Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
“The government destroyed the new fixer-upper of handyman Eric Arnold, migrant from New Jersey to Georgia, even as he was diligently renovating it. The rationale of Macon-Bibb County: fighting blight.
Blight that Arnold was already fighting himself. What happened to Arnold was not an isolated occurrence. Institute for Justice reports that over the last few years, ‘Macon-Bibb County has demolished over 800 houses that it has designated as blighted through a fast-tracked, secret code enforcement process that completely avoids court proceedings and deprives property owners of a meaningful chance to protect their property.’ Sometimes, the county doesn’t even notify owners.” (09/25/24)