Central Texas MUD Abuse of Power - Eminentt Domain

Austin American Statesman ^ | 11-9-03 | Sarah Coppola

[TXBubba]

What the article doesn't say:

They are condemning the farm and about 10 other houses to install this water treatment plant. No monetary offers have been made to the owner by the MUD. The article slants the story to make the protesters appear to be a bunch of "not in my backyard" types. The issue they are protesting is the imminent domain abuse. There are at least four other properties that would be suitable for the treatment plant.

If anyone can provide media contacts of those willing to support the cause it would be appreciated.

I will post more information as it becomes available for public consumption.

There is a lot more to this story about the overall corruption of the Brushy Creek MUD yet to become public.

[TXBubba]

Ping...Please ping others who might be able to help. Thanks.

[AdamSelene235]

These guys might be interested:

Institute for Justice

[hocndoc]

I hate this stuff. The MUD should find someone who *wants* to sell.

I don't know anyone to help, I'm sorry.

Let me know if you need a body at a protest, though.

[TXBubba]

Thank you. That looks like a good lead.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

ping

[TXBubba]

Thanks. We may take you up on the offer. There was a picture in the Statesman also...they had 150 residents show up to march in protest. We thought that was a pretty good start. Hubby talked to the "grandson" tonight. We will be putting up signs in the area this week.

[GatekeeperBookman]

Special entities invented to levy taxes are a plague. They and the school districts of Texas should be eliminated. Privatize? Hell, sell all the assets & watch real progess for us all. Fire the government. My Gr-gr-grandparents & their grandparents fired the mexican joke in 1836, the Brits in '76 & they tried to enforce common sense in the War Between the States. A little civil disobediance scares petty bureaucrats.

[Publius6961]

First of all, that would be eminent domain, not imminent.
Secondly, I have been universally against all eminent domain issues on FR thus far, since I have seen and lived with abuses most of my working life.

This seems to be an exception, where the use truly is in the public interest and exactly why the concept exists at all.

It sounds suspiciously like the NIMBY crowd in action, where they themselves are the recipients of the benefits of the plant.

I will reserve judgement and say no more until more details are known.

[CindyDawg]

Sorry to hear that. It feels like you are fighting a giant, doesn't it? We have a treatment plant right in the middle of our subdivision. We were annexed kicking and screaming. The city bought a lot for suppossedly more than it was worth. Our land taxes then went up. I was told it was due to an adjustment on what the highest lot that year sold for. Fishy smelling, huh? We fought, but lost. We did win against the new county jail they wanted to build in front of the subdivision though.

[GeronL]

The story doesn't mention that many of the protesters will be losing their homes. Read his update.

[TXBubba]

Thanks for the correction on the spelling. My whole point of the post was to dispel the NIMBY crowd concept. Sure, some do not want a water treatment plant next door, but that is a much smaller numnber than 150 people. The MUD is not even bothering to negotiate with the citizens who own the properties involved. This particular MUD is controlled by one developer who has profited considerably by passing bonds through the MUD to finance his developments. Now the rest of us will have our taxes raised to pay for their poor management. If the MUD was run well, they would be purchasing low cost excess water capacity offered from the city next door, Round Rock.

[TXBubba]

Is there any way to correct the spelling of this thread? I understand it should read "Eminent" and not what I have typed. Thanks.

[TXBubba]

We already have a sewage treatment plant in that area so the water treatment plant itself isn't a big deal.

BTW the sewage treatment plant keeps "accidently" dumping into the local creek and has contaminated the wells the MUD owns. Now that is something I wouldn't want in my back yard. I wouldn't want the local jail under the control of these guys either.

[GeronL]

Texas has a really stupid way of allowing special taxing districts to be created.

One developer, in my memory, planned a big subdivision and paid a college student to live on the land in a trailer. This person was the ONLY voter in this 'special taxing district' and was paid and instructed how to vote by the developer holding the 'election'.

Years later this guy, company-whatever, TAXES those who bought the homes to provide the 'services' he had promised would come with their purchase.

This was apparently all legal.

[CindyDawg]

EPA? Any endangered species in that area? :')

[GeronL]

do you remember the specifics of the case I cited in the above post?

[TXBubba]

Very similar scenario here. This time they parked two mobil homes on the property and refunded $24 MILLION dollars to the developer. Now we have to pay the taxes to pay off those bonds.

[TXBubba]

make that mobile homes.

[TXBubba]

No. Just heard about your case on this thread.