Home seizure ruling doesn't play in Texas - amendment quickly proposed to limit powers

Houston Chronicle ^ | June 24, 2005 | MIKE SNYDER and MATT STILES

[Paleo Conservative]

Notice also that only two of those judges was appointed by a DemocRAT president. Justice Kennedy was the third nominee Ronald Reagan sent up in 1987 after Bork was "Borked".

[Red Sea Swimmer]

Excellent photo-shopping.

A picture paints a thousand words.

[Red Sea Swimmer]

There are people in all of the parties who are dancing to the wicked tunes of others.

[Outland]

Thanks! And of course, any pics that I post are free to use by all. Help yourself.

PhotoShop is great therapy for high blood pressure.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Yes. It's a totally useless assurance.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

...So much for the Democrat Party motto of "We represent the little guy."

It's "We own the little guy."

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The cookie jar is open.

[Windsong]

Think those are bad? Just wait till the next Big Terrorist attack.

[Windsong]

Your post makes you look like an avid reader of Hal Lindsey. Remember that it was mainly Christian columnists who foretold the Y2K EOTWAWKI scenario.

[Red Sea Swimmer]

I know who he is, but don't subscribe to his musings.

False prophets give real prophets a bad name.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

You're right. Ron Paul's district: I have two offices in the 14th district, one in Freeport and one in Victoria.

This should be interesting.

[politicalwit]

The title is very deceptive. Just look what Perry is planning with his "super no-bid highway." We can only hope that Texas Legislators grow some balls and restrict EM in the State of Texas before Perry's Folly" begins.

[Ken H]

This ruling was haphazard at a minimum and sounds almost communist ("for the good of the state, comrade").

"We will take things from you, on behalf of the common good."

-- Mrs. Clinton

[Cincinatus' Wife]

From Baltimore:

......John C. Murphy, an attorney who represents about 20 property and business owners on the west side, said owners of small but flourishing businesses often get unfairly caught in the middle of such plans.

"This decision does not help us," said Murphy of yesterday's court ruling. His west-side clients include small shops, carryouts and variety stores.

Murphy also represents eight business owners fighting a city plan to acquire their properties as part of a major Southwest Baltimore revitalization project that will transform the vacant Uplands Apartments south of Edmondson Avenue into a mixed-income development of single-family homes, condominiums and apartments. The business owners in the Triangle, which borders the Uplands, argue that the city should not be able to seize their properties because they are not blighted.

The business owners, mainly immigrants, are "all wonderful people, and not one of them deserves to be condemned," Murphy said. "I was hopeful about this [Supreme Court] case, and this is going to make our life harder. It's the little guy who gets condemned, it's not the big businesses."

In Baltimore County, then-County Executive C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger's redevelopment strategy for the Middle River-Essex area ignited a fierce battle in 2000. Voters petitioned to referendum a bill to expand the county's condemnation powers and soundly defeated it.

Still, current and former development officials said yesterday that without eminent domain Baltimore would lack some of its most defining features, from the Inner Harbor waterfront to the office towers in Charles Center.

"Baltimore wouldn't be where it is today," said Robert C. Embry Jr., Abell Foundation president and one-time head of the city's Department of Housing and Community Development.

Over about five years, the city bought properties on roughly 150 acres around the harbor, some abandoned, others operating businesses. Eminent domain made it possible for planners to realign streets in such a way as to create public access to the waterfront and build a brick promenade. "The use of eminent domain was crucial" to that effort, said Brodie, who from 1968 to 1984 was a deputy and then commissioner of the housing and community development agency. "If we hadn't assembled all of this through eminent domain, then there would be no public edge of the water." ......

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bal-te.bz.eminent24jun24,1,5451012.story?coll=bal-home-headlines

[StAnDeliver]

"Corte said he would ask Gov. Rick Perry to add the condemnation issue to the agenda of the special legislative session now under way so that the proposed constitutional amendment could appear on the November ballot."

Go Corte! Tell Wimpy to stick CINTRA in his ear!

[fortheDeclaration]

What would prevent this from being abused is the fact that it these are private industry, and having good public relations is important to them.

Let a business tear down an elderly persons home and see how much business they can expect from that community.

The purpose of these acts is to build a tax base, which means that business must generate a profit.

No business can enter and survive by creating such ill will with the community it exists in.

And then there is the vote against the city officials who approve of such actions.

[TXBSAFH]

I hope that an amendment to restrict ED will become law in Taxes (this is the new spelling of the state name due to the runaway spending of the state and localgovernemnts). But I have little faith in the state legislature or that $50 haircut on a $5 brain governor we have.

[goldstategop]

Texas Freedom Bump!

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[marty60]

Oh paaalllleeeze, the sports arena was built in an area full of ABANDONED buildings and parking lots.

Perry has got the legislatures there for a special session, time to move on this is NOW.