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Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abortion Town

By Jeralyn, Section Civil Liberties
Posted on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 12:11:27 PM EST
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Before you order from Domino's pizza again, you may want to think twice:

If Domino's Pizza founder Thomas S. Monaghan has his way, a new town being built in Florida will be governed according to strict Roman Catholic principles, with no place to get an abortion, pornography or birth control.

The pizza magnate is bankrolling the project with at least $250 million and calls it "God's will."

Update: There may be no need to hold Monaghan's views against Dominos. A Talkleft reader points us to Snopes which reports Monaghan sold his interest in the company in 1998 and he receives no dollars from pizza sales.

Whatever one might think of Tom Monaghan's selection of social causes, and no matter how one views the question of direct versus indirect underwriting of them via pizza monies, it's all moot now. These days none of the revenues that flow into Domino's reach this controversial man, so no portion of what a customer pays for a medium pepperoni-and-cheese funds the causes he supports. Monaghan sold his Domino's Pizza empire to Bain Capital Inc. for $1 billion in 1998. He now runs the Ave Maria Foundation, which supports Ave Maria College, a separate law school and a system of elementary schools.

Apologies to Dominos if Snopes is correct.

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    Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abortion Town | 59 comments (59 topical)
    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 12:27:11 PM EST
    He hasn't been with Dominos for years. Cashed out a long time ago. There's no need to punish the company 'cause the guys a yutz.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#2)
    by Linkmeister on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 12:35:29 PM EST
    There was a full page article about this in last week's Time or Newsweek, if anyone wants to follow it further.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#3)
    by desertswine on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 12:39:52 PM EST
    Say... wasn't this a Shyamalan movie?

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 12:54:50 PM EST
    Look, I know the guy was adopted and I don't doubt his sincerity for a moment and I remember when he owned the Tigers and helped bring a World Series Title to Motown in '84 by spending the money to get players and build a farm system but didn't try to hog the glory and the limelight like some STEINBRENNER owners have done, but this is still the USA and he's not a king no matter how rich he is. He can't turn his little town into some little My Little Margie, Pleasantville, Black and White 50s sit-com where everyone plays by his rules whether they like it or not no matter how many media outlets he owns, what he tells him to think, no matter he lives in a big castle named xanadu and how many snow globes or sleds named rosebud he has.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#5)
    by Quaker in a Basement on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 12:55:09 PM EST
    His money. His town. His people. What's the problem? (and D-swine: Haw!)

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#6)
    by jen on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 12:55:48 PM EST
    no phone, no lights, no motor cars, not a single luxury... SING IT!

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 12:59:03 PM EST
    His money. His town. His people. What's the problem? How positively feudal.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#8)
    by jondee on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 01:03:35 PM EST
    I'll believe him when he expands it into a no-children-living-in-dire- poverty, no-land-mine-selling, no- cluster bomb-dropping town. Glad to hear he's pro-some life though.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#9)
    by Punchy on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 01:05:09 PM EST
    Maybe you need to ask for that boycott because of the simple reason that Domino's Pizza absolutely sucks. Who cares about his JesusTown? If I wanted to eat cardboard and cheese, I'd go to a Wisconsin box factory.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 01:08:29 PM EST
    I grew up around some Amish and Mennonite communities. Maybe they should be highlighted also. They are even more strick in their views. You could avoid amish built furniture.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#11)
    by roy on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 01:16:17 PM EST
    The article states:
    Civil libertarians say the plan is unconstitutional and are threatening to sue.
    What's the merit of this claim? If somebody signs a contract stating they won't perform abortions on the property (whether buying or leasing), isn't that binding? If the town takes the step of becoming a government, they'd of course have to abide by the constitutional restrictions of government authority, like no "no abortion" clauses. It doesn't sound like they want to become government though.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 02:26:32 PM EST
    It's very simple... Don't like the rules... don't live there! The ACLU is threatening to sue...? No surprise there.... This goes right along with the many other important issues on their "sue" egenda.... like getting girls in the BOY scouts.... getting illegal aliens rights they shouldn't be entitled to... getting prisons to serve the prisoners chunky style peanut butter... Nazis to march in Jewish neighborhoods....etc...etc. You know... important stuff like that.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#13)
    by squeaky on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 02:34:08 PM EST
    Gosh, all those years I have been boycotting Dominos Pizza only to find out that it is no longer run by a religious extremist. Maybe if they change the name it will become appetizing, most likely not. News Flash: Oh well I just googled and found out this:
    1998:....Domino's Pizza founder, Tom Monaghan, announces retirement and sells 93% of Company to Bain Capital, Inc.
    Back to the boycott. 7% is way too much funding for the religious right for me.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#14)
    by squeaky on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 02:36:37 PM EST
    Oops....Here is the Domino's link

