Prince Georges County is fighting for the ability to use eminent domain, and does not want the Maryland legislature to limit their powers to take a citizens property to improve the counties tax base. You are looking at a region that has tremendous growth and prosperity in property values over the past few years.
So instead of the natural progression by the private sector towards gentrification of the older (and not so pretty) commercial properties, the Prince Georges County wants to take the properties from the business owners and decide who will get to develop the properties to improve them (increase the tax base).
Of course, the political power that is accumulated by deciding which properties the government takes by eminent domain, and which developers the government decides to sell the property too is tremendous. This translates into a virtual shakedown on two different levels, something that would be attractive to the unethical political as an open coke can to yellow jackets.
Prince George’s government argued, in a brief filed with the Senate’s Judicial Proceedings Committee, that the move to limit the county’s ability to take property deemed “harmful” would cost the county tax revenue and threaten projects already in the works.
“If this legislation passes and the power of condemnation is restricted, it will have a chilling effect on economic revitalization projects,” the memo said.
Prince George’s highways and thoroughfares are cluttered with blighted, dilapidated storefronts the county is eager to replace with more economically viable businesses. The county is in a continual uphill fight to lure retailers, a move that would bolster its tax base. via the Washington Examiner
So here is the battle. Do we trust the private sector to find an economic need and protect private property rights for the owners of the properties? Or do we think that politicians know best? That they will not cheat, lie, extort, or shake down all those involved in the process to gain an advantage from the property owners and tax payers.
I will trust the private sector.
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