Eminent domain has no proper use. It is illegal under the original constitution and probbly illegal under the one we re using today. The government has no right to size your land for any reason, but they do anyway.
As far as just compensation goes, the gov is the one that determines this. How just do you think it is in that case?
This new propensity of taking private property for private use has been going on since Clinton was in office. It started there actually and can't really be laid at Bush's door. Many people have lost their homes and watched a Wall mart go up in there places during WCs administration. We can only hope that any new supreme court justices will be conservative enought to reverse this trend and stop the assault on private property.
A municipal utility district is using eminent domain for a portion of my property. They want to lay sewer and water for a new subdivision down the road. I asked them to provide me sewer and water since it going across my property and they told me to get lost.
I don't see how its illegal, though I do agree with your point about just compensation.
Its pretty clear under the 5th amendment, that they can seize private property for public use as long as due process is followed and just compensation is given.
Bare in mind, I strongly disagree with taking private property for public or private use (I feel private property should only be taken as punishment for a serious crimes, or if public use, then something of only the highest and most urgent importance, which is still debatable, but the higher the standard the better i.e. your next door to terrorists, and the government needs to monitor them for intel or something).
Clinton essentially privatized emminant domain (which is why certain large retailers backed him up), though the GOP wasn't exactly not complicit.
You would be amazed, at how many socialists, of the "anti-business" and "anti-corporate" envious slothes, actually support privatizing emminent domain, the reasons alone are chilling.