Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations

Jeffrey Schmitt has wondered at times about the legal and human issues relating to eminent domain. With his new novel blending folklore with the evening news, �The Mayor�s Mustache� (published by Abbott Press), Schmitt hopes to bring these issues to light through a humorous, satirical story of a man who takes a unique stand against the local government and their plan to claim his property under the rule of eminent domain.

Tom Culhaven, an ancestor of the founder of Culhaven, Illinois, finds himself in a precarious position � literally and figuratively. His property is directly in the path of the construction of a superhighway under the mayor�s use of eminent domain. Tom, a senior citizen, takes offense to the idea that the government can simply take his house and demolish it to build a highway through the town he loves.

Tom stages a peculiar act of protest. Commissioning the help of his dog, Bud � a pet that only Tom can see and hear � Tom targets the mayor for his protest�more specifically, he targets the mayor�s mustache.

The mayor refuses to cooperate with Tom, and Tom takes matters into his own hands, cutting off half the mayor�s mustache at a town hall meeting. After he is freed from jail for the protest, Tom finds a media firestorm surrounding his story is in full burn, and his harebrained scheme may have saved his beloved old home.

�Two years ago, several news items on eminent domain caught my attention and I thought a fictional account would afford the subject some attention,� says Schmitt. �I�m considered a senior citizen (age 65) and I wondered what I would do if put in the same situation as those in the articles I read.�

About the Author

Jeffrey Schmitt lives with his wife, Gina, in Muscatine, Iowa. He worked in marketing, advertising, copywriting and promotion before retiring several years ago. He now focuses on his literary accomplishments, which include a place in the �Anthology of Wisconsin Poets� and a sports column for a local newspaper.

Abbott Press, a division Writer�s Digest�the oldest and most respected publisher devoted to the education and advancement of writers�is an indie-publishing imprint dedicated to helping writers bring their literary vision to print. Author Solutions, Inc., a leader in indie book publishing, will fulfill publishing, sales, and marketing services for Abbott Press. For more information, or to begin publishing a book today, log on to abbottpress.com or call 866-697-5310.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/4/prweb9400165.htm

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Willets Point United rallies in support of bill limiting eminent ... domain use �

�Private Property Rights� act would cut federal funds for using eminent domain for economic development

By Vera Chinese / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS� Monday, April 16, 2012

A proposed federal law could hinder the city�s bid to revamp Willets Point, business owners there are hoping.

But a city official said the bill, which would discourage municipalities from taking private property for economic development, could also squash future unrelated revitalization projects.

Willets Point United, a vocal group of stakeholders there, has long contended the city�s use of eminent domain to take their land for a mixed-use development is unfair and unethical.

�Does this sound like it should be happening in America?� attorney Michael Rikon said to an applauding crowd gathered around him at a Sunoco gas station in Willets Point on Thursday.

The bill, dubbed the �Private Property Rights Protection Act of 2012,� would cut federal funding to government agencies that use their power of eminent domain for economic development � putting the city�s plans for Willets Point in jeopardy. Eminent domain was traditionally used for public projects such as hospitals and schools, but the U.S. Supreme Court has taken a more sweeping interpretation of what constitutes a �public� project.

The group wants U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand to support the bill

, which was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on Feb. 28, but is pending Senate approval.

The act would also prohibit the federal government from using eminent domain for economic development.

City attorneys said the city is not seeking federal money for the Willets Point plan, but the law could discourage it from moving forward because the city could lose out on future money.

�If this bill were to become law, important revitalization projects, such as the ones that gave new life to Times Square, MetroTech and Lincoln Center, wouldn�t be possible and it would also jeopardize the long-sought redevelopment of Willets Point,� said Lisa Bova-Hiatt, an attorney with the city Law Department.

Meanwhile, a similar bill is making its way through the state legislature, said state Sen. Tony Avella, a Willets Point United supporter.

Willets Point United members said they would welcome the new law.

Ralph St. John, 78, a general contractor whose headquarters is in Willets Point, was kicked out of his College Point building 38 years ago when the city took it through eminent domain.

He didn�t fight the city then, but has joined the battle to stop a takeover this time around. He demanded he and his fellow business owner be given a choice as to whether or not to sell their land.

�Get your check book, come over here and pay us what [the property\] is worth,� he said. �And stop torturing us.� Continued at �� http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/willets-point-united-rallies-support-bill-limiting-eminent-domain-article-1.1062524

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