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#15)
    by kdog on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 02:50:56 PM EST
    What's the name gonna be? Salem revisited? If that's how they wanna live..fine. But I'm gonna love seeing how they will argue Roman Catholic law is above Constitutional law. Not in America Jack! And calling that dung that Dominos's sells pizza is an insult to real pizza everywhere.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#16)
    by jen on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 03:07:23 PM EST
    - Is there going to be a pizza hut there? - Are there any towns run by Amish Laws? - How are they going to stop everybody from ordering all the forbiden stuff online?

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#17)
    by Johnny on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 03:16:56 PM EST
    Don't like the rules... don't live there!
    LMAO... That's rich.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#18)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 03:17:54 PM EST
    It will be easy to recognize this town since the sun will be revolving around it, while the rest of the world will be revolving around the sun. But I'm making an assumption that this guy wants the old-timey Catholicity and none of the "new-fangled" post medieval crap..

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#19)
    by squeaky on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 03:18:57 PM EST
    Now I am confused, not that I have any interest in Dominos pizza, but here is this from Wikipedia:
    Monaghan retired in 1998 but retained a 27% non-controlling stake in the company.
    About.com confirms the 27% figure. I guess that Dominos wants to underplay his ownership interest even if it is non-controlling. They claim that he only owns 7%.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#20)
    by roy on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 03:49:26 PM EST
    Jen,
    How are they going to stop everybody from ordering all the forbiden stuff online?
    Nothing I've read says they'll try to. There just won't be a place to buy it in town. Johnny,
    LMAO
    Have you ever rented an apartment? They told you what time the noise rules came into effect at night, how late the pool was open, and whether you could have pets. If you didn't like those rules, you didn't live there. Ever bought a house that was part of a neighborhood association? They told you how early you could mow your lawn, what colors you could paint the siding, and whether you could park a car on your lawn. If you didn't like those rules, you didn't live there. Are those laughable, or do you just find the Catholic lifestyle so objectionable that you don't think people should even be allowed to agree to live that way? (disclosure: I have three empty Domino's pizza boxes in my fridge right now)

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#21)
    by scarshapedstar on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 04:11:59 PM EST
    Are those laughable, or do you just find the Catholic lifestyle so objectionable that you don't think people should even be allowed to agree to live that way?
    Uhh... roy, I think some people's objections have something to do with the fact that most Catholics don't really live that way. Myself, for example.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#22)
    by Johnny on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 05:38:52 PM EST
    Roy, if you don't like my comment, don't live here. Easy enough, eh?

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#23)
    by Johnny on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 05:41:38 PM EST
    Also, for the record, YOU brought up the church, NOT me. My LMAO was directed more at BB, known for disliking many, many things which could be classifed as "rules", and his rather flippant comment about "not living here." Sorry for any confusion. (Disclosure: I think getting all the whack jobs in one place is a good thing.)

