Well,
GirlVinyl quotes me again on her demented web site, Encyclopedia Dramatica.
Over a year ago, a residential area in the Dallas Fort Worth area was bulldozed to make room for a new sports arena and a parking lot.
Yes, the families were paid for their homes so they could move elsewhere, but they were paid less than the initial value of their homes and money invested by some of the residents who had made improvements in their properties.
One of the forum members said that in his high school they had fired two math teachers so they could hire another athletic coach.
The USA sucks! This country cares more about sports than it does about families or education.
So, go fuck yourself GirlVinyl you cheap little whore.
I hope you're really happy with yourself.
I bet your mother barks!!!
â?? Fat Man making more mistakes
No, you cheap little Jezebel whore!
This actually happened.
I went back through the earlier forum posts from last year that mentions about the sports arena in the Dallas Fort Worth area.
This is from the topic titled
A Challenge to Sports Fans that was posted back on Fri Mar 20, 2009 7:58 AM.
http://www.sportssuck.org/phpbb2/viewto ... ?f=1&t=927
In Dallas, the old Texas Stadium is being done away with and another, obscenely large stadium is being built in Arlington. The local news made very little fuss about it, but this new stadium was put down via Eminent Domain. The thing is, there were so many locations they could have built this obscenity, but nooooo, it had to be built next to Six Flags over Texas, next to the frigging Ballpark in Arlington (Home of the Texas loser Rangers), and to add another kick to the crotch, Eminent Domain was invoked and ousted many, many people from their homes for far less than their homes were worth.
Imagine toiling and slaving away for the place you call home. You may have slaved away for it for 15 years, making it what it is today. You love your neighborhood, school system, public facilities, etc. You grind away more years building a family. Planting a life. Heck, you may even be one of the few fortunates wealthy enough to afford a swimming pool, and you just had it put in last year.
Then one day out of the blue, you receive a condemnation notice. Just think about that for a minute. Who wouldn't be just a tad bit pissed? But to add insult to injury, you find out that your home is going to meet the business end of a bulldozer to make way for a structure that is NOT public. (The term 'public' refers to a structure that contains free access to anyone who wishes to enter it.)
This SPORTS stadium is a private structure. It was built with private dollars. And your home...your castle...is being torn down not even for stadium square footage, but for extra PARKING LOT SPACE.
Eminent Domain does not apply to structures that are private, or, should I say...it SHOULDN'T.
I feel really awful for these people. History has shown you rarely ever get a decent market price for your home anyway. But this goes deeper than the 'voters' (people who are not affected by this), deeper than the greed that has been pushing for this new stadium for years, deeper than just having to sell your house.
Home is home. To be forced off of your land for something like this is wrong. My best friend (who is a sports nut) told me, "Bah...argue with the voters about this. Live someplace else if you don't like it." This country has the ability to change a law if we don't like it. And I, for one, hoped the public outcry over this kind of unacceptable land theft would come to a head and force new Federal laws to be passed. To be so short-sighted of something like this is foolish.
Unfortunately, the Supreme Court ruled in a similar case that Eminent Domain could be used for private structures.
Also, here is more. . . . .
Also, the neighborhood was claimed in one news article to be 'run down', which was a complete crock of shit. They showed the homeowners being interviewed the one time I saw a report on them, and that neighborhood was far from what I would classify as 'ghetto', and the residents looked like normal, hard working people to me.
But again, swept under the rug.
Here's one of the original articles on it.
http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archiv ... s_stadium/
Honestly, to me, even the media seemed very 'ho-hum' about it. Not a coincidence there, either.
By the way, those homes were worth FAR more than the $22,500 they were being offered to 'move out quickly'. Fair market value, my ass.
I wish I could inflict a guilt trip on every single person that walks through the doors of that stadium, but honestly, the sad part is, they won't give a shit.
And here is the entire article at:
http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archiv ... s_stadium/
Eminent Domain Ruling Affects Dallas Cowboys Stadium
James Joyner | Saturday, June 25, 2005
Last weekâ??s ruling in the Kelo eminent domain case will be affecting Arlington, Texas residents whose houses are in the way of the Dallas Cowboysâ?? new stadium construction.
