ED
I had this big, angry rant on the SCOTUS Kelso v New London case, but I see that everyone else has gotten their posts in first, so I am kind of deflated.
I will say this: this court decision is very wrong and we haven’t even scratched the surface of its “power” yet. I am no enemy of Walmart or “development” but I do not think that the government (local, federal, or otherwise) should have the power to give away someone else’s private property to a developer (that has probably already bought off the politicians) for a “fair price”.
If a developer wants to give people market price for their land thats one thing, but you know that is not going to happen when the government gets involved.
*Important point (possibly): Is anyone as not-shocked as I am over that fact that most bloggers (and probably most Americans) are so distrusting of their elected officials that they automatically equate this ruling with giving more power to people that are paying off politicians? Do we really hold elected officials in such low regard? Like I said, that sentiment really does not surprise me at all.
I don’t know what is making me angrier: the government taking private property and handing it over to private developers who will make a fortune and cut out the landowners from the profits OR the fact that the government is so intent on screwing over its citizens (remember…those people that put them into office?) to find new, fun sources of tax revenue to spend.
*Last point: How long will it take for this case to be used by one political party to give to developers some private property that is (was?) owned by citizens that voted against them?
Eminent domain: the new gerrymandering!
–Pat