What bonehead in City Hall thinks it’s a good idea not to notify owners of the impending demolition of their homes?

City officials say that notification requirements in the decree apply only to property owners who objected in writing to demolition. A lawyer for the plaintiffs says that every owner of property on the demolition list should be sent a letter outlining the appeals process.

The smart thing would be for the city to err on the side of caution. Surely no one at City Hall wants to tear down a house that is salvageable — especially not after having been sued for that very thing.

Disposing of blighted property efficiently need not be inconsistent with reasonable notification procedures and the rule of law if neighborhoods are empowered as participants in the process.

The imagination staggers to understand why it should take months to set up systems for processing blighted property. Could it be the way in which contracts are awarded to perennial favorites? Could it be the inability to attract competent technology workers caused by a calcified civil service bureaucracy, decades-old job descriptions, and salaries for rank-and-file workers in high-demand specialties which make flipping burgers a more rational choice?