Billionaires vs. Brooklyn's Best Bar: Eminent Domain Abuse & The Atlantic Yards Project

[Phillyillb]

Big government, where do individual rights begin?

[duryeal26]

wrong on top of wrong, multiplied by extra wrong

[RutherfordClubb139]

Get the audio from this clip at speedyconversion doht cohm.

[xtaxplayer]

The truth is, according to the law, is that the government through eminent domain has the right to take over property for the betterment of the people, all the people, Such as roads, post offices, and schools (Public). Is this Basketball Stadium for the betterment of all the people, absolutely not. People Read the Constitution, think, learn the truth.

[El3ctricPenguin]

That's sad. They lost.

[kiwanukaz]

Oh please this makes it sound like they will just get flat kicked out, they would be substantially paid for the property. One bartender is out of work for a little while while the bar relocates elsewhere and a hundred other people get jobs at the stadium center.

The whole "movement" is a bunch of rich people who don't want extra traffic near their precious multi million dollar brownstones. Cry me a river.

[oldviolinat48]

@kiwanukaz why should they have to relocate ???

[cat4forlife]

@kiwanukaz The point is its illegal.I.D. laws are for purposes of projects for public use not private profit.

[jlpipe99]

Wow money can make the illegal aspect of anything go away...Jay Z is a bitch for doing this to his own community

[hdhock3y]

This is terrible..taking away their private property for the private gain of the stupid Nets and their owners?

Plus not to mention any other businesses and homes that are located here. And I'm sure they aren't being compensated correctly.

[BbdHome]

Thanks for the vid

[HardonZ]

"Move the Nets outa Jersey? Tell the Nets to keep lookin'... Relocate them to HELL! We don't want 'em in Brooklyn!"

[HardonZ]

Steve coined it well "What we have going on here is wrong on top of wrong multiplied by extra wrong."

[luddite333]

Great job freedom fighters !

[GloVermont2]

Fascism, pronounced /ˈfæʃɪzəm/, is a radical and authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to organize a nation on corporatist perspectives; values; and systems such as the political system and the economy. Scholars generally consider fascism to be on the far right of the conventional left-right political spectrum, although some scholars claim that fascism has been influenced by both the left and the right.

[skipwadoo]

TheLastBrainLeft,

Your user name is incorrect, It should be NoBrainLeft. If it were your bar you would be crying like a little girl. The wealthy/power hungery pricks in the U.S. have a self absorbed mentality that gives them the idea they can walk over anyone and chaulk it up to progress. That is BS, it's greed plain and simple.

[fcabido]

jay z = mason

[jonnysport89]

The owners do not even pay for the building of the stadium, tax payers do. Chuck Schumer sucks, and Jay-Z lol is a phonie.

[leftydanvball]

The Bill of Rights has become a pry bar against the people used by the federal government. I would swear that it was to protect us from the government. The funny thing is that the US is still the most free nation in the world. Kinda makes me sad that we are falling from what we once were. It would be nice if the supreme court would throw an assist against this private venture.

[ninjabunnyman]

Well, not exactly the most free. 8th according to the index of economic freedom. Not sure on the civil liberties side, but we've no doubt been dropping there too.

The fact that as screwed up as this country is, we're still top 10, is a sad statement about the world.

[iron1215]

My God. What have we done to our country. The Gov. does not protect the citizens anymore.

[SullyCutty]

@iron1215 Nope. America is a Corporatocracy. Ruled by corporations for corporations. How can they see who they're hurting past the dollar signs in their eyes?

[GloVermont2]

Look up the definition of facism. I think that is the word that applies to our new form of government.

[fomastephanovitch]

Jay Z is a cretin.

[fomastephanovitch]

Just vote for the libertarian candidate instead of "holding your nose" - it's not a horse race remember!

[welkinator]

Is this"the rest of the story"? From Wikipedia:

Clearance was given on June 23, 2008, when the Supreme Court of the United States refused to hear an appeal of the eviction notices and in November 2009, the project cleared what the New York Times called the "final major obstacle" when the New York Court of Appeals dismissed a challenge to the project's use of eminent domain.[5] When the project was announced at the end of 2003, the basketball arena was scheduled to open in the fall of 2006.

