For Once I Mostly Agree With the Herald Leader ...

Snippets from the Lexington Herald Leader ...
http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/editorial/15635940.htm

Posted on Fri, Sep. 29, 2006
Bombastic threat
Forget about grabbing mall site, Mayor

[...]

What do you hope to gain by floating a trial balloon about using the power of eminent domain to buy Lexington Mall?

While it is frustrating that an out-of-state owner has allowed such prime property to become a ghost town, there is no groundswell of support for building a softball complex there, as Mayor Teresa Isaac proposed at a candidate forum yesterday.

[...]

Governments routinely use the power of eminent domain -- under which a court sets a fair price -- to take private property for public uses, from roads to parks to airports to cultural venues.
Isaac's muscle-flexing certainly got the attention of the company, which has a bad record returning calls from Lexington. But bomb-throwing is not the same as leadership.

[...]

So, back to the pressing issue: What must the city do to update its aging and inadequate storm water and sewer infrastructure, Mayor?

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Other than the Herald Leader's advocacy for condemning a well-functioning private business, they hit a lot of good points. There is clearly no public-interest motivation for taking over Lexington mall, and Mayor Isaac has serious questions to answer -- rather than shifting blame -- about sewers, garages, and garage collection.