Why should you lend your voice to eminent domain struggles? Quite simply, because eminent domain never discriminates: it takes what it wants, when it wants, where it wants.
And the towns and situations in places like Ardmore, New London, Coatesville, etc are but a SMALL sampling of a growing national epidemic. In every case, and in every town, residents hear the same mantra: "it's smart development", "we can't help you", it's a local issue , you're just a bunch of NIMBYists, don't you have anything better to do?, you can't fight city hall, etc.
But you can, and you should fight city hall. Why? The most basic premise is that you are fighting to maintain your basic rights as defined by our forefathers. They left their old country and formed this country to escape injustice. That is what the Fifth Amendment is all about. Is it a moral issue? Yes. The Fifth Amendment is part of the Bill of Rights for a reason. A reason elected and public officials conveniently overlook when it doesn't suit their needs.
At a town hall meeting for the Save Ardmore Coalition recently, we met a wonderful 93 year old African American woman and her sisters from Ardmore. All elderly, but they came not only because they feel our town of Ardmore should be revitalized utilizing the existing, certified historic buildings which are subject to eminent domain taking, but because they wanted to let us know that they KNEW eminent domain first hand. They lost a family house to eminent domain by the same municipality years ago. They know what it's like. And know it's wrong. They still felt taken advantage of after all these years.
With Eminent Domain, apparently, it all comes down to politics. Politics which are completely non-partisan and utterly convoluted. We elect officials to represent all of us. What happens when they stop? As voters and taxpayers, we should demand change. We should elect new people to represent us. People who won't forget why they're in office and who elected them. We have already seen the baby steps of that with regard to our local commissioner races heating up over the Ardmore issue. But these commissioners aren't the only faces we need to change. Perhaps, some of the other faces need to change as well. After all, from Harrisburg to Washington, DC, our elected officials share the responsibility for what Ardmore is experiencing. From the federal funds, to the TRID legislation, to the eminent domain component hidden in the Growing Greener initiative, these officials share responsibility and culpability.
TRID legislation (recently passed in PA), for example, should terrify anyone who lives near a train station. TRID (which stands for Transit Revitalization Investment District), which was recently enacted by the Pennsylvania State Legislature, enables municipalities to seize ANY property within a half mile of a railroad station by EMINENT DOMAIN, and then turn it over to developers for redevelopment. Ardmore is on the brink of being turned into an urban canyon, and it can happen ANYWHERE.
What can be done? Among other things, we need to change the faces of those who govern us as the opportunities arise from elections, AND in the interim, please contact your state, local and federal officials. Speak up at local meetings, whether in front of the local government officials or at a rally or civic association meeting. Write your newspapers. Visit web sites like www.ij.org and www.castlecoalition.org . The thing is this: speaking up and speaking OUT helps. There is no retribution for exercising your freedom of speech and opinion in a constructive manner. There is nothing wrong in saying you are against bogus blight designations, bad development, and eminent domain.
If you feel what is happening to us here in Ardmore, PA is wrong, contact the below listed officials and newspapers with a brief message. A suggested subject line is Stop Eminent Domain Abuse in Ardmore, PA. Every little bit helps! Government officials need to know that eminent domain abuse is wrong, and even politically uncomfortable issues need to be addressed. Face it, they wanted our votes to get elected, so it's really just pay back time for those votes. Eminent Domain isn't a sexy issue, but it is a serious issue which needs to be addressed, not ignored by politicians. Also feel free to visit www.SaveArdmoreCoalition.org. All are welcome at our meetings, rallies, activities.
Voice your opinion, tell people about eminent domain abuse. Remember: it's only Ardmore today, but tomorrow, it could be your town or neighborhood.
Gov Ed Rendell (D-PA):
http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Governor/govmail.html
http://www.governor.state.pa.us/
State Rep Daylin Leach(D-PA):
http://www.pahouse.com/leach/
State Sen. Connie Williams(D-PA):
http://www.pasenate.com/cwilliams/
Congressman Jim Gerlach (R-PA)
http://gerlach.house.gov/
U.S. Sen Arlen Specter (R-PA)
http://specter.senate.gov/
U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA)
http://santorum.senate.gov/public/
(Township of Lower Merion & all the local elected officials can be found here)
http://www.lowermerion.org/
(The Powers that be in Montgomery County)
http://www.montcopa.org/plancom/default.htm
The Philadelphia Inquirer
PO Box 8263
Philadelphia 19101
FAX: 215-854-5884
e-mail: metroletters@phillynews.com
or
Pennsylvania Commentary Page
The Philadelphia Inquirer
800 River Road
Conshohocken, PA 19428
Fax: 610-313-8243
E-mail: suburbanletters@phillynews.com
Main Line Life Newspaper:
E-mail: tmurray@mainlinelife.com
Fax: (610)-896-9560
331 E Lancaster Ave, Wynnewood, 19096
Main Line Times Newspaper:
bschaeffer@mainlinetimes.com
letters@mainlinetimes.com
Fax: (610)-642-9704
311 W Lancaster Ave
Ardmore, PA 19003
