ST Louis--At a January 7 meeting, members of the Missouri Eminent Domain Abuse Coalition expressed their disappointment with the final recommendations of the Missouri Eminent Domain Task Force. The task force's vague recommendation that the definition of blight be "tightened" was of particular concern.
"Blight has always been the biggest loophole for eminent domain abuse," warned MEDAC co-chair Steve Blechle of O'Fallon. "The task force makes vague promises that the definition of blight will be 'tightened,' but history has shown that any blight exception, no matter how well-meaning, will be abused by developers and their allies in city government."
"Governor Blunt is to be commended for making this issue a legislative priority," said MEDAC member and Brentwood resident Karen Smith, "but I hope the governor and the legislature don't accept the task force's watered-down recommendations as is. Property owners in Missouri need stronger protections for their rights."
MEDAC's members unanimously adopted a statement advocating the abolition of eminent domain for private development. On the subject of blight, the statement said "MEDAC opposes the use of eminent domain to deal with 'blight.' Local governments have other tools available to deal with abandoned, neglected or hazardous properties."
MEDAC member Tim Lee pointed out that cities already have police powers to deal with neglected properties. Cities can use ordinances and public nuisance law to penalize property owners who fail to maintain their property and condemn those properties that are a threat to public health and safety. Those methods are far less prone to abuse than eminent domain law, he said, because there isn't a private developer who stands to profit from the taking.
At their Saturday meeting, MEDAC members discussed plans for Property Rights Day, a rally to be held in Jefferson City on January 25. Hundreds of concerned property owners are expected to converge on the capitol to demand stronger protections of their rights.
"Our message on the 25th will be that eminent domain for private development is wrong," said Jim Roos, MEDAC's coordinator. "Taking land from one private party and giving it to another is inherently abusive. We want the legislature to abolish eminent domain abuse, not merely to require developers to jump through a few more hoops before they can take our property."
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