Stadium Eminent Domain Imminent for Homeowners (DMN)
The Arlington City Council is expected to authorize on Tuesday eminent domain proceedings against as many as 19 properties needed for a new Dallas Cowboys stadium and approve resolutions paving the way for 33 more condemnations in the coming weeks.
Mayor Robert Cluck said the properties are owned by individuals who are either unwilling to sell or are demanding an unreasonable price for their homes or lots. Some have not responded to the cityâ??s offers, he said, and a few would not allow city negotiators on their property. â??If they canâ??t make reasonable counteroffers,â? Dr. Cluck said, â??we have to use this tool.â? City officials said they would continue to negotiate with property owners through Tuesday to try to avoid the need for condemnation. However, Dr. Cluck said, some homeowners are unlikely to settle without legal action.
The cityâ??s announcement came a day after the U.S. Supreme Court released a decision confirming that cities have wide latitude in condemning property for economic development purposes. That decision, which Dr. Cluck said didnâ??t affect the timing of next weekâ??s votes, means that federal appeals of condemnations for the stadium in Arlington are unlikely.
Robert Magnus, whose house is on the condemnation list, said he was unaware of the City Councilâ??s vote next week, but heâ??s not surprised. He had hoped that the Supreme Court would help him with its Kelo v. New London case. Mr. Magnus would not say how much the city has offered him for the house heâ??s owned for two years, but he said it wasnâ??t enough to pay off his mortgage. â??They are just giving me pennies and telling me to get out,â? he said.
City officials said they are required to pay fair market value for the properties, and in addition, they are offering incentives ranging from $5,250 for renters to $22,500 for homeowners who agree to accept an offer and move quickly. Also, some moving expenses would be paid by the city.
Glenn Sodd, a Corsicana attorney specializing in eminent domain cases, could not be reached for comment Friday. He has said that he represents the owners of 15 homes and lots and four apartment complexes that are on the stadium site and that he would take the cases to the state Supreme Court if necessary.
Making people give up their homes in order that a football team can play eight home games a year is almost certainly not what the Constitutionâ??s Framers had in mind. Iâ??ve been a Cowboys fan since the mid-1970s and am glad to see them get a new stadium. But, surely, Jerry Jones has enough money to pay off the homeowners.
The only mistake I made was that it was more than over a year ago. More like 5 years ago. But it did happen, nonetheless.
And then in another topic titled
School budgets fail but sports programs remain. which was posted Mon May 25, 2009 12:56 PM
http://www.sportssuck.org/phpbb2/viewto ... f=1&t=1176
At the college level Football (American) and Basketball bring money to the school because of alumni donors (who must be jackasses) and due the money that sport networks as well as the major networks pay for broadcast rights. I doubt that sporting activities bring in a dime at the high school level. If anything they are a drain on the school budget. Sports should be eliminated in any district that has not passed the budget and is in financial trouble. Yet there are few districts that will do this. I just wrote about this and am wondering if there are others out there who have seen this. My own district refused to cut sports programs. They fired teachers instead. They also cut programs that the neediest students benefit from. Anyone else out there seeing this insanity?
And another post from the same person.
The school district where I am employed fired four math teachers and hired two new athletic coaches. That is wack. We don't pass the state tests in math and reading but we can afford athletics. I do not think that we should get rid of mandatory PE but after school sports needs to go if budgets there is a lack of funding for academics.
And more . . . . .
Sports are a drain of school funding. Helmets for football have to be repaired and refurbished every year. Coaches have to paid and do they get paid well. Transporting the teams, cheerleaders, drill team and the marching band also cost a great deal. They aren't making any money for education. The idea that high school sports enriches the school financially is bogus.
I won't mention the name of the one who posted, because too many of us have been harassed for speaking our mind in these forums.
Here in the USA, sports has been elevated to the point where it's become more important than homes and families and education.
Is it no wonder that there are some of us out there who are so angry that we would like to see some more jocks get shot?
NO! I'm NOT going to go out and shoot some jocks. I want to make that clear right now!
But if I ever turn on the TV NEWS and hear about some more jocks getting shot, I'm going to laugh my big fat ass off!!!
I'm fat and sassy! I love to sing & dance & stomp my feet & really rock your world!
I like your signature --the 300 movie quote, "Tonight We Dine in HELL!" That was a great movie! THIS IS SPARRRRRRTAAAAAAA!!
