Eminent domain in its modern form is the biggest obstacle to development. While stories like these really, really piss people off, tens of thousands of buildings are threatened by sea level rise. And, as I’ve written elsewhere on land-use and constitutional takings, a big battle is brewing. This story from the LA Times parallels many issues in the field of adaptation. If adaptation includes tough choices like condemning large swaths of vulnerable cities, how will the public respond? By the same token, if building a train involves condemning large swaths of land along the spine of California, how will the public handle it? Here’s how the Times reports the issue:
The high price of the California bullet train: Its proposed route would destroy churches, schools, homes, warehouses, banks, medical offices, stores and much more.
Whether the Central Valley can force significant changes in the bullet train plan is unclear. Up and down the valley, people know they are not playing with a strong political hand.
“Some people will say they screwed a bunch of farmers in Kings County. So who cares?” said Frank Oliveira, a farmer. “The answer is they will screw you too when it comes to your neighborhood.”
Photo: Fernando Salazar, 17, a junior at Bakersfield High School, makes a box in the wood-working shop at Bakersfield High School. A proposed high-speed rail route would require closure of the school’s industrial arts building. Credit: Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times
(Source: Los Angeles Times)
