Mighty Hercules defeats Wal-Mart
By Jim
Smith
The great Hercules of Greek lore
was a giant of a man - half god, half human - for whom no task was too big. The
city of Hercules in Northern California is small in population - about half that
of Venice - but its city council has more guts than L.A.’s when it comes
to taking on the rich and powerful.
The City Council voted unanimously May 23
to use its power of eminent domain to prevent Wal-Mart from building a 17-acre
big-box store on land overlooking San Pablo Bay. The 300 people in the council
chambers erupted in cheers and applause. Hercules had previously tried to buy
the land from Wal-Mart, but its offer was
rejected.
When several speakers, at a
May 22 hearing at Walgrove Elementary, urged the L.A. City Council to use
eminent domain to save Lincoln Place, several hundred people in attendance
erupted in cheers and applause. However, L.A. City Councilmembers Ed Reyes and
Herb Wesson - unlike their Hercules counterparts - ignored the advice.
Posted: Thu - June 1, 2006 at 09:49 PM