[a5dr3]

No it's not about art or embracing a saloon. And it's irrelevant what the Village Voice says about your bar dude. It's about property rights, period. I can't help but think these douchebags are getting what they deserve in supporting the pagan, liberal politics that New Yorkers always do.

[dpchrist26]

Its not "A Republic" when crap like this is going to happen to a small company!

When people can take your property for no good reason! That makes us a Democracy "MOB RULES" anything goes! We are supposed to be a Constitutional REPUBLIC! The law should protect PROPERTY, RIGHTS and any other thing that people like this try to do when they feel like it!! Remember GM? Obama fired the CEO and said the world was going to end if GM went bankrupt. LIBERAL LIES AND SCARE TACTICS! articlesoffreedomDOTus

[cheguevara1970]

It's not just Liberals. W was Mr. Corporate. BOTH sides are corrupt.

The prob, IMO, is that we have two choices of theater charlatans pulling strings to their voting camps.

We need to go back to the roots of America. Seek refuge in the writings of the Founding Fathers. For example, Washington warned us to vote ONLY for people, & not for ANY political party. Lesson: stay away from parties & stick to people that best represent YOU & YOUR district.

Politicians should work for us.

[dpchrist26]

I know Both sides are bad We need all 600+ Politicians out of the office and new PRO Constitutional, freedom loving folk in office to replace the corruption and we need to find a way to keep it from happening again 5 generations down the road.

[Nonoyawns]

Great report, imminent domain is such a crime.

[yougiberishtube]

5 stars

[duhCider]

It should be renamed, " Preeminent domain."

[Wasp16mm]

File a lawsuit!

[MichelleyGoSwim]

Wanna see real Eminent Domain abuse? Come to Texas and see what Governor Rick Perry has done to landowners for his outsourced toll road projects.

[yakyakyak69]

Yea, Slick Rick, (NeoCon RINO) is trying to build the Nafta Super Highway for the North American Union.

Too bad the only REAL Constitutional Conservative lost the Republican nomination.

[rajmond77]

You brooklyn kidds are all out of your minds let the Russian Bilionare FIX this place Hahaha Stop beain patriots when u are afraid of a shadow and when some dumb ppl are ruling for anything in ur life bc thats whats the education is here u learn in college what the russians or other europeans learn on 4 grade thats why u are so dumb ... GO NETS GO bye entire brooklyn...

[Stokernyc]

Raymond77, I don't know that there's a kind way to say this, so I'll speak frankly:

You have a brain the size of a jujube.

[ForTehNguyen]

Kelo vs New London ruling must be struck down

[50srefugee]

And soon, before it gets as badly embedded as the Slaughterhouse Cases were. (Gutted 14th Amendment "Privileges or Immunities", see McDonald v. Chicago recent orals.)

It's probably too late already, though. Sitting Justices will, I suspect, be very unwilling to overrule themselves.

[chekchamon]

A classic case of;

We're the Government, and you're not.

:(

[suwanawierzba]

Good for those guys for standing up for their rights. I hope they don't give up. Government has no right to take away private property especially without just compensation.

[UtherPendragan]

The rights of the group do not over ride the rights of the one citizen. This is not American, this is socalist, marxist, commie crap. Private property rights are the cornerstone of our freedom. Blood in the streets will be the governments fault for acting outside of its power and abusing people.

[rationalegoist90]

To me, there is no such thing as eminent domain abuse, because eminent domain is always an abuse, as in, there is no such thing as legitimate eminent domain. A person's property is their property, and absolutely no level of public demand - even if everyone else is demanding it - gives anyone the right to seize or use or limit the use of or even tax any of it. there is nothing more abominable than the idea of a person being able to be stripped of property for the sake of society.

[andrewldexter]

Eminent domain has always existed as an inherent element of state sovereignty. You are not the government of a nation if you don't have the ability to use the land within your borders.

The 5th amendment (rightly) limits eminent domain for public use. I understand that highways/military bases must be built, and to prevent a single holdout from sinking a project (national government is tasked with providing our security), eminent domain still has a legitimate purpose. Atlantic yards isn't it.

[yakyakyak69]

Now the Statists are saying that they can take ANY property IF there is someone else who will pay more tax revenue on it.

We are Serfs on the Political Classes Property.

