Thank you for reminding everyone of this.
I can remember when public domain was something elected officials would never use, because it was a sure fire way to get unelected by people who value their property rights. I have attended many public meetings in the past where eminent domain was discussed for purposes of expanding the highways in the Central Valley of CA. No one EVER felt good about taking away someone elses property even though there was a clear public need for transportation improvements.
To stay clear of eminent domain debates, public officials now create redevelopemnt zones. They unConstitutionally give authority to the redevelopment council to apply eminent domain and they use "blight" as the reason for doing this. The American people have allowed a Pandoras box to open in the realm of property rights by not requiring elected officials to follow the Constitution, and our society is poorer for it.
But nowadays, the idea of private property and valuing the property rights of others seems to lost. Why aren't children in schools taught to value private property and individual rights? How is it that the idea there is such a thing as group rights with respect to private property come into being?
Well, private property is the bedrock of the American legal system, but once again, during the 30's, the New Deal inaugurated the process of federal land grabs, and they haven't stopped since.