“ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL,” as The Man Said.

“ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL,” as The Man Said.

As you read this, there are two key issues that are directly in the path of your future.

The first is the current eminent domain legislation to curb government seizure of private property in order to hand it over to private developers and create a revenue stream for local government. Bill Frist and his GOP cronies have adopted a stalwart Stalinist centrist approach to this issue. They are stonewalling the bill in the senate and they are fighting for the 1 percent of the citizenry that our government now represents.

The second issue is the walkathon being sponsored by Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn. Even if you are a paragon of boosterism for development and the Atlantic Yards Project, it is in your interest to test the validity of FCRC’s legal tactics and procedures in the courts. DDDB has never opposed development and won’t in the future. However, anything that has a major impact on the public should be under fair and reliable open public scrutiny. Cronyism may get things done, but it may also get things done to you that you had no idea were on the agenda until its too late.

An envelope from the Democratic Party sits on my desk for the money I pledged to send them. If, however, the current bill opposing he abuse of eminent domain cannot be got past Frist and the gang, then I pledge here and now to double that sum and send it all to DDDB to fight the case.

Why is the use of pounding sand down a rat hole? And that is exactly what you are doing if you support the Democrats if they cannot find ways to differ from the Republican agenda on these two key issues. Go with the people who actually care about our community and the nation, DDDB. “All politics IS local,” as the man said, and now you can see why.

Steve Hart