Can you say *emotions* ?

[BGCarrera32]

This is total b.s.:

So Flight 93 crashes on your property and the surviving relatives want a memorial built there...so they're in favor of using Emminent Domain or whatever is necessary to seize your property...

For a 275 ACRE memorial



http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,473404,00.html

Why the hell should this guy sell it if he doesn't want to?

[Jim Richards]

In my opinion, eminent domain seizure is BS. If they want it, they should be prepared to pay what the owner wants or go pack sand.

[stomachmonkey]

uhm, the article says the memorial is not 275 acres, it's 2,200 acres. the 275 is just what's left to acquire.

A memorial is a fitting tribute but 2,200 acres? That's enough space for 4,000 1/2 acre home sites.

And if the guy should get fair value for his land if he WANTS to sell. If he does not, then taking it from him is BS.

Come to think of it, who pays the bill to maintain it? Sounds like it'd be a national park so the Park Service runs it. Translation, our tax dollars.

I'm all in favor of something as long as it's realistic.

[jorian]

"I think the rest of the family members and I feel there is no point at which we will stop," White said. "Whatever it takes. As long as it takes. Whoever it takes. To do anything less would be doing a disservice to those that we love."

I can assure you that if I had gone down on that flight I wouldn't want a $58 million folly built in my honor. Hell why not ask for the whole state?

[Rot 911]

What a bunch of selfish azzholes.

[dhoward]

You insensitive bastard

[Gogar]

Something's wrong, man. 2200 acres?

That's about 4 square miles.

50 acres per victim. (sorry if you think that's bad taste.)

You could put the Vietnam Vets Memorial, EVERY Korea and all the Pearl Harbor memorials, including every sunken ship, and still have 3 square miles left over.



DISNEYLAND, including the "California Adventure" AND "Downtown Disney" is 430 acres.

Someone is trying to use sympathy over a national tragedy to take advantage of the government. AGAIN.

[sammyg2]

People suck.

[the]

There's a few things about the 9/11 tragedy that I don't understand.

For ex., I know a family who had 2 family members killed in 9/11. Terrible, for sure. But they got something like $2 million each, close to $4 million, from the govt because of it.

I've never asked about it, but I wondered what that money was for. Does the govt provide life insurance to everyone who flies on a commercial plane? Why were the payments made, it doesn't seem like it's for life insurance, b/c in the case I know, the people who were killed were elderly and didn't financially support anyone other than themselves.

Was it because they were the victims of something that is classified as some act of war? That would seem odd, b/c what does a killed soldier's family get?

Was it just like a sympathy gift from the U.S. govt? If so, that's a heck of a floral arrangement.

Was the payment made as a "settlement" for something the govt was accused of doing wrong?

Did the govt pay that kind of money to similar victims, for ex. all the people killed in OK City by McVeigh?

As far as a memorial, I guess I can see that, but in a way not, because the victims weren't really "heros," like a soldier fighting a war. They were just unlucky people, in the wrong place at the wrong time. On the one hand they aren't too much different than anyone else killed in an unfortunate accident or murder. But on the other hand, I can see how they are symbolic of an attack against all of us, as Americans.

[legion]

Originally Posted by the

There's a few things about the 9/11 tragedy that I don't understand.

For ex., I know a family who had 2 family members killed in 9/11. Terrible, for sure. But they got something like $2 million each, close to $4 million, from the govt because of it.

I've never asked about it, but I wondered what that money was for. Does the govt provide life insurance to everyone who flies on a commercial plane? Why were the payments made, it doesn't seem like it's for life insurance, b/c in the case I know, the people who were killed were elderly and didn't financially support anyone other than themselves.

Was it because they were the victims of something that is classified as some act of war? That would seem odd, b/c what does a killed soldier's family get?

Was it just like a sympathy gift from the U.S. govt? If so, that's a heck of a floral arrangement.

Was the payment made as a "settlement" for something the govt was accused of doing wrong?

Did the govt pay that kind of money to similar victims, for ex. all the people killed in OK City by McVeigh?

As far as a memorial, I guess I can see that, but in a way not, because the victims weren't really "heros," like a soldier fighting a war. They were just unlucky people, in the wrong place at the wrong time. On the one hand they aren't too much different than anyone else killed in an unfortunate accident or murder. But on the other hand, I can see how they are symbolic of an attack against all of us, as Americans.

The money was for not suing anyone else. If you accepted the payment, you gave up the right to sue the airline, the maker of the aircraft, the security firm at the airport, etc....

The flight that didn't hit it's target did so because the people on board the plane killed the terrorists. (Or the plane went down as the passengers fought the terrorists in the cockpit.) They knew what had happened to the first three planes hijacked that day and decided not to let it happen to their flight. On that flight, they were more than passive victims.

I still don't see how the unfortunate circumstances entitles the families of these people to land and money from the government (and by extension, the rest of us).

[The Gaijin]

A lot of the pay-out was based on lifetime earnings and things like that. No more than a decent insurance policy would pay. Compared to the clean-up not a lot of money. I have a friend working at a big accounting firm who worked on the project - and whose very best friend died that day.. I don't know how she did it.

I think they are after all the acreage as it is a big open field. Who knows what the land is worth and who knows what they want for it. The going rate for rural PA cant be much more than $1,000 an acre.. If he wants more than 2x the going rate they should take it and give him market price.

[dhoward]

Doesn't matter what it's worth. It's his.
To just take it for some sort of memorial is preposterous.

[pwd72s]

Liberalism thought is that all wealth belongs to the government....

[Rot 911]

Originally Posted by dhoward

Doesn't matter what it's worth. It's his.
To just take it for some sort of memorial is preposterous.

+1. How about I just come take your house because I want it?

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Kurt V

+1. How about I just come take your house because I want it?

True. What if it had crashed in a neighborhood?

[onlycafe]

use the pentagon instead, had a plane strike too, and is convenient to all the other monuments as well.
problem solved.

[dhoward]

Ding, ding, ding!
Winner!

[The Gaijin]

Originally Posted by Kurt V

+1. How about I just come take your house because I want it?

Oh please. Not like somebody's back yard. Some open field in back asz Pennsylvania. I am sure if anyone showed up on 09/10/2001 and offered a decent price is would have been sold pronto. If the guy had any class he would offer it for a decent price. The price of the land compared to the memorial is insignificant.

[Gogar]

Originally Posted by The Gaijin

Oh please. Not like somebody's back yard. Some open field in back asz Pennsylvania. I am sure if anyone showed up on 09/10/2001 and offered a decent price is would have been sold pronto. If the guy had any class he would offer it for a decent price. The price of the land compared to the memorial is insignificant.

I don't think the argument is -really- about price.

The argument is about WHY in the world would ANYONE, (yes, even a bereaved relative of some poor flight 93 victim) think that they need a nationall monument-memorial that is FOUR SQUARE MILES!

FIVE DISNEYLANDS worth of acerage.

What is the REAL motive for the idea of this memorial?

Rather, why does THE GOVERNMENT (in the guise of "honoring flight 93") want to confiscate this four square miles of land in Pennsylvania?

[jorian]

Rather, why does THE GOVERNMENT (in the guise of "honoring flight 93") want to confiscate this four square miles of land in Pennsylvania

Maybe they don't want anyone poking around there.