New London, CT

I went to Connecticut College. Unlike most of my classmates, I actually made it INTO New London. I even lived there during my senior year (only 1% of camels - yes, camels - live off campus) and I remember that there was a big stink over the eminent domain of property that was to be used for the "public good".

People in New York City are learning all about this with the new stadiums etc. New London is beautiful... a beautiful shit hole. Over the past 7 years the fight has gone up the courts and, amazingly, made it to the supreme court. The supreme court voted to kick out the families and put up the hotel. Tough, I don't know... all of my local friends were VERY anti-developlment. Then again, they were all dirty hippies. New London was/is dying. Phizer put up a gigantic plant, and that might help, but the place has potential.

Like I said, I don't know. I was there - I think it would help the area. I feel bad for the families. The part that gets me is, "New London officials countered that the private development plans served a public purpose of boosting economic growth that outweighed the homeowners' property rights, even if the area wasn't blighted." Even if it wasn't blighted... yeah... it was a nice little area, don't you think they could have found somewhere else in that dirty little town? Weird.

Dissenting O'Connor wrote. "The beneficiaries are likely to be those citizens with disproportionate influence and power in the political process, including large corporations and development firms." Which is probably true... however, didn't those same people build many of the great structures and cities that we have now? Monuments, parks, libraries, freeways, metro systems, railroads (ooop, we won't talk about railroad swindles)... but my point is - it does good for the future and for the masses. Can you put a price on that? How much do you give to a family that has been living in the same house for generations? Tough one.

Sadly, I don't have all the answers - I wish I did (I also wish I was omnipotent) but that isn't going to happen. So I say, timidly, I hope it all works out, I think it will, the town needs some help.