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The Metamorphosis
Monkey 发表于 2008-04-07 16:00:13
It's a conversation between a partner and an associate under him on the issue of "relocation" of some poor people's homes before the developer, Dibrell, could have his hotel built on the site.
An excerpt from The Colour of Law.
"We're going to take poor people's homes so rich people can stay in a five-star luxury hotel?" Sid looked indignant. "Why don't they ever take rich people's homes?"
"Because rich people can afford to hire lawyers and fight it in court. Poor people can't."
"So the city's gonna buy them out cheap -- with Dibrell's money, bulldoze their homes, and give the land to Dibrell so he can build his hotel? What's in it for the city?"
"Millions more in property taxes. The hotel will be worth a hundred million, minimum. Those little homes are worth a million, max."
Dibrell gets his hotel, the city gets more taxes, and poor people get screwed. And it's all perfectly legal.
...
Every lawyer goes through the same metamorphosis that Sid was now going through, like a caterpillar changing into a butterfly, only in reverse: from a beautiful human being to a slimy lawyer.
An excerpt from The Colour of Law.
"We're going to take poor people's homes so rich people can stay in a five-star luxury hotel?" Sid looked indignant. "Why don't they ever take rich people's homes?"
"Because rich people can afford to hire lawyers and fight it in court. Poor people can't."
"So the city's gonna buy them out cheap -- with Dibrell's money, bulldoze their homes, and give the land to Dibrell so he can build his hotel? What's in it for the city?"
"Millions more in property taxes. The hotel will be worth a hundred million, minimum. Those little homes are worth a million, max."
Dibrell gets his hotel, the city gets more taxes, and poor people get screwed. And it's all perfectly legal.
...
Every lawyer goes through the same metamorphosis that Sid was now going through, like a caterpillar changing into a butterfly, only in reverse: from a beautiful human being to a slimy lawyer.
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最新评论
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2008-07-11 18:25:27 匿名 210.13.*.* http://luyue.ycool.com
lawyers just practise the applicable laws in jurisdiction...
if the law says "no, rich guys can't take over poors' homes even if the city's suffer a great loss of tax difference", then lawyers will tell rich guys not to, or will at least arrange certain indemnification to those people moved out other than pay them nothing...
so, slimy lawyer or slimy law? or slimy legislator??? -
2008-07-12 15:05:33
A slimy world it is...welcome, another Monkey..