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#24)
    by Ray Radlein on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 05:44:27 PM EST
    Maybe you need to ask for that boycott because of the simple reason that Domino's Pizza absolutely sucks.
    Amen to that, although I do think that it has gotten marginally better over the past twenty years or so. It's still pretty damned unappealing, though. As for the "If you don't like it, don't move there" position, it's worth noting that children don't have that option. The precise details of the deal are still pretty vague (and probably fluid, pending ongoing legal reviews), but it's pretty hard to imagine the town being able to do anything at all if, say, a nice Catholic couple who lives there have a teenaged daughter who converts to Wicca and starts parading around town in goth drag and t-shirts emblazoned with goddess-centric slogans. It's also fairly settled law that communities can't use overly restrictive zoning to prevent legal businesses from operating in town. I can certainly see some potential issues opening up on that front, depending on how carefully ther craft their legal framework.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#25)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 05:56:22 PM EST
    Evidently, we have amongst us, some of those people who know more about the Simpsons than they do about the US Constitution in general and the First Amendment in particular, so I'll try to 'splain it to you in terms you may more readily understand so don't have a cow, man. It doesn't matter if Mr. Burns buys the town. The town is still in the USA no matter who owns it, or whether Conan O'Brien comes back to write it, or how many South Korean animated discussions they have, James L Brooks will still produce it, so your " his money, his town" premise does not hold any water. It's as dead as slavery and separate water fountains in this Country. Cowabunga Dude. It's been 40 years or so. So, to recap, even if a rich wasp owns the town and tries to lay down the law with the help of waylon smithers, and an Irishman writes the script, a South Korean Company animates it and a Jew Produces it, it still takes place in America and people have their Civil Rights under the First Amendment no matter how much Monty Burns or Burns' butt boys dislike that reality. And as for the ACLU helpin' Nazis march in Skokie, that's almost 30 years ago. I'm Jewish. I don't like it. It makes me sick, but it's their right. They're also helpin' rush with his medical records confidentiality issues. Funny how you guys don't have any problem with that. Ya never bring it up either. Why's that? I'm not crazy about that either, but I don't bash 'em for it.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#26)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 06:58:42 PM EST
    Good lord, chuckless, all that effort and you didn't even read the linked article?!

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#27)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 07:40:56 PM EST
    What are they gonna do, pass a spot zoning ordinance against the BOR? I don't give a damn if he sings My Way and furnishes an article entitled Die Juden est Verboten! Which part of this is America is givin' you trouble, suo, he asked as he chuckled at the irony and the absurd notion that anyone could dream of going toe to toe with him in the ring of sarcasm.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#28)
    by jimcee on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 08:07:52 PM EST
    As a libertarian I believe that if Mr Monaghan wants to start a utopian community using land covenants, that is not only legal but fine by me. Why the ACLU wants to insinutate themselves as anti-First Amendment attackers seems at odds with thier theoretical constitutional ambitions. I wonder why there hasn't been much written about or ACLU briefs filed about the strictly Islamic community in Hancock/Deposit NY that has been in exsistence since the early 1980's? The same community that was being investigated by Daniel Pearl just before he was beheaded in Pakistan. The same one that neighbors hear automatic weapons fire from on a regular basis. The place that county officials would rather not discuss. Why does the ACLU ignore this particular community? Why does the media in general ignore it? Afterall it is a strictly religious, segregated community. Why was the Christian Waco massacre OK but the ATF has never knocked on Islamaberg's gate? Which is more threatening; a Catholic community run by a pizza mogal or an Islamic community known for its gunfire, allienation of its neighbors and radical associations? The ACLU lost any creds it had when it sued to change the names of all the 'saint' cities in the SW in the 1980's. That anyone would support these brain fried old hipsters with thier own dollars is a mystery to me and I used to be a member! But then again I did hallucinagens back then. The Left has truly gone around the bend and can no longer be trusted with any responsibility if they think they can tell people how they must live. As a Liberatarian the Right annoys me. The know-it-all Left not only annoys me but scares me because most of thier proclaimers wouldn't know the constitution even if they bothered to read it just once. The thought that the Leftist Orwellian readers of the Constitution can find things that don't exsist there are terrifying. They just know what is right in thier own mind's eye. What a bunch of know-it-all, self involved slackers. Oh and what a bunch of hypocrites. First amendment my arse.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#29)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 09:17:06 PM EST
    Do you wear a black robe or swing a gavel in the course of your job? Do you routinely argue before someone or a panel of individuals that do? Do you lecture or teach individuals who hope to perform these or other roles in the Judicial Field? Do you think there may be a reason for that?