[50srefugee]

andreldexter: "eminent domain still has a legitimate purpose."

Thumb up from me. It's such a fundamental power that, like punishing murder, it's assumed in the Constitution, not enumerated.

The Founders' error was in not restricting it tightly enough in the Fifth Amendment. But then,that which "Shall not be infringed", has, in some jurisdictions, been infringed out of existence.

The Constitution is now distorted so badly it is often taken to require that which it was designed to forbid.

[computerpurple]

Oh SHIT A-HOLE Corn is in the mix... PUKE.

[whoo689]

ACORN???? ACORN is now in bed with big business to take people's homes and tear them down for some stupid development project?? The same ACORN that tries to get public housing and other benefits (not that I support em) for inner-city blacks? Is there a weirder combination of interests than this?

So much for "community organizing"... More like community destroying.

[whoo689]

It seems you just can't get away from these greedy eminent domain abusing fucks who don't seem to believe in private property for anyone but themselves. Whether it's Donald Trump in NY or New London or Jay-Z in Georgia...

[whoo689]

Lol. I remember here in St. Louis years ago when I first heard how the Cards wanted soemthing like $600 Million from the city or state to BUILD A NEW STADIUM!! I'm thinking "WTF! DON'T ROB US, you stupid fucks. Get the money yourself. You're a wealthy team, right?"

The nerve of these assholes. And the nerve of the Supreme Court for ruling that the 5th amendment doesn't mean what it says.

[PEinHK]

I think Nas said it best in his classic, "Ether:"

"Fuck Jay-Z!"

Do your job, Supreme Court!

[copperwaxwing]

5 stars video

[lenny380]

WOW they have enough money to build a stadium?? I think professional sports and the music industry should pay for all the development and NO taxes should be used.

[JanisXAChambers]

I say we plan a public park right across their fricken homes, better yet, how about section 8 housing. You could put up hundreds of smaller mass produced homes where these puds have thier huge ranches or mansions.

One day they'll push us too hard, that day, the LA riots will look like a schoolyard scuffle.

[breal45]

On PTI yesterday it was reported that the Russian dude lost 53 million on a DEPOSIT for a mansion

[furyofbongos]

This is what will inevitably happens when society condones the existence of a group of people sanctioned with the "right" to the initiation of the use of force (IUF) -- government.

Eminent Domain (ED) is not the issue, it is a symptom of the real issue which is IUF. IUF is fundamentally immoral. Every bit as immoral as slavery. Since gov operates by IUF (taxation is coerced), therefore government is immoral.

So it should be no surprise that this kind of thing happens.

[furyofbongos]

Gov does not exist to serve the people as it states. Just look around. You will see who it really serves. Big money and big financial institutions.

Chomsky has it right -- the profits go to the big monied private interests, their risk are absorbed by the people.

The bailouts are a perfect example. And it has been going on since the beginning of this gov -- which began as the smallest, most constrained gov in history.

History and empiricism shows that constraining or reducing gov won't work

[monkeyfire087]

The reason it has not worked is because we have been complacent, it has not been restrained because we have failed to do anything to restrain it. I like your comments but I wonder some times if you realize that with the world we live in no government at all is not a good or realistic option, would you really want to live in a country where the strongest take what they like with out consequence. complete anarchy is not a good thing. government is merely a symptom not the illness it self.

[furyofbongos]

I agree that society is not yet ready for an absence of a coercive element in their lives. That's a psych issue that can be outgrown in time.

How do you know that an absence of gov violence will only create a society of violence? Besides, aren't we there already?

Gov = taxation = coercion = violence = immoral = untenable.

In the early days of the us gov, people were infinitely more tyranny averse and still, the gov grew to where it is now. They were *not* complacent then, yet here we are.

[yakyakyak69]

This is EXACTLY what the Militia is designed for and WHY we have the 2nd Amendment to use ONLY when the 1st Amendment fails to stop corrupt governments abuse of power and resulting tyranny.

Lock-n-load! (chaining yourself to the bar will do NOTHING!)

[JoelMatton]

@yakyakyak69 I won't go into the ethics of using violence against the state, it may or may not be justified morally, but think about the practical consequences. If you use violence against the state, they're just going to use that as an excuse to become even more tyrannical. If you look throughout history, almost every time private citizens have used violence against the state, the state has just cracked down, passed even more laws and started acting even worse.

