Film: Begging for Billionaires (documentary) (http://beggingforbillionaires.com/)

Production Company: Crash & Sue's

Directed by: Philip Klein

Principal Actors: Penelope Marth, Jo Ann Bailey, Richard Tolbert, Homer Tourkakis, D.D.S., Jim Roos, Daryl Penner (as themselves)

Screening Date: September 19, 2009 Kansas International Film Festival

Film length: 60 minutes

Rating: unrated

Reviewed By: Deborah Ground Buckner

Begging for Billionaires: The Attack on Property Rights in America makes no secret about its political position on the issue of the use of eminent domain to take private property for private development. This is a film about the underdogs, the property owners who find themselves face-to-face with a government that has decided there is a better use for their property.

In 2005, a divided U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Kelo v. City of New London, holding government could exercise its power of eminent domain to condemn private property for an economic development plan, thus transferring property to another private owner. The rationale for this expansion of the “taking” clause is that all in a community will benefit from the economic growth resulting from redevelopment.

Klein's subjects include Jo Ann Bailey, Jim Roos and Homer Tourkakis, from areas near St. Louis, Missouri; the Marth family in Sugar Creek, Missouri; and Richard Tolbert and the Penner family of Kansas City, Missouri. (Missouri is believed to be one of the worst states for eminent domain abuse). Each tells a story of a loss of home or business property to a private corporation for redevelopment.

The stories have common themes. Jo Ann Bailey tells of her neighborhood's history as one of the first housing communities for African-Americans in the St. Louis area. Penelope Marth was the sixth generation of her family to live in her home. Dr. Homer Tourkakis, Jim Roos, and the Penner family all had established business interests catering to long-term clients.

Klein's subjects are colorful and outspoken people, making their arguments effectively. Although this is a documentary that clearly comes down on one side of an issue, the arguments of the other side are also presented. In an ultimate show of fairness, Klein has refrained from shoving a microphone in someone's face to ask a “gotcha!” question. Instead, he includes footage from actual press conferences and depositions where city officials have stated their positions clearly through well-prepared remarks. (For example, when an attorney was asked, “You don't say someone under the threat of eminent domain is a willing seller, do you?” he replied, “That depends on if they want to sell.”). When weighing these arguments of the benefit cities will derive from redevelopment against the impassioned pleas of the property owners—and the stories of harassment they endured from city officials and developers--most audiences will walk away supporting the underdogs. Everyone will walk away from this film with questions about the legal issues and a desire to learn more, a true sign of a successful documentary.

Original music by Tom Goodkind, joined on the title song by Phil Solem, makes a fitting accompaniment, as the folk music sound of a Bob Dylan-like voice underscores the message of this film.

Written by :

Deborah

 

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