Libertarians gathered in San Antonio over the weekend to protest a planned use of eminent domain by the city. The plan would involve seizing the Moses Rose’s Hideout Bar, owned by Vince Cantu, to make way for an educational theater as a part of a new Alamo museum.
The protest, organized by the Libertarian Party of Bexar County, is supporting Cantu, who has been offered $4 million. Cantu argues that this offer is far too low, expecting the value to increase dramatically in the near future. Cantu also argues that neighboring property owners have been offered far better deals.
Critics of the plan to use eminent domain have also pointed out that the plan for Cantu’s property is not to preserve a particularly important historical site. Instead, the plan calls for construction of an “educational theater.”
The Libertarian Party of Bexar County is now calling on the public to contact representatives to give their input and have published a post on their website with more information.
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham has criticized Cantu, posting on Twitter that “attempts to leverage a historic investment in our sacred Alamo grounds for personal gain will not be tolerated.” The Libertarian Party of Texas responded to the tweet, stating that “this is his private property and the state has no right to it.”
The controversy has united several factions within the Libertarian Party. The Mises Caucus and Classical Liberal Caucus, two competing groups within the party, have both expressed support for Cantu on social media.