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#30)
    by aw on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 10:19:25 PM EST
    The ACLU lost any creds it had when it sued to change the names of all the 'saint' cities in the SW in the 1980's.
    This is the usual BS generated by right wingers. See if you can find it in any traditional media sources. The ACLU sued to remove a cross from a county seal.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#31)
    by Che's Lounge on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 10:59:48 PM EST
    Jimcee, It's very simple. We have certain basic rights. What you are objecting to is advocacy for those rights when someone is attempting to deny them or restrict them. You seem to think that the ACLU is imposing themselves upon this idea, when in fact they are confronting someone who is imposing their own set of rules on others. I agree that this man may be trying to create his own utopia. More power to him. Yet would that be OK for everyone to do? What then would become of the United states of America? You can't just decentralize 300 million people. He needs to buy an island somewhere. This country already has a set of laws.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#32)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Mar 01, 2006 at 11:43:04 PM EST
    Monaghan is clearly insane. As for Dominos, it is thier crime against pizza -- the strange mixture of soggy flour, ketchup and processed cheese-like product -- that is the principle reason they should be boycotted.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#33)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 12:13:39 AM EST
    Good,God,God help us all.I just order on god pizza to go. God is a circus and a meal for fools but we need her.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#34)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 12:59:46 AM EST
    Excuse me--is the rule that you can't use porn or BC there, or just can't buy it? Because having to drive a few miles up the road to get whatever doesn't seem all that onerous. As I recall from living in the 'burbs, being required to drive all the damn time to get anything is the modus vivendi for those places. And how far do American women usually have to travel for abortions? I don't know, but I'm pretty sure it's not just down to their local mall. I find the Right's insistance on micromanaging everyone's sex life as offensive as anyone with sense would, but Monaghan's Chastity Village seems more silly than evil.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#35)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 01:02:28 AM EST
    Jimcee--why are people who call themselves libertarians always the first to kowtow to power?

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#36)
    by roy on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 05:42:03 AM EST
    why are people who call themselves libertarians always the first to kowtow to power?
    Not to put words in jimcee's mouth, but libertarians place tremendous power in individuals over themselves. Including the power to voluntarily give up certain rights. If Monaghan's plan extends to public property -- roads, post offices, sidewalks -- or to people who don't agree to anything -- visitors to the town, children born there -- then the various civil rights and Constitutional arguments apply. But it sounds like it's all about contracts and private property. He'll sell you a lot if you agree not to perform abortions or sell porn there, for instance, so if you accept you've waived your right to perform abortions and sell porn. No shocker. ... Johnny & scar, I see my 4:49pm comment yesterday was needelessly inflammatory. I kinda-sorta had a point, but it was buried in condescending rhetoric. No offense intended.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#37)
    by kdog on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 06:01:54 AM EST
    I for one, wish them all the hapiness in the world. But they better leave me to my hapiness if I am passing through town in the possesion of dirty magazines and rubbers. That's all I'm saying...Constitutional rights trump town orinances. And if this guy can found Popesville, can I found Marijuanaburg?

