Posted on 07/28/2005 4:46:21 AM PDT by rhema
A letter on the front of what used to be Revelli Tires in Oakland warns: "Eminent domain unfair. To learn all about the abuses of eminent domain, please go to www.castlecoaliton.org. Educate yourself. Pay attention. You could be next."
John Revelli wrote the note after the city of Oakland evicted him on July 1 from his own property — and a business run by his family since 1949 — so that a private developer could build apartments on his land. It especially galls him, Revelli told me over the phone Tuesday, that while he has been forced away from his livelihood for weeks, Oakland hasn't done anything with his property. Go look at the building, he said, and the sign will still be there because the city hasn't touched anything. Sure enough, the sign was up on Tuesday night.
Oakland also evicted Tony Fung, Revelli's next-door neighbor and the owner-operator of Autohouse on 20th Street. "I am a first-generation immigrant," Fung told me. "This is my American dream."
To hell with Fung's dream — the city of Oakland seized it, so that someone else can build on it. And without offering enough money for Fung to relocate his business, he says.
The city has legions of lawyers to press its case, while Fung says he has to scrape together pennies to hire an attorney.
"There's no way a small guy like me is able to fight that," Fung noted. He has lost his business, his property and the belief that private property is truly private in the United States. That last item — belief in the system — was destroyed in June, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that governments can seize private property to give it to private developers.
(Excerpt) Read more at jewishworldreview.com ...
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
I suppose we should all be happy the SC didn't give the FEDERAL gov the right to seize lands. That's probably next....
They stick it to him.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
The SCOTUS has voided the right to be secure in your property. All that remains for the people is the power to vote-out anyone on a local board who supports the idea of taking private property and giving it to favored politically-connected developers.
Chuckie Schummer knows.
I have a piece of property on the waterfront, I cant trim the trees on it without a permit, and I damned sure better not cut one. My property? No I just get to pay the taxes on it.
Ah, yes. Jerry Brown is Mayor of Oakland. Just remember that! He's the one who sold the governor's mansion that Friends of Reagan built and donated to the State -- leaving the State of California without a Governor's residence all these years.
More like Communism. We'll take things from you for the common good
Remember, rising college and prep school tuitions will become the driving force behind increased private/private eminent domain seizures.
Local politicians want the best for their children and will be more amenable to bribes as their kids approach college age.
They sure implied it. It was the 5th amendment that SCOTUS rewrote. Until the 14th amendment, it didn't apply to state governments at all. It was intended to protect citizens against the power of the federal government.
How come this post doesn't show up on the main forum board?
But SCOTUS did give this power to the federal government, that was the whole point of their ruling. Stevens urged the individual states to fix this if they wanted to, but on the federal level there is now no question property can be seized for public "purpose," i.e., greater tax revenues. But politically, this is DOA because the House would never fund such nonsense. At least the current House. The ruling leaves the door open for abuse years down the line should the make up of the House change.
"You cannot have a downtown with this kind of abandonment," said Brown. And: "There is a greater good here," in eradicating the blight and replacing it with homes.
Hmmm... "greater good"... where have I heard that before? (Hint: see my tagline)
"You cannot have a downtown with this kind of abandonment," said Brown. And: "There is a greater good here," in eradicating the blight and replacing it with homes.
Hmmm... "greater good"... where have I heard that before? (Hint: see my tagline)
Please Freepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent Connecticut ping list.
What we need is a revolution.
3 of the 5 justices in the majority decision in the Kelo case were appointed by Republicans.
And el presidente hasn't said a word about Kelo.
This is intolerable.
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