mostly pointless meanderings

Monday, June 27, 2005

WTF????

I'm speechless. Totally speechless. I'll be angry when I've had time to think about it, but right now I'm in that disturbing Eddie Willeresque position of total gobsmackedness.

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that local governments may seize people's homes and businesses -- even against their will -- for private economic development.

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who has been a key swing vote on many cases before the court, issued a stinging dissent. She argued that cities should not have unlimited authority to uproot families, even if they are provided compensation, simply to accommodate wealthy developers.

"Any property may now be taken for the benefit of another private party, but the fallout from this decision will not be random," O'Connor wrote. "The beneficiaries are likely to be those citizens with disproportionate influence and power in the political process, including large corporations and development firms."


Emigrating keeps getting checks in the "pro" category...

2 comments:

unMuse said...

it's nuts.. i can understand if something is zoned in an industrial area and instead of spreading it around town, they Relocate the people in a fiscally fair way.

however, that's not the case. they are taking residential property and rezoning it as both commericial and residential and giving the homeowners, some who have grown up in their homes, and giving them an amount that is less than 1/2 of fair market value.

it enrages me.

unMuse said...

it's easier to direct you to my blog to find the link..

http://undefinedmuse.blogspot.com/2005/06/wait-no-take-backs.html

you should check out the article. it's awesome.

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