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#38)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 06:03:39 AM EST
    et al - I don't think you can sign away your constitutional rights. i.e. You might agree to do something, but I don't think the other party can enforce the agreement if you decide to break the agreement.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#39)
    by desertswine on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 07:32:47 AM EST
    God is a circus and a meal for fools but we need her.
    Amen.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#40)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 10:06:05 AM EST
    Chuckless, stop embarassing yourself and read the article. He controls all the commercial RE.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#41)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 11:10:57 AM EST
    The ACLU sued to remove a cross from a county seal.
    Exactly. The County of Los Angeles. The County of The Angels. Catholic Angels to be specific. And a cross to recognize that history, among many other symbols recognizing other aspects of that county's history.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#42)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 11:15:24 AM EST
    ...oh and the ACLU didn't sue, they sent a single page letter the County Board of Supervisors suggesting that they might sue, and 3 of the 5 Supervisors voted to change the seal and not risk a lawsuit.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#43)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 12:16:27 PM EST
    kdog - If all you have is the mags, why do you need the other? ;-)

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#44)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 12:34:21 PM EST
    Posted by sarcastic unnamed one March 2, 2006 11:06 AM
    Chuckless, stop embarassing yourself and read the article. He controls all the commercial RE.
    And once more with feeling, in what Country does this RE sit? That's what I thought. I don't give a damn if he owns the entirety of red state amerika, suo, he's still subject to the Constitution of the United States of America and it's Bill of Rights as are his Tenants and any potential tenants and I don't give a damn if the two of you form a band with pat boone, anita bryant and christie laine and sing my way and advertise on al bushira night and day, if AC/DC wants to buy a building and rehearse for their next World Tour blastin' Highway to Hell while leasing space to a Women's Health Clinic on the floor below, as long as they confine their hours of operation to a reasonable schedule under existing zoning regs and the approved permit, there ain't nothin' you and Tommy can do about it. Welcome to America. Land of Opportunity.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#45)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 12:40:42 PM EST
    Posted by Che's Lounge March 1, 2006 11:59 PM
    Jimcee, It's very simple.
    Damn, what's that latin term form the thing speaks for itself? QED?

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#46)
    by squeaky on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 12:41:36 PM EST
    The nut should open his town either in SD or a country, like Iran or Afghanistan where abortion is illegal. Maybe it is too liberal for him in those countries as women in Iran and Afghanistan can legally abort their children if a doctor is convinced the pregnancy poses a risk to the mother's life. The guy is rich enough to buy an Island and start his own country. His idea is not some innocent act in a vacuum; it is meant to be aggressive and inflammatory ala operation rescue.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#47)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 12:46:37 PM EST
    Posted by Jen March 1, 2006 01:55 PM
    no phone, no lights, no motor cars, not a single luxury... SING IT!
    YOU ARE MY WIFE! GOODBYE CITY LIFE! GREENACRES WE ARE THERE!

