High Court: Govts Can Take Property for Econ Development

Bloomberg News

[Helmholtz]

U.S. Supreme Court says cities have broad powers to take property.

[dubie]

I guess churches who do not pay taxes will have their land taken real quick...

[prairiebreeze]

Geeeeze! This is not America anymore. Un-freakin' believable!!

[fooman]

What did the Dummies expect? It was their fellow facist travelers that did this, not ours.

[spunkets]

" Then perhaps you'd be kind enough to direct me to a copy of the Published Rules for Criminal Prosecution Under Statutory Jurisdiction? You know, kind of like 'Roberts Rules of Order' for the courts.

Those are procedural guides/rules, nothing more. Statutes are laws. Statutes and regulations apply to gov folks as well as anyone else. Gov employees are not held to them as a matter of policy. They are forbidden to murder, rob, need a DL, and must wear seatbelts like anyone else and are subject to the same due process, not the due process of their superiors.

Statutes and regs are law, not policy. Policy is motivation to enact the law(stats and regs). It is not the law itself.

[OB1kNOb]

Many thanks.

[SittinYonder]

I think you're right. We talk a lot about "originalists" on the SCOTUS, and of course I agree that that's important. But we also need "originalists" in the hallways of Congress. We need people who have read and understand the Constitution, understand their limits and will enact legislation that is within those limits.

Unfortunately, what we have all too often are people who want to confuse us with non-issues and act for their own good or the good of their friends and associates rather than acting within the bounds of a limited government.

For many or most of us on FreeRepublic, our ideals and principles are contrary to what the government stands for and where it's going. We are dinosaurs, and the concepts of liberty and limited government are rapidly approaching subversive.

I expect at some point quoting the Constitution will become an arrestable offense.

[baystaterebel]

Sounds like a plan. I am in the land of Ted Kennedy. I will bring my photo gear.

[djf]

Thats exactly how it will work out. Every pissant little city council will take whatever it wants for a "Diversity Center" or some such sh*t, and we'll be left out in the cold.

[TheForceOfOne]

They are ALL deserving of IMPEACHMENT!

I agree fully with your assertion, the foundations of this country are being assaulted by those who are suppose to defend it is nothing short of treachery against all Americans who own property. It assails the intentions of our founding fathers and all who have fallen to preserve it.

The SCOTUS fight has now become do or die for us, we must draw the line in the sand and prepare for battle.

Nowhere in the Constitution does it say anyone has the power to take personal property for private gain and not public use. Whoever gives the most contributions to the party in power has the inside track to possession of your property including personal property, which means what? your car too?

[rattrap]

I'm trying and trying and I can't think of a darker day in the history of this country. It is devestating what SCOTUS has done here. The American dream has been destroyed today, it's truly a black day.

[IndyInVa]

This ruling is beyond belief. I can't believe the case could even have gone as far as the Supreme Court. There should have been someone at a lower level court with some common sense, not to mention an understanding of the Constitution. If we lose property rights, we are not on the slippery slope, we are speeding headlong downhill to oblivion.

Be afraid. Fight back. Call your Senators and Congressmen.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Nothing new. Local authority (is that the government?) has always had gread control in this regard and were not as limited as are the feds. Control of the local government is extremely important in stopping these injustices.

The issue here is whether the fedgov has the authority to stop the locals. Given that initially the BoR did not cover the states that issue would have never surfaced until after the Civil War.

This is not an example of the fedgov gaining power over all the property in the country. IT must pay market prices.

[Outland]

As I have been telling my friends for many years, the true divide in this country isn't between races, religions or even economic classes. The real divide is between the government and those sheeple who are governed. It doesn't matter who's sitting in the Oval Toilet.

What was once "We the People" is now "We the Government". We are now the public servants. We are the cash cows for the well fed and set for life entities of government.

This needs to change. By legislation, by ballot box or by force if necessary. It wouldn't be the first time.

[AntiGuv]

There are a couple large churches near here that are on the primest of prime real estate. I wouldn't be surprised of the city council is chomping at the bit..

[prairiebreeze]

Public use and utilities were the precedent before. Now, they can tear down your house to put up a strip mall.

[madison10]

They are ALL deserving of IMPEACHMENT!

Why ALL? "Only" five screwed it up.

[Age of Reason]

Horrible.

[SittinYonder]

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. As for the victims, the government now has license to transfer property from those with fewer resources to those with more. The Founders cannot have intended this perverse result

Hope you don't mind, I thought O'Connor's dissent was worth repeating. Emphasis is mine.

[ClancyJ]

You are probably right. So, man just has to move out of the cities into the country if they want the possibility of keeping their land for their families.

Now - the cities will mainly have rentals - no home ownership because of the fear of lossing the investment. Can you imagine what this will do to the cities.

When people move outside of the cities, the tax base will fall. Pure justice. Also, what about housing development, local restaurants, shops. All will suffer because of the property rights.

Think of this when you plan on buying a new house. Might look at surrounding country locations.

[eyespysomething]

Did I say that out loud? LOL.