A Campaign for Eminent Domain: Sign the Petition for the State of NJ to Acquire Fireman's Golf Course to Expand Liberty State Park

Submitted by nuncio_populi t3_120y3jb in newjersey

Paul Fireman and the People's Park Foundation have long campaigned for the privatization and development of large parts of Liberty State Park. Their tactics have included pitting diverse groups from across the region against each other in the hopes of achieving their ultimate goal: private development on public land.

In a spirit of reconciliation, I humbly propose the state of NJ use its powers of eminent domain to expand Liberty State Park by acquiring Fireman's golf course. The additional acreage will provide lots of land for active recreation for the community. And the state of the art club house will become NJ's preeminent cultural center, a venue with sweeping views of the park, Jersey City, and New York.

Support the petition now to expand Liberty State Park!

https://chng.it/rPZqJzD6Wh.

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SailingSpark t1_jdk0y06 wrote

I signed, it's worth it just to shut up Paul Fireman and his machiavellian machinations

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jerseycityfrankie t1_jdkv8n3 wrote

At the very least a new East West Road should be plowed directly through the center of the golf corse to allow the kind of free unrestricted public access to the park Firhouse is so civic-mindedly demanding. Fearing a straight road would lead to speeding, I propose very broad S curves looping north and south from the roads main impetus as it tracks east west across the former golf course.

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bananafishandchips t1_jdkxbdt wrote

Vote, sign on the dotted line, send a message that New Jersey belongs to the people and not plutocrats. Share to your hometown subreddit too!

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TroyMcClure10 t1_jdmxbfk wrote

They want to build a golf course.

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nuncio_populi OP t1_jdmyktm wrote

Fireman already built one golf course with public money and he wants to expand it on public land and then use the rest of the park as a grab-bag for private developers to take state money to build sports stadiums and concert venues on a park that should be a free, open and public resource for passive enjoyment of nature and active, outdoor community sports.

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nuncio_populi OP t1_jdvd2ep wrote

I created r/SaveLibertyStatePark because I realized all the other LSP-related subreddits were claimed by a pro-Fireman Astroturfer who wants to develop the park.

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9Xrayman9 t1_jdl00ob wrote

The cost is irrelevant lol that's the funniest shit I ever heard.

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la_de_cha t1_jdlw1l8 wrote

The cost is irrelevant because it’s never going to happen. The petition is a way to show the state government that we want this guy to leave LSP alone and if he wants to build all these thing he should do it on his own land, not try to get the state to give him the land.

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nuncio_populi OP t1_jdmt4rx wrote

Thank you. I’m very glad the vast majority of this subreddit gets the point. I thought it would be a fun way to fight back.

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ecovironfuturist t1_jdjmfhv wrote

How much would it cost?

Edit since I'm being downvoted: eminent domain means the owner is paid a fair value for the property.

I just want to know what that number is.

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nuncio_populi OP t1_jdk1td5 wrote

The cost is irrelevant. The point is to show community resistance to a billionaire’s attempt to take over one of NJ’s best parks.

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horsetradem t1_jdkg8zw wrote

The cost is “irrelevant”? Then you can write the check. Don’t piss away my hard earned taxes on nonsense like this.

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nuncio_populi OP t1_jdkmgjg wrote

No, let me explain the point again: the objective isn’t that this petition would ever come to fruition.

It’s mainly a way of 1) rallying support and showing Trenton and Phil Murphy how angry Jersey City is at Paul Fireman and his attempted theft of our public land; and 2) highlighting the nonsensical farce that a billionaire (who claims to want to “support the children” of Jersey City) needs our public park to build his amenities instead of using his own property.

If he’s so keen on building these stadiums, concert venues, and community centers, then he’s welcome to donate his golf course to the state park system. Otherwise, we’ll continue this form of protest and seek signatures “asking the state to use eminent domain to compensate him for it.”

What we really want is for Fireman to leave LSP alone so the DEP can complete its environmental remediation and finish restoration of the park’s interior.

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AndyIsNotOnReddit t1_jdlaw6z wrote

You’re already paying for it through the massive public infrastructure required: the roads, the police, the sewage, the millions of gallons of water a golf course requires a year, the huge environmental impacts: https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/07/17/golf-is-a-giant-board-game-damaging-the-planet-time-for-it-to-go

All paid for by your tax dollars so some rich guys can play golf on some prime land next to NYC. The best part? You’re too poor to visit this club, you pay for it, they wouldn’t even let you step foot inside of it.

Public park would cost the tax payers way less than continuing to fund the infrastructure requires for this golf course. But by all means feel free to lick the boots of this rich mother fucker that wouldn’t even let you into his club.

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ecovironfuturist t1_jdm0rl9 wrote

I just want to know what the purchase price of the property is expected to be. It's a pretty normal question when the state takes on a big project. Eminent domain does not mean it's free for the state.

If you are serious about this proposal this is a basic piece of information you need to include.

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oatmealparty t1_jdm40lf wrote

Nobody is serious about this proposal, it's a joke, a protest.

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BlissfulGreen2 t1_jdm5so0 wrote

Let’s see….waterfront property with an unobstructed view of downtown Manhattan. How much could that be worth?

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AndyIsNotOnReddit t1_jdmknch wrote

It’s going to be less than the billions in environmental and public health long term costs by continuing to support the golf course so 250 rich guys can have their private club.

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nuncio_populi OP t1_jdmsybx wrote

By the way, Paul Fireman used hundreds of millions of taxpayer money to help build his golf course.

“The cost of cleanup was picked up by taxpayers, and the developer would be allowed to build a course atop the site at its own expense, under strict regulations. In recent years, Liberty National's price tag has been reported as $250 million. About 90 percent of that figure were Superfund cleanup costs.”

We should send him the bill and use it to deduct against acquisition cost as a “down payment” from the taxpayer.

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/the-presidents-cup-on-the-hudson

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nuncio_populi OP t1_jdmoujc wrote

He used taxpayer money to help build his golf course. And lots of it:

“The cost of cleanup was picked up by taxpayers, and the developer would be allowed to build a course atop the site at its own expense, under strict regulations. In recent years, Liberty National's price tag has been reported as $250 million. About 90 percent of that figure were Superfund cleanup costs.”

Hell, we should send him the fucking bill.

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/the-presidents-cup-on-the-hudson

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