There are moments when government forgets that it serves the people—not the other way around. The Red Hook Boat Club controversy is one of those moments.
From the very beginning, I called this what it was: an abuse of power.
Supervisor Robert McKeon wasn’t interested in finding a lawful solution. He was determined to seize the Red Hook Boat Club, and everything that followed appeared designed to justify a decision that had already been made. The courts have now repeatedly rejected key parts of that process, reinforcing what many in this community believed all along: government cannot manipulate the rules simply because it wants a different outcome.
This wasn’t leadership. It was bullying.
Eminent domain is one of the most extraordinary powers government possesses. It exists for rare and compelling public purposes—not as a weapon to force citizens off their property because elected officials believe they know better.
Every court setback has come with another bill for taxpayers to pay. Every legal defeat has further eroded public confidence in Town Hall. And every appeal raises the same question: How much more taxpayer money will be spent defending a process the courts continue to reject?
Enough.
The rule of law applies to everyone—including those who hold public office. When government cuts corners, ignores legal safeguards, and dismisses the voices of its own citizens, the courts have both the authority and the responsibility to intervene. That is exactly what has happened here.
Supervisor McKeon should end this failed eminent domain crusade. Stop wasting taxpayer dollars. Respect private property rights. And apologize to the people of Red Hook for dragging their community through a costly, unnecessary fight that never should have happened.
Because when government becomes the bully, it is the courts—and ultimately the people—who must remind it that no one is above the law.
The Valley Viewpoint 