ESPN.com -Eminent Domain Was Very, Very Good To George W. Bush

Link: ESPN.com - Major League Baseball - Saturday: Bush shows off stadium.

Critics of the recent Supreme Court decision on eminent domain cite it as an example of the kind of decision judges appointed by Bush wouldn't make. Think again. Tell it to the owners of the thirteen acres in Arlington, Texas which were taken at half the assessed price to build Bush a baseball stadium.

The Rangers also encouraged the state legislature to allow creation of the quasi-governmental Arlington Sports Facilities Development Authority as owner and developer of the ballpark with the power of eminent domain. Never before had a Texas municipal authority had the right to seize private property for the benefit of a sports facility, and it used its power to condemn 13 acres for half of the appraised value. The owners sued the authority and won, and in 1999 after years of haggling, the Rangers agreed to reimburse the authority for the $11.2 million total plus interest.