[yakyakyak69]

So where do you draw the line?

When the State takes you property (doing that)

Forces you into their schools (doing that) Destroys your wealth by debasing your money (doing that)

Removes your ability to defend yourself and your family (doing that)

Takes more than half of your annual income (doing that)

Regulating everything from Air to Zinc. (doing that)

and so on, and so on.

Where do we draw the line? When they force us to all wear uniforms?

[Silvsilvchan]

Many of those things they will do over my dead body.

Not that that will stop them. In fact, many wouldn't have a problem with that at all.

[monkeyfire087]

@furyofbongos its more than a psych issue, it is fundamental flaw with human nature that is not going to change, my question is if you have no government why would you assume that there would be a vacuum with no violence coercion from the government will replaced by violence from your neighbor. any extreme is bad there needs to be checks and balances, and you right they were not complacent, but for the past hundred years we have been. if we had not been complacent we would never be where we are

[furyofbongos]

Well it's certainly a complex issue. As to the conclusions you make, I would ask, how do you know?

I would highly recommend a free audio book (pdf also) available at FreedomainRadio dog com / books. Practical Anarchy is the title.

The author unfortunately uses the word anarchy which I think was a mistake because voluntarlism or voluntaryism are better choices because most people think of thugs in the streets as soon as they see the word anarchy.

It explains very well how/why no gov can work

[DRGMW42]

L'chaim? Are they kidding. Uch.

[Beethovens7th]

You should approve my video response to this.

[d0861]

I've always thought that Jay-Z was a douche... This just validates my opinion.

[Cactusifyable]

Business and politics don't mix.

[pakratmak]

Short and simple:

Eminent domain is theft via a shady and willful ignorance and disrespect for contracts and personal property.

The thieves should be punished appropriately.

[thephranc]

Unless you are willing to fight for your rights you will not have them. This goes for everyone.

[fattymarley]

Eminent domain is a shit concept that is borderline tyrannical and almost always hurts the little guy. I can see its utility for interstate/state highways (where would the state of commerce be without them). But this kind of taking is increasingly rare.

All too often it creates opportunities for graft in the process of the out and out theft of an individual's land.

[vinoberg]

Doesn't matter where the Nets play, they'll still lose by 40 pts

[cloudberry121]

No one's property is safe. I mean no one.

[TheLastBrainLeft]

Sorry, but this is not Kelo revisited. This is a perfectly good use of eminent domain, NYC and Brooklyn needs this development.

Enough is enough.

[truvelocity]

Eminent domain is about a government property used by the people for free, because its paid for by our tax dollars. This is about private property owners using the government to abuse that law with bribery.

[TheLastBrainLeft]

Insanity. No one wants to return to the days when Robert Moses could do whatever he wanted with whatever land he wanted. But this is the other extreme. We can't build things anymore because a few people are in the way. Compensate them fairly, but get them out of the fucking way!

[ninjabunnyman]

It's not your land, you have no right to steal it from them.

[kittyprydekissme]

@TheLastBrainLeft There's no reason to use eminent domain for any project like this. There are always plenty of landowners willing to sell if the price is decent. Why can't they try locating the stadium a block away, or in the Bronx, or somewhere in Queens? Surely, somewhere in New York are property owners willing to sell a large enough piece of land.

[50srefugee]

TheLastBrainLeft: "perfectly good use of eminent domain"

Gah. That would be putting up a road, a school, some "Public Good".

This is destroying existing homes and business, and giving the land to a private contractor.

How about this? Developer doesn't meet his tax goals, and he has to sell the land back to the original owners for what he paid.

Or, he and his politician friends get hung from lamp posts and left to rot as a warning to others. Ooh, I like that one.

[nlolinder]

This is not a Constitutional ( if there is such a thing ) use of eminent domain, unless the games are going to be free, maintained by the government, and not owned by a company.

As none of the above are true, it's an joint attack on the right to property by Big Business ( the type that Big Gov't warning you about ) and Big Gov't.

[pakratmak]

The Constitution does not shine favorably on government abuses, breeching of contracts or ignoring individual rights.

There is nothing Constitutional about eminent domain.

