If you're still deluding yourself into believing that money is not a dictator in this country, you should take a look at this. Now your local government can seize your land because it wants too and give it to someone who wants to build a Wal Mart. That's right: Any city that wants to "create more jobs" can annex your land--your home--for any private developer that wants it.
Here's where this makes absolutely no sense: What's to stop private developers from taking over every viable/valuable piece of land? What's to prevent them from taking lakeshore property? What's to keep them from getting the family farm? Oh, that's right: NOTHING. All they have to do is say that whatever it is will provide e"conomic growth." That's all that stands between you and homelessness. And it doesn't matter that they'll "compensate" you for it. How much is it worth to you to farm the land your grandfather farmed? How much is it worth to you to have your kids grow up in the neighborhood you chose for your family? How much are your neighbors worth? How about your backyard tree swing? The tree where your parents carved their initials while they were still dating? No value can be placed on them because they're too precious.
I agree with Sandra Day O'Conner's comments in the artcile, which point out that this is giving the already powerful too much power.
Thank you, Supreme Court, for making our lives a little more servile every day.
Posted by LoWriter at June 23, 2005 12:51 PMAhhh... when an already morbidly obese government tries to hide behind the dime-sized shield of "the common good..." Why is it that there always seem to be so many people that don't belong to those commonalities?
And there are other questions. If they kick those people out of their homes... and the people subsequently move to another town... who is going to shop at the shiny new mall? Stand in the bath and body works and tell their kids... here's where grandpa was born... I wouldn't.
See it all the time in stillwater... wealthy yuppie freaks move into new luxury condos to get back to nature in our quaint little town... or some such line of bullshit... then the price of everything goes through the roof, and they sit in wine bars on weeknights deludedly damning the greed of the idle rich to the lofty clamour of their own sense of entitlement. They are the same ones who scream, "Tax the rich! (as long as I'm not one of them... that is to say... everyone richer than me. I mean... look at the poor poverty stricken people that I moved as far away as possible from)."
I say, be rich. Fine. Good for you, live the dream... you're entitled to that. But don't hide behind some policy of urban renewal or the "the good of the many" in your pursuits. Apology is so unbecoming.
Touchy subject for me, apparently.
Posted by: Mardou at June 23, 2005 03:23 PM
Huh. I thought that was dealt with a few years back when people were really complaining about the trans-texas superhighway. Guess not.
Posted by: Jeremy at June 23, 2005 08:48 PMYou're right, of course, Lo, except for one little detail: what will stop the government from just taking lakeshore property is the fact that the lakeshore owners are WEALTHY enough to prevent it.
Yes, the lakeshore owners are wealthier. However, the people who want to build the private health club, the lakeshore offices etc are a lot wealthier. So really, it's still coming down to who has more money. And that sucks. I'm poor as hell.
Posted by: Mel at June 26, 2005 06:49 PMAlso, there are still people up in my neck of the woods who own lakeshore property who are not that wealthy.
Posted by: Lo at June 27, 2005 07:18 AMAh yes, and some people just know how to fight back in the best way possible. http://www.freestarmedia.com/hotellostliberty2.html
Posted by: Jeremy at June 28, 2005 09:06 PMJeremy, that is the best article ever! LOL. I wonder if they have a fund where poor people like me can send five bucks even though we can't invest major dollars. I would definitely put money towards this cause.
Posted by: Lo at June 29, 2005 07:35 AM