Supreme Court rules cities may seize homes

charlotte.com - AP ^ | Jun. 23, 2005 | HOPE YEN

[Abathar]

And I thought that Burt Gummer was wrong about his feelings toward Eminent Domain - Guess he wasn't paranoid enough!

[ZULU]

"The city has carefully formulated an economic development that it believes will provide appreciable benefits to the community, including - but by no means limited to - new jobs and increased tax revenue," Justice John Paul Stevens wrote for the majority.

He was joined by Justice Anthony Kennedy, David H. Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen G. Breyer."

Once again the evil coalition of truly viperine traitors strikes.

As the French radicals under Robespierre, they believe all power derives not from the people by way of God-Given rights, but from the State, whose well-educated technocrats know better than those untutored peasants.

[politicket]

Most people will never be affected by an eminent domain proceeding

Now what does that matter? Most northerners weren't affected by slavery either.

Virginians weren't directly affected by the British response to the Boston Tea Party (punish the WHOLE city of Boston instead of the few individuals involved). However, they quickly realized that the British actions in Boston could quickly become the British actions in Virginia.

We need a few more Patrick Henry's! Let's all go meet at St. John's church in Richmond!

[Finger Monkey]

Those who are babbling about revolution aren't the ones who get changes made. That much I know for certain.

You know nothing in this regard, sir.

[mware]

O'Connor also dissented on this one.

[RedMonqey]

So true. But then there's always "public housing" (Gag!!)

[ArmyTeach]

Another thought. If the government is now in the business of confiscating private property at will, how about we begin with the Kennedy compounds. Hillary's house, bought an paid for by the American taxpayers anyhow. Just think...hospices, homes for abused children, drug rehabilitation centers. You could come up with more ideas. Don't you think my list provides better use of the property in the public interest?

[MineralMan]

If you think that anything close to 1/3 of our current population would support a revolution over the issue of eminent domain, you need to think again. You might interest .5%, but that would be a stretch, I think.

Talk of revolution over this issue is simply nonsense, especially since there are legal remedies that are much easier.

Let's say a state has an element in its consitution that prohibits eminent domain from being used to take any property for the use of any private enterprise. This SCOTUS ruling has nothing to say about that.

Does your state have such an element? No? Then there's your fight. Make it happen.

How about your city? Do they have an ordinance prohibiting such uses of eminent domain? No? There's another battle for you. Your County? Same thing.

It's a lot easier to get people to move in this way over an issue like this one than it is to get them to take up arms, don't you think?

[babyface00]

Your local and state government does not have the ability to modify free speech rights, religious freedom rights etc.

It does under a strict reading of the Constitution, which is something Conservatives usually advocate.

Just to take one clause of the first amendment..."Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion" as an example.

At the time of the BOR, (1791) 10, of the 13 original states had established religions (I'm basing this figure on brief google search - I couldn't find which states and what religions before I head out to lunch).

[kevao]

Has Dubya commented yet? How does this ruling jibe with his "ownership society"?

[BlackElk]

I would like to believe that Bush the Elder was fooled but I do not believe that. I noticed that Souter's televised hearings on his SCOTUS nomination showed him being surrounded by long-time Concord, New Hampshire, leftist pseudo-Republican Mayor Malcolm MacLaine and Malcolm's wife long-time leftist pseudo-Republican Susan MacLaine. Some talking head observed that the MacLaines had sponsored Souter somehow for his Rhode Scolarship sojorn at Oxford.

Suffice it to say that the MacLaines make Lincoln Chaffee look like a Bircher. The guy who must have been fooled was the wonderful New Hampshire Governor Meldrim Thompson who made Souter NH Attorney General in which the little termite played at being a conservative for public consumption. If I know this, having lived long in Connecticut but not New Hampshire, the Bush the Elder knew it through the New Hampshire plitical grapevine. He certainly knew who the MacLaines are/were.

It also suggests that Sununu the Elder was an absolute phony as a conservative because he had been governor of New Hampshire while Malcolm was Concord mayor and Susan was a state senator.

[DAC21]

Any links to the dissenting judges opinions?

[Tired of Taxes]

To recap the solutions:

1. Back a constitional amendment against eminent domain.
2. Back state constitutional amendments against it.
3. Some in the media on our side.
4. I guess... join with the DUmmies to fight it...? (History in the making here...)

[Squantos]

Yep that'd stop em...classify em ! But wait... I have already classified most polidiots , judicial jugglers , presstitutes and their handlers as terrorists and they continue to get ..........paid ?!?!??

Lables and unconstitutional laws effect only those who let em. Woe be the beancountin bastard that casts a shadow on my porch on a mission to steal my home.

Just my opinion of course........for now.

[MineralMan]

"Actually, I'm a woman. And my neighbors don't care. I'm also un-electable. But your point is well-taken. It must be a grass-roots effort."

---

Oops. Sorry. You're right, of course. The first step is to educate those neighbors who don't care. That's always the first step.

[madison10]

Even then the DUers are shocked, shocked I tell you, that Liberal judges voted for this. Who the heck did they THINK would approve it? Afterall Hillary's common good is at stake.

DUh.

[Rushgrrl]

and therein lies the rub. It totally opens the door for corruption, or "kickbacks", if you will..and also not quite up-to-market manipulation of real estate...because even if you refuse the "offer" it doesn't matter. You are pretty much stuck w/ whatever they want to give you, so that some a-hole w/ millions can build luxury apartments on your land. :o) smile pretty for the camera. yay.

[TigersEye]

If this were the only issue where the government was broken you'd have a point.

[arizonaconservative]

Wow. This may very well be the most universally unpopular Supreme Court decision ever. Even on DU they are all beside themselves with rabid opposition. An MSNBC online poll has 98% Opposed.