Economist: Trump Wrong On Eminent Domain
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Economist Chris Butler agreed with critics of Donald Trump's statements supporting high profile court rulings on eminent domain cases and implying that conservatives do not really understand this issue, saying that Trump is a prime example in the abuse of eminent domain law.
Butler told Chris Stigall on Talk Radio 1210 than eminent domain is a very necessary tool that is being overused to the point of abuse.
"As an economist, what you look at is the protection of property rights. That's absolutely necessary to construct a legal framework for a free market, so this is very important from a commercial standpoint, from an economic standpoint. I think it's starting to be abused. I think originally, what the founders intended was to be to able to have an out if you're trying to do something that will benefit the entire community and you've got someone's property standing in the way, they don't want to sell, so what the Constitution says, basically, is you owe that person a reasonable or just price for their property."
He insisted eminent domain should be restricted to essential public projects, and not the type of corporate development Donald Trump pursues.
"Trump's take on it is, he's put his finger on what the problem is exactly, generally speaking, when the use of eminent domain is invoked, it's not for the general public's welfare. It is for a corporation's welfare."
Butler worries that any justification can now be used to justify an eminent domain request, and that is not the intention of the law.
"It falls on the Constitutional phrase 'public good,' or 'for the public welfare.' You could argue anything if I take your property and use it is going to benefit the community. Where is the line drawn there that it is so nebulous that, it was allowed to be abused because it's not very specific, and it is being abused."
