Paved paradise, and put up a parking lot...
...over what used to be your farm.
The supreme court decided today that the government owns everything.
At least it was 5-4.
Not too surprising that the same court that wants to jail cancer patients also wants to steal people's homes and give them to wealthy developers. The potential for abuse here is utterly mind-boggling.
O'Connor said it best in her dissent:
"When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators."
-- P.J. O'Rourke
[Update 6/27/05:
After having a few days to think about this and talk it over with people (all over the political spectrum), I think this is a better way to understand how scary this is:
When you don't pay market value for property (which is not required by eminent domain) and you are able to turn around and sell it to a developers for market value, any takings of property will generate local revenue both through sale and taxes on the sale. Since the developer's property tax will almost always be equal to or exceed the personal property tax, and since the sale of the property always generates revenue for the government, any and all takings will contribute to the Supreme Court definition of economic growth.
Or, to put it more succintly: When you may steal property and sell it, profit (and therefore revenue) is guaranteed, as is the state's right to take it.]
The supreme court decided today that the government owns everything.
At least it was 5-4.
Not too surprising that the same court that wants to jail cancer patients also wants to steal people's homes and give them to wealthy developers. The potential for abuse here is utterly mind-boggling.
O'Connor said it best in her dissent:
Slippery slope indeed.
"Any property may now be taken for the benefit of another private party, but the fallout from this decision will not be random. The beneficiaries are likely to be those citizens with disproportionate influence and power in the political process, including large corporations and development firms."
"When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators."
-- P.J. O'Rourke
[Update 6/27/05:
After having a few days to think about this and talk it over with people (all over the political spectrum), I think this is a better way to understand how scary this is:
When you don't pay market value for property (which is not required by eminent domain) and you are able to turn around and sell it to a developers for market value, any takings of property will generate local revenue both through sale and taxes on the sale. Since the developer's property tax will almost always be equal to or exceed the personal property tax, and since the sale of the property always generates revenue for the government, any and all takings will contribute to the Supreme Court definition of economic growth.
Or, to put it more succintly: When you may steal property and sell it, profit (and therefore revenue) is guaranteed, as is the state's right to take it.]
posted by Rob at 7:43 AM
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