White Trash Hero: The Donald
February 23rd, 2005 at 7:00 am by Preston Taylor Holmes
Not The Donald, you say! He’s rich and famous! White Trash is about behavior, not economics, you sick little monkey.
Yes, that loveable real estate magnate who fires people on TV to America’s delight gets called out on this particular White Trash Wednesday. Why, you ask? Eminent domain abuse, that’s why.
First some background on eminent domain abuse from the Castle Coalition.
If you’ve ever listened to Neal Boortz’ radio show, he’s documented case after case of eminent domain abuse where municipalities and mega-corporations like Wal Mart have teamed up to kick property owners out of their own homes. In most cases, it’s a situation where a city or municipality sees the opportunity for increased property tax revenue with new ownership.
In Trump’s case, he needed a place for all his limos to pick up and drop off the all the hookers and pimps arriving and departing his Atlantic City, NJ casino. More on the story from the Institute for Justice:
Retired now, the house is her only residence and only asset. But if tycoon Donald Trump has his way, a New Jersey government agency will use its power of eminent domain to condemn Vera’s property, take it away from her at a bargain-basement price, then transfer the ownership to Trump for a fraction of the market value. Trump then plans to park limousines where Vera’s bedroom, kitchen and dining room now stand. In short, New Jersey will take from one private owner and transfer that property to another private owner for his exclusive gain.
The prime location of Vera Coking’s three-story house has attracted unwelcome interest before. In 1983, Bob Guccione tried to purchase the property for $1 million to construct a casino. Vera didn’t sell, so Guccione built a steel and concrete structure all around (even over) her home. When Guccione’s project failed, the land and its structural skeleton was purchased by Trump and razed. In the process of removing the frame, demolition crews started a fire on her rooftop, broke windows, removed her fire escape, and nearly destroyed the entire third story of her home by dropping concrete blocks through the roof. Now dwarfed by the giant 22-story Trump Plaza, Vera’s little home certainly stands in disrepair, but through no fault of her own. (Coking has since filed a lawsuit against the demolition company seeking compensation so she can repair the damage.)
The good news is that, with the help of the Institute for Justice, Trump and his government thugs LOST their battle in court. This resulted in Vera Coking displaying the victory sign and effectively giving The Donald the Finger.
RELATED: The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in the eminent domain abuse case of Kelo vs. City of New London (CT). Stay tuned on news regarding this big government land-grab.
Visit the rest of your White Trash Wednesday bloggers….
February 23rd, 2005 at 11:19 am
Ooooh how exciting…pending breaking news from the High Court……..!
(no really, I’m serious. i need some damn coffeeeeeeeeeeeeee!)
February 23rd, 2005 at 12:55 pm
Wednesday Lunch Special:
For your mid-day dining pleasure, we offer you to choose from one of these specialties: House Specials BMEWS has a cartoon. Confederate Yankee stays on his congressman. Eyes On The Ball News reports what the Green Party thinks about tourism.
February 23rd, 2005 at 1:37 pm
Trump has managed to ruin Atlantic City’s economy by driving his casinos into bankruptcy multiple times… its time he turned it over to more competant management.
I mean, seriously, AC has more people come through every year than Vegas, it should be rolling in the dough. But no, Trump manages to screw it up.
The area around Absecon, only a few blocks north of the casinos, is practically a ghetto now.
February 23rd, 2005 at 1:44 pm
I have never understood why the Donald is held up to be this super business man, he is in and out of bankruptcy court and the bank prop him up because he is in so deep.
You have to work to screw up the casino business, I mean people just come in and give you money and you don’t even have to provide them with goods or services.
February 23rd, 2005 at 8:43 pm
Hey Andy – good looking website you’ve got there. And good point, PileOn, I’ve often wondered how someone so deep in debt manages such an obscene lifestyle. That’s the beauty of bankruptcy I suppose. It means nothing – especially in Tennessee!
February 24th, 2005 at 1:11 am
Dude, real estate developers need love too. Eminent domain is a good thing that usually helps out communities blighted by shitty little shacks like Veras.
February 24th, 2005 at 8:17 am
The key word there is usually, Froggy. It’s also abused and unless private property rights are protected, this delightful ownership society that President Junior talks about is just as false as his fiscal conservatism.
March 10th, 2005 at 11:24 pm