[50srefugee]

Regrettably, this slipped past the Founders, and in the Bill of Rights, no less:

"...nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."

That's the hook eminent domain hangs on. It's pretty damn flimsy, because the courts inflate "public use" beyond all reason.

See Kelo. By the way, in Kelo, a neighborhood was destroyed, and then the developer couldn't raise funds, and walked away. Everybody lost.

[pakratmak]

"Regrettably, this slipped past the Founders, and in the Bill of Rights, no less:

"...nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.""

I don't think that slip applies here. A privately owned sports venue should not be considered 'public use'. That's far beyond inflating the term.

[50srefugee]

pakratmak: "A privately owned sports venue should not be considered 'public use'. That's far beyond inflating the term."

Quite right. I did say "beyond all reason," but one way or another, this is just theft, armed robbery at gun point, if the current owners do not knuckle under and do what they're told.

[pakratmak]

'he and his politician friends get hung from lamp posts and left to rot as a warning to others.'

Traditional values. Gets a thumbs up from me.

[ReginaldL]

Another pathetic display of Big Government. The political elite to pick and choose winners. Nice mix of Democrats and Republicans and "artists" screwing the peons.

Sorry Freddie's.

[FatherTime89]

They got a Senator to agree to lie in front of the bar and she doesn't drink?

That's awesome, I'm guessing it's Kirsten Gillibrand. Good luck Freddies.

[KaelinSaint]

Guess I'll never buy or listen to any Jay Z.

[nlolinder]

I never have, but I certainly never will after this.

[OtisWild]

Meh, most of those folks in Brooklyn probably voted for those statist fucks, if you don't like it, move somewhere that respects property rights... With guns.

[tpsisokayiguess]

And where's that?

[BritishTexan]

Good luck Freddies!!!!

[tiecuando]

I believe the people who want this done need to be microwaved ALIVE!

[tiecuando]

Time for guerrilla warfare. Anyone says otherwise is a pussy.

[pudodrewculous]

wow dude... that is a fucked up situation...

why are they wanting a new stadium for NJ anyway... they cant even fill up the one they have?

[mitchblatt1dot1com]

And who the hell cares about having a Nets stadium, anyway?  Nets??? Really?!

[mitchblatt1dot1com]

The government breaks the law all the time, so it's about time the public fights back. As far as I'm concerned, the government is breaking the primary law of the land, the Constitution, by trying to steal these businesses.

[volumedealer1]

The bartender is a bit charming douchebag

[boxofotters]

I'm wondering what form of eminent domain isn't abuse.

[hellofaname]

usually if the land is for public use, ie, schools, roads, etc

[nlolinder]

Still. Who says a school absolutely NEEDS to be built in that exact spot?

But I don't object nearly as much to that as I do to this kind of BS. This is the worst kind of eminent domain use. They're using the Government's "right" to take property for public use to line someone's pocket. That's wrong.

[liknital07]

Something similiar to this happened in Arlington, TX...to build the new Cowboys stadium.

Not only did people lose their home (by force), but the stadium was built with billions in taxpayer money. I would think that there would be people opposed to something like that, but the people against it were a small minority. Hell, I was slagged pretty bad by my friends for being against it.

[liknital07]

EDIT: not billions, but hundreds of millions.

My bad.

[nlolinder]

I bet your friends weren't those who got kicked out of their houses.

This kind of thing is wrong. Good luck Freddy's!

[Bear5177]

I agree with most of the points made in this video. This seems to me a clear case of eminent domain abuse. But don't throw in adjectives like " their friends in big government" at 2:18 to support opposition. It immediately polarizes the issue into useless Left vs Right ideologies that can make people choose for or against the issue simply because it suits their political views.

Oppose this eminent domain abuse because it's wrong and unfair.

[tiecuando]

Left and right? No, big government is an issue of top down!

[lordthawkeye]

And of course, the ignorant woos will state this as an example of how capitalism is evil, completely ignoring that government are the enablers of this kind of abuse in the first place.

[nlolinder]

That's the media for you.

[sigworth223]

I wish I lived in New York. You could count me in.

[Mastikator]

Go Reason for standing up for the little guy.

