Vote out pro-eminent domain legislators

Now that Assembly bill ACR 138 has been tabled, I am calling for a statewide strategy meeting to discuss our next step.

Pressure needs to be applied to those legislators who stood in the way of eminent domain reform.

While in Long Branch right now townspeople are so frustrated with the tax-and-spend mentality of the Schneider administration, coupled with the abuse of eminent domain, they are heading toward a possible recall of elected officials.

Camden, which has successfully battled down many pro-eminent domain forces, is still threatened as new redevelopment ideas are being floated. Assembly Speaker John Roberts, no friend to property owners, has to be beaten down at the polls in this November's election. A new Assembly member has to replace Roberts.

In the Senate, President Richard Codey, who has clearly sided with the mayors who use eminent domain for private gain, has to be confronted at the polls this November as well. There are many other elected officials that have no business returning to the State House after November's election.

There are a number of small groups defending themselves in the condemnation process. These groups need to concentrate all efforts to end the use of eminent domain for economic and private gain. Recently the state Supreme Court led by now-retired Chief Justice James R. Zazzali gave us a small victory.

The Public Advocate's Office has worked hard for a little over a year to protect private property from this nasty governmental abuse. We need to send a message, and we need to send it now!

All efforts must as well incorporate protections for those neighborhoods and property owners who have already been abused, and reparations must be advanced.

I want to thank Mayor Steve Lonegan, Bogota, and leader of the New Jersey Chapter of Americans For Prosperity, for all their support since they announced June 12 that eminent domain needs to be reined in.

The short of it is this: We need to stop eminent domain from doing any more harm to property rights in New Jersey. The Legislature has failed to produce reform in the last two years. Let us now come together, identify who are friends and who are foes of the 80 Assembly seats and 40 Senate seats up for election this November.

In the Assembly on June 21, 48 Assembly people voted to table ACR 138. This action hurt us, and it was led by Assemblyman John Burzichelli of the Third District.

We can start with the 48 who voted to table ACR 138, placing their names at the top of our list. If they want to serve us in elected capacity, then let them have a change of heart and protect us from any further abuse of eminent domain. Otherwise, let us send them back to private life.

I know a lot of people think it is too late to do anything. The deadline to run a candidate has passed, people are trapped in litigation over this issue and we are apathetic and worn down.

Let me simply say we can not quit! We need to continue to fight all the way to the polls to change this thing that has harmed so many in our state.

Kevin Brown

Long Branch