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Columbus Planning to Eject Elderly Residents Homes to be Forcibly Destroyed for Shopping Mall

Developer Jerome Solove, known for cozy deals with the City of Westerville, development at Polaris, and a public utility scandal, is now planning to ask the City of Columbus to forcibly remove elderly home-owners on fixed incomes in the Milo-Grogan neighborhood of Columbus to build a shopping mall.  Some of the 200 homes were built by Habitat for Humanity to provide low-income housing.

"Eminent Domain" refers to a government's power to take land for public use.

 But in neighborhoods stretching the length and breadth of Ohio, local governments are using this process to help developers build shopping malls when local residents refuse to sell their homes for below market-value.

"Milo-Grogan will now join Lakewood, Norwood, and Trotwood in the list of neighborhoods where citizens' homes came under government attack," notes Ohio Libertarian Robert Butler, "Average citizens realize only too late that their homes are never really their own.  A developer can convince a government official to force you out, and you are paid whatever amount that official feels appropriate."

"Eminent domain abuse shows complete disrespect for America's tradition of private property," claims Libertarian State Chair Jason Hallmark, "The government exists to defend our property, not take it away."

Jason Hallmark ran for State Representative in Dayton.  "I made eminent domain abuse a central issue to my campaign.  Most people have no idea how easily the government can take their home away until it happens to them."

The Libertarian Party of Ohio is the only political party to take a stand against Ohio's abuse of eminent domain.  The libertarian group, Institute for Justice, http://www.ij.org/index.shtml offers legal assistance to home-owners and small business people who suffer under government abuse of eminent domain.

The Institute played a vital role in defending citizens in the recent Lakewood and Norwood cases.

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