Friday, June 24, 2005

The US Supreme Court...

Some of the recent ruling of the US Supreme Court are just so apalling to me. Take this one for instance from yesterday (June 23, 2005): The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday, in one of its most closely watched property rights cases in years, that fostering economic development is an appropriate use of the government's power of eminent domain.. That is just crazy. In a country that is supposedly built on the the foundations of freedom and the right of ownership, this really doesn't seem right to me.

posted by sneaker @ 5:14 PM  

7 Comments:

  • At 10:05 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Wholeheartedly agree on that one. I don't think there is a single liberty more necessary for a person to be free than the ability for that person to own property. It's troubling enough to me that the government can take your land for a true public use (for example, to build a road) and determine themselves what is "fair compensation" for your property. But that right is clearly given by the Constitution, and I suppose it is necessary for the greater good. But to allow land to be taken from one private citizen and given to another private citizen at the behest of the government? Sounds awfully like Communism to me.

     

  • At 8:50 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I believe you do not fully understand the decision. It has been hyped in the media. It allows eminent domain for economic purposes. This is not new, it is just a confirmation of the past. Most urban redevelopment has used this in the past. It has been done in Concord, CA, Oakland, CA and San Francisco. Do you feel that urban blight should be addressed or allowed to continue? Do you believe that a single person should be able to hold an entire project hostage? Do you not believe that a new office building (that will revitalize the downtown) should not replace a crime ridden section of an old industrial city? Eminent domain has taken homes for freeways, government offices, etc. Indeed, Washington, D.C. was created by the government's taking of private farms. The prior commnet is also incorrect. There are protections in eminent domain regarding fair compensation. If you do not like the government's offer, you can file an action. If a jury decides the value was greater than what the government offered, you not only get the balance but also your attorney's fees, court costs, etc. Lastly, property rights have never been "democratic" In most SF Bay Area cities you are limited by zoning. Even worse, design review boards, landscape committees and other governmental bodies further restrict what you can build. Try to build a house in Woodside, Portola Valley, Hillsborough, Piedmont or most other cities and you will find out how few property rights you actually have. Try to add an addition to your home and allow your neighbors to object for their personal reasons and see how your plans will be either changed or destroyed. Too many Americans read a news article and adopt the slant of the article. I am neither liberal or conservative so am often annoyed by the bias of reporters, which bias is accepted as the truth by readers too lazy to research the truth or any opposite opinion whatsoever.

     

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  • At 9:31 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

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