On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 16:30:20 GMT, "NOYB" wrote:


Homes may be 'taken' for private projects
Justices: Local governments can give OK if it's for public good

The Associated Press
Updated: 12:23 p.m. ET June 23, 2005


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

It was a decision fraught with huge implications for a country with many
areas, particularly the rapidly growing urban and suburban areas, facing
countervailing pressures of development and property ownership rights.

As a result, cities now have wide power to bulldoze residences for projects
such as shopping malls and hotel complexes in order to generate tax revenue.

The interesting thing about this case is that ANY town, city or state
can now take your property and assign any value they wish to the
property - everybody seems to have missed that little clause in the
decision. The case in New London is not only about individual
property rights, but also included is the value assigned to the
property. Implicit in the ruling is that if you want, and the market
demands, that your property is worth $100,000, the city can take it
for $70000 and you can't do anything about it.

Even more interesting is that the New London City Council is largely
Democrat, the region votes Democrat (with one notable exception).

And consider this - the "city" can take over other business properties
for "improvement" which is going to create all sorts of interesting
problems.

The people have to wake up and understand that this constant
legislating from the bench had got to stop.