[onvogmasaj]

lol... is Jay Z one of the Zionists behind 9/11? ;-)

re: long cuffs... just link one or two cuffs to each other

[breal45]

what did you all expect? Jay Z is "Che Guevera with bling on"

[Eterna1Soldier]

sigh. Remember when the news media used to cover things like this?

[nlolinder]

No. I'm not old enough. I doubt my Dad is old enough to remember that long-gone age.

[JTlovesDexter]

Long live Freddy's! Fuck those greedy corporate bastards!

[nlolinder]

Don't forget the Gov't. They're the ones doing the confiscation.

[Infantry9]

Another example of government trampling on property rights and on free market capitalism. I hope the bar supporters give the crooked government officials and their cronies hell.

[Wormtail81]

Lost causes can be that much more worthwhile if they are good causes. It is very sad what is happening. Hopefully everyone will wake up and see how this can affect them. It's like we live in Venezuela (granted, that is an exaggeration).

[CowboyArtist]

An early draft of Jay-Z's hit "Empire State" features these lyrics:

In New York, Concrete jungle where dreams are made of

If you know the right Jew there's nothing you can't do...

I'm of course kidding. With all the problems (taxes, rent control) that are forcing lower income people out of NYC it's so obvious - LETS BUILD A BASKETBALL ARENA! What?!?! Thomas Sowell should be mandatory reading for anybody in elected office.

[oilhammer04]

Eminent Domain make sense for roads, but rarely for anything else. But, for roads you can see where eminent domain wasn't applied in building roads where they curve around built up areas to the danger of drivers.

[strongbadXCP]

Hey Reason, interview Roger Pilon from CATO on this subject - he is a legal scholar on eminent domain.

[Mastikator]

@strongbadXCP CATO <3

[Nexus974]

The Supreme Court has already given the green light to eniment domain abuse. Your private property is only yours until some crony capitalist decides they want it. Then they will flick you off your property like a bug.

[Surhotchaperchlorome]

Eminent Domain is an illegitimate government policy.

[QuartuvLarry]

The irony is that the government MADE it illegitimate with its abuse

[singlespeak]

It's a crime, and the criminals all wear 3-piece suits and drink champagne.

[TruthBeyond]

Bring in the A-team like on the episode where B.A.'s mom's flat residence where being scared off by some corperate sleeze who wanted the land for himself.

[phippsed]

Obviously the government is wrong in this case but ultimately it is the Supreme Courts fault for approving this nonsense in the first place.

[HolisticPlantHealth]

Eminent domain is an Abuse no matter how you look at it. Even for public benefit like roads.

The govt stole an entire valley in a Park and countless homes around my way in PA to build a highway. Now the Air pollution in the park is awful and the creek in the park is polluted from a tanker ruck accident.

[daizee106]

He who has the most money, can tear down what the fuck they want too. It does not matter about us commoners. The rich guy and his lap poodles will have their way. Bastards

[nlolinder]

It's more of the Government and it's lap poodles. The lap poodles are the rich guys (some of them).

[helltrackrider]

2nd Amendment.

[powerlounger]

Nick Gillespie is hot.

[Mauhadeeb28]

If they handcuff themselves to the bar while drinking how are they gonna go to the bathroom?

[nhpr]

Pisspots. I'd hate the guy who had to be the one that emptied all of those though.

[KaiLuck]

While I don't support the government forcing people out to make room for other projects, can't this specific situation be solved by Freddy's moving to a different location?

[Mauhadeeb28]

Could it not also be solved by the stadium being built elsewhere?

[scott01019]

@KaiLuck it is quite obvious that they do not want to move; and that is all that matters. It is their property and the government has no right to take it from them to build a basketball stadium.

[HolisticPlantHealth]

In a city moving a business even a few blocks can mean losing a huge customer base and possibly ruining it. Plus it seems also they aren't talking about just one business, this is homes and businesses, the bar is just the most prominent part of the neighborhood to be effected.

[nlolinder]

Would anyone really mind if the Nets just stayed where they are? No.

And obviously the people at Freddy's would mind if they were forcibly removed from their building. It's their property, and ( as scott01019 put it ) that's all that matters.

[jsh78mang]

are they speaking German? Brooklyn, NY U.S.A.

[USAPatriot1966]

let me rephrase that.

Is this Germany pre WW2?

[jsh78mang]

Sorry :)

[Mauhadeeb28]

lol