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#48)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 12:53:08 PM EST
    he's still subject to the Constitution of the United States of America and it's Bill of Rights as are his Tenants and any potential tenants[...]as long as they [his tenants] confine their hours of operation to a reasonable schedule under existing zoning regs and the approved permit, there ain't nothin' you and Tommy can do about it.
    Instead of wasting our time with your irrelevant blathering, please prove your point by showing us all in the the C or BoRs where commercial landlords don't have the right to choose which businesses they do, or do not, lease space to. You're way out of your league here.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#49)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 01:09:58 PM EST
    Yeah, you're right, suo, this is enough slummin' for one day. Of course he can select and restrict type, sport. He just can't restrict it beyond that. Here, I'll go slow. If he's gonna allow medical offices, he can't restrict it to White Christian Doctors only who don't perform abortions. If he's going to rent to Doctors, he's got to rent to all Doctors, Black, White, Male, Female, Jew, Gentile, Gay, Straight as long as the money is green and they've got a good credit history and qualify on other criteria. That's the law. Don't like it? Gee, that's a shame.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#50)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 01:17:18 PM EST
    Of course he can select and restrict type
    Which is exactly what he's planning to do. What a waste of time you've been.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#51)
    by roy on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 01:41:03 PM EST
    The idea of a town not allowing the sale of porn or provision of abortions is offensive to me. So is the idea that a person who doesn't want to sell or lease property to a porn shop or abortion provider is required to do so. I see a lot of assertions that real estate transfer and lease contracts can't contain a binding agreement to abide by Monagan's proposed rules. I don't see any effort to ground them in legal reasoning. Yes, private organizations must abide by the Constitution. The Constitution doesn't appear to address the topic at hand, except in its recognition of contract rights. I've spent thirty minutes trying to Google up a case covering this, and I can't find one. I read the Bill of Rights, and I studied up a bit on Incorporation, and it all says that they restrict government action but not private action. This being America, I presume that if I can't find a law, Constitutional provision, or court decision making something illegal, it's legal.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#52)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 01:46:18 PM EST
    Every commercial lease contract I've signed would support your research, roy.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#53)
    by Che's Lounge on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 01:46:24 PM EST
    Damn, what's that latin term form the thing speaks for itself? QED? Dang I took 3 years of German.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#54)
    by jimcee on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 05:13:45 PM EST
    People who buy property often sign covenants regarding the use of property. Some require that you can't fly a flag on a pole over a certain height or have an open fire. Others tell you you can't barbaque on your own deck or can't build a fence over a certain height. Some historic districts tell you what colors you can't paint your house. These are called resrictive covenants and when you buy property you sign a contract that may contain these covenants and you are legally bound to abide by them otherwise you are subject to the legal ramifications of running afoul of them. There are exceptions to these covenants and the Latter-Day-Saints (Mormons) were forced by the federal gov't to give up plural marriages as an example. It still doesn't change the fact that this fellow wants to create a community of like-minded people who are willing to live by these covenants. Now exactly where does the ACLU come into this equation? And why does the ACLU care about a Catholic community but not a restrictive Islamic community. Perhaps they know the Catholics won't swear a fatwa against them but the Islamists might. What faint hearted b*stards the ACLU appears to be. If you don't like the covenants don't live or do business there. What is so confusing about that?

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#55)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 07:28:34 PM EST
    Ya mean besides the fact that it's UnConstitutional part?

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#56)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 07:37:44 PM EST
    Suo, Evidently, I didn't go slow enough. Let me try again. He can lease or sell to restaurants. He can't plan their menus. He can sell or lease to Medical Offices. He can't stipulate what procedures they can and can't perform there. Am I still goin' too fast for ya, boyo? Just 'cause he owns the joint doesn't mean he can reinstate slavery. Hey, somebody had to break it to ya.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#57)
    by Johnny on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 11:13:12 PM EST
    Like the sign on the restaurant door says..:"We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone." Imagine if a restaurant owner initiated a contract stating: "No jews, no democrats, no un-wed mothers are welcome here." You get the picture. Never mind it being a pipe-dream of the radical wrong-winger movement, how does this flawtopia propose to generate enough revenue to support itself?

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#58)
    by jimcee on Fri Mar 03, 2006 at 07:30:21 PM EST
    By having people of like minds who can afford to live there. You know sort of like a gated community. I know these concepts are too difficult for some to comprehend but if one actually reads the constitution and heaven forbid reads about past utopic communities in the US past and present you might learn something that goes beyond the Rolling Stone magizine mentality. Try googling Oneida Community, or Shakers, or Joseph Smith/Mormans for starters. They were all constitutionally excepted but not socially. In otherwords legal but aborhent to the mobs. You don't like Monahan's community then you are a member of the mob. Perhaps you can pretend to be the mob that murdered Smith in the midwest because he was different and scary to the status quo. The Left stopped being tolerant a long,long time ago.

    Re: Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abort (none / 0) (#59)
    by Johnny on Sat Mar 04, 2006 at 02:34:41 PM EST
    Jimcee, tolerance is a myth from all sides of the political spectrum. Libertarians are not tolerant of drug laws. Liberals are not toelrant of protections on hate speech. Conservatives are the most intolerant of all, when it comes to the bedroom or the boardroom being not regualted and regulated respectively. Tolerance was never a strong suit in this country to any extent anyways. And you, are one of the most intolerant of all. Being a libertarian, that is. Sorry, "classic" liberal... ;)

    Ex-Dominos Pizza Chief Seeks to Build No Abortion Town | 59 comments (59 topical)