Posted on 06/23/2005 4:06:04 PM PDT by Destro
Supreme Court's Kelo Decision Trashes Taxpayer Rights as Well as Property Rights, Citizen Group Says
6/23/2005 1:13:00 PM
To: National Desk
Contact: Pete Sepp or Annie Patnaude, 703-683-5700, both of the National Taxpayers Union
ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 23 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The U.S. Supreme Court's narrow 5-4 ruling in the Kelo v. City of New London case today has wide implications for taxpayers, not just property owners, according to the 350,000-member National Taxpayers Union (NTU), a non-partisan citizen group that filed a "friend of the court" brief in the case on behalf of the homeowners. John Berthoud, President of NTU, offered the following reaction on the heels of the decision:
"By giving governments a green light to bulldoze citizens' homes in the name of development schemes that supposedly promise higher revenues, the Supreme Court is also granting politicians a license to trample on overburdened taxpayers. Property rights have always been inseparable from taxpayer rights, which is why this ruling is one of the most shocking setbacks for economic freedom and limited government in a decade.
Within hours of this decision being issued, overreaching bureaucrats and their political allies around the country began declaring victory on behalf of subsidized development schemes that will not only cost citizens the residences and businesses they worked hard to build, but will also cost taxpayers the money they worked hard to earn. From shopping malls to sports stadiums, the Court has unjustly given its blessing to many crony-capitalist projects that depend more heavily on public funding than free-market principles to succeed.
Justice O'Connor was absolutely right when she pointed out that the beneficiaries of this ruling 'are likely to be those with disproportionate power and influence in the political process.' Even the majority of Justices acknowledged that states are free to enact restrictions on eminent-domain power grabs. At least these two facts give taxpayers hope, and give NTU a mission. As an organization that has fought back against big government for 35 years, we will not surrender our property rights or taxpayer rights because of this ruling. We the people will take back the Fifth Amendment, state by state, community by community, if necessary."
NTU was founded in 1969 to work for lower taxes and smaller government at all levels. In addition to joining an amicus brief with eight other groups on behalf of the property owners in Kelo, NTU also signed an October 2004 coalition letter from over 40 organizations urging the Bush Administration to "affirm its support for property rights and refrain from filing a brief in Kelo." Note: Copies of the brief and the letter are available online at http://www.ntu.org.
http://www.usnewswire.com/
-0-
/© 2005 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
"the power to tax involves the power to destroy"--McCulluch v. Maryland, 1819.
No doubt the power to take your home and property involves the power to destroy.
This is a whopper of a really, really bad decision.
We can only pray that Providence still cares what happens to the United States of America.
The question is Patricia is it bad enough to provoke a groundswell of opposition from the right and left. I think it is but I'm not sure. President Bush can certainly help by speaking about property rights, liberal justices and obstruction by fillibuster. Will he? I dunno.
God has a funny way of weighing in on these things every now and then.
I don't think the President has the power we need for changing this ruling.
Same here. I think I'm still in shock... can't believe they can get away with this.
He has the bully pulpit Patricia. The only remedies avaiable to change this is an amendment or the court overturning their own ruling. Won't happen if the fascist caucus stays intact unless, big unless, Congress decides to add a couple of justices to the court. :-}
There used to be a bully pulpit.
There is now only the end run to the 11 o'clock news.
MSM has a lock on broadcast news.
Only by traveling all over the country and speaking in many local media markets can even a little of the message get out.
The Prez has too much on his plate now.
Sticking with Iraq.
Social Security reform.
Energy bill.
Confirmation of judges.
just to name some stuff that he is pounding the pulpit for.
You can't overwhelm the public with more than a few basic new ideas. Too many of them swamp the boat and nothing is taken seriously.
WFSB Channel 3 News - Special Section: Eminent Domain
Please Freepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent Connecticut ping list.
(well, not funny really)
I agree.
Po'd, I called them all today from my state rep right through Simmons, Dodd and Liberman. But I'm getting tired. I am after all a Grandpa to 5. :-}
I don't know when the wrecking ball is scheduled to demolish these unfortunate people's houses, but I really want to be there when it happens... perhaps standing with a large American flag (upside down?). I'm hoping and praying that somehow it won't ever happen...
Good night, and regards to your family and your lovely grandchildren. ;-)
The attempt to remove firearms from private hands will be the signal for the Chinese PLA to invade. They may get some of mine, but they will never get them all.
32-15-02. Purposes for which exercised. Subject to the provisions of this chapter, the right of eminent domain may be exercised in behalf of the following public uses:
1. All public uses authorized by the government of the United States. -snip-
Time for a Constitutional Amendment Ballot Initiative.
The only thing laws written to counteract a bad law do is to make it easier to find another loophole, not to mention creating a a labyrinth of baby rulings that are incomprehensible and incoherent.
Give me a bad ruling that has been made better and I will give you lots of bad rulings made worse.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.