Ocean County Register “Tina Ramirez: California, don’t run roughshod over houses of worship”Ocean County Register “Tina Ramirez: California, don’t run roughshod over houses of worship”

Tina Ramirez, Director of Governmental Relations, is on a roll this month. Here is an excerpt from her latest piece published in the Ocean County Register:

Nearly a decade ago the City of Cypress, acting through its local redevelopment agency or “RDA” tried to declare Cottonwood Christian Center’s land “blighted.” Why? To use eminent domain proceedings to acquire the property and sell it to Costco. Had the city’s gambit of taking land from churches and giving it to Costco succeeded, no religious organization in America would be safe from arbitrary government intrusion. But unfortunately the fight is by no means over. Zoning boards, city councils and other local governments continue to use the “blight” designation to threaten religious organizations throughout the country.

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