminent domain was not intended to be given to another individual because the person wants it.
City Councilman Steve Rose stated some time ago the reason I am fighting the taking of our property is because I want more money.
Why He Is Wrong
If that was my motivation, then I would not be telling the city to NOT buy my property and let me build something new on it at no cost to the taxpayers.
I would rush the taking to get to court.
Only a politician could come up with his reasoning.
My Passion
I am passionate about eminent domain and the abuses by the government due to the Kelo case decided two years ago this month by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Kelo ruling is destroying the fabric of this country and what made it great.
Again, I must use a statement of belief by the Englishman William Pitt, who said it best:
For those of you who are not aware of the new law resulting from the Kelo decision, it allows a city to take the property of a church and give it to a Costco, for example, on the basis it will create more revenue for the city government.
This has actually been done in other cities.
I guess the members of the City Council have not found a church that Costco wants in Culver City.
Closer to Home
In fact, if Mr. Rose sold his home today, the government would benefit as his property would be reassessed at today’s higher value.
If Mr. Rose really feels that time heals all wounds, he should be a good citizen and sell his home immediately to help the community.
He will get over it later.
So what if he then has to pay higher property taxes on the new property.
My Plan
If he sells his home to me at the value I believe it is worth, I will pay for his moving expense.
I will then improve his home to get even more tax revenue for the city.
That would be the same basis of the law to approve it.
But then perhaps we are too close to home on that one.
This is about other people and their wounds, Mr. Rose, not about you.
Back to the Free Market?
To answer the question, Would there be an evolution in Downtown had it not been for redevelopment?
The answer is yes. The free marketplace would have taken care of it.
It is called Supply and Demand.
It is about a free market concept that built this country along with cities that supported and valued their businesses. Some cities promoted working hand in hand with businesses.
But that was a long time ago, before sanctimonious power- mongers walked the corridors of City Hall.
