Does anyone have any thoughts about what eminent domain is evolving into?

Question

People in this country are losing their homes, land, and businesses to other private parties. Just because they can so-called make better use of it? It seems that our right to pursue life, liberty, and happiness is our right only as much as we are able to protect it from a government that is in bed with big corporations.

Answer 1

" to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the Consent of the governed, that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and institute new government."

When the law ceases to protect our rights but has become instead a instrument of plunder, the law is perverted and we are morally obligated to disobey it.

Answer 2

Its a sad state of affairs when a municipal government can seize your land just generate tax revenue and help pay their salaries under the ruse of economic growth. Whether it's a real estate developer or Walmart makes no difference. In Chicago things are really screwed up. Mayor Daley is trying to expand O'Hare at the expense of entire villages. He is also taking the side of Walmart because they have threatened not to build a store if the alderman demand a living wage for all their employees. Its sick. Eminent domain reminds me a bit of the way corporations are dumping their defined benefit pension plans on the government, declaring bankruptcy, and telling the employees they are screwed. They force them into defined contribution 401ks and save billions of dollars as their attorney rack in tens of millions in fees. All of this stuff is just a shift of wealth from the middle and lower classes to the wealthy. This is called oligarchy. It was a major problem in classical Greece and Rome.

Answer 3

Abuse of eminent domain should be an outrage to every america regardless of political affiliation.
Certainly there are situations when it is needed, for real public good, and these reasons could vary widely.

Tax benifits for a community is not such a reason.

The supreme court blew it on this one, unquestionably.
And as sad as it may be for some the left leaning side of the court solidified this decision.

Let your local and state officals know that you are aware of this issuse and it is important to you as a VOTER.

Answer 4

The Framers assumed that matters like this could be handled by assigning them to the States, which we the people are supposed to be better able to control. It is sad that individuals today are either apathetic or actual abetters of a corporate-dominated government, but it is just one example of how unworthy of liberty our people have become. If history and the philosophers are any guide, the people will someday seek to discard troublesome things like providing juries and voting for leaders, acquiescing to a tyranny that will have, at least initially, every appearance of benevolence and convenience.

Answer 5

Eminent domain, like the rest of western democracy, is evolving into a giant money and resource grab.

As governments grow and politicians learn how to redistribute wealth through myriad programs (social security, medicare/medicaid, corporate welfare, social welfare, bridges to nowhere, etc), they have to abandon their pledge to uphold the constitution and individual rights and freedoms so that they can enrich themselves by showering their campaign contributors with favorable laws. Obviously, certain real estate parcels can be bought at "fair market value", which is basically what the government assesses, and then sold to the highest bidder.

You have the right to bear arms and overthrow the current government. You and your $300 rifle against them and their $400 billion/year defense budget.

Good luck to you.

Answer 6

That decision by the Supreme Court was, without a doubt, the most *** nine thing to come out of them since Bush's reelection!

What were they thinking? The right to private home and land ownership is one of the most important aspects of our country.

Scary when you think about how special interest groups have now infected even the Supreme Court, isn't it?

Answer 7

i have lived on my land now for 40 years. i pay taxes to stay here so actually i really dont own it. if i dont pay my taxes-- it will be legally confiscated by the govt. as far as eminent domain goes-- its another scam to defraud the taxpayer and landowner into giving up what they have worked for. how can a person who works on minimum wage fight millions of dollars? its not possible to fight big money. they can take my land when they can pry the shotgun from my dead fingers.if perhaps i have to snuff 2 or 3 of these people out-- they may think twice before they invade a poor and crazy person such as me in the future. i have worked hard for my property on min wage jobs. getting here has been an uphill battle. whoever thinks they can take it without a fight-- better have their life insurance paid up-- i take no prisoners-- i dont dial 911. when you invade my space-- you deal on my terms-- not yours

Answer 8

Private property is the root of all freedom, because without private means of support, the government can coerce you into submission. I was incredible to me that the Supreme Court in its maniacal grab for power would overturn our victory in the Cold War and legalize crony communism. Justice Stevens and Souter ought to resign as their decisions betray the Republican President that appointed them to defend the Constitution.

Answer 9

Good question, I'm disturbed by this trend, too. I really don't think that the liberals on the Supreme Court are to blame, though.

Unfortunately, corporations are being treated as if they were citizens (or uber-citizens, given more rights), when they should have fewer rights.

Answer 10

All the Liberals on the Surpreme Court screwed us. The Kelo decision was one of the worst cases in US History.