Monday, November 14, 2005 12:00 PM
Resolving Eminent Domain: The Public Good vs. Private Rights
Gene Krebs
State Director, Greater Ohio Campaign
Reservation
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Kelo v. New London has both heightened awareness of the use of eminent domain for "takings" to support economic development and alarmed many people. What prompts elected officials to roll the dice and use eminent domain? Where should Ohio stand in resolving this issue?
Gene Krebs heads the Greater Ohio Campaign, the purpose of which is to promote--through research, public education and grassroots advocacy--public policy in Ohio to grow the economy and improve quality of life through intelligent land use. Greater Ohio's goal is to work to support redevelopment of existing communities, strengthen regional cooperation and protect the countryside and Ohio’s natural resources.
Krebs spent three years on a local school board, eight years in the Ohio House, and has completed his term as a county commissioner. While in the Ohio House, he chaired the Economic Development and Small Business Committee, and served on the Finance and Appropriation Committee and the Farmland Preservation Task Force.