Posted on 12/21/2006 8:42:35 AM PST by Graybeard58
NEW LONDON -- The woman at the center of a national battle over property rights has sent some not-so-joyous tidings to people involved in taking her house to make way for private development.
Susette Kelo's holiday cards feature a snowy image of her pink house and a message that reads, in part, "Your houses, your homes, your family, your friends. May they live in misery that never ends. I curse you all. May you rot in hell. To each of you I send this spell."
The cards were conceived and produced by a friend of Kelo's and sent to city officials and members of New London's development agency.
Kelo said she also considered sending the cards to five U.S. Supreme Court justices who ruled in June 2005 that New London had the right to take homes in the Fort Trumbull neighborhood to make way for a riverfront project slated to include condominiums, a hotel and office space.
On Wednesday, after news accounts carried details about the cards, Kelo apologized in a statement released by the Institute for Justice, which represented the homeowners in their legal battle.
"My card was meant as much in humor as it was in frustration," she said in the statement. "What I wrote shouldn't be taken as my literal wish for anyone. I'm heartbroken that this will be my last Christmas in Fort Trumbull and what I wrote rose out of that fact, but the bottom line is, it was over the top."
Kelo, one of the last holdouts, earlier this year accepted a $442,155 settlement, more than $300,000 above the appraised value of her home in 2000. Her pink cottage will be moved elsewhere in the city. She has until June 15 to move.
"It's amazing anyone could be so vindictive when they've made so much money," said Gail Schwenker-Mayer, a supporter of the development project who received one of the cards.
New London Development Corp. member Reid Burdick said he put the card on his mantel with his other Christmas greetings.
"I think the poor woman has gone around the bend," he said. "I haven't gotten any mail from her in years. I still feel bad for Susette. The sorry part of this is that the things she's angry about were not done to be mean-spirited toward her personally."
Fellow NLDC member George Milne, a former top executive at Pfizer Inc., called the card "immensely childish."
"It's sort of sad she elected to do this," Milne said. "We were trying to do things for the city. It was nothing personal."
Kelo, a nurse who handles lead paint and lead poisoning cases for the city of New London, said the card was her idea.
"This all could have been solved and ended many years ago," she said. "They didn't have to do what they did to us, and I will never forget. These people can think what they want of me. I will never, ever forget what they did."
Why? Are offering to do it for less? LOL
Mind you -- I'm not on the government's side in this case . . . I simply wanted to point out that the property owners' legitimate complaint is one based on principle, not (necessarily) economics.
If I have a $250,000 home and I'm paid $500,000 by a government in a completely unjust eminent domain proceeding, I may be on solid grounds from a legal/moral standpoint -- but I'd have a hard time convincing too many people that my property was "confiscated" from me.
That would be "C," Karl.
Yeah. Go figure someone who had their property taken from them without their consent.
Is that anything like "Avada Kedavra"?
Oh, and yes, it's personal. Because my house (or yours) could be next.
As the designer of the "Kelo Card", I am seriously considering producing a line of cards for all occasions using the remaining homes in Fort Trumbull AND the homes of people who were instrumental in the destruction of the entire Fort Trumbull neighborhood...Reid Burdick, Gail Schwenker-Mayer, Beth Sabilia (former mayor), Peg Curtin (present mayor, councilors Rob Pero,Kevin Cavanaugh, Jane Glover, et al.
They all live in what we refer to as the "Gold Coast" which is the end of our city either on or nearest the Long Island Sound.
What do you think the chances are of their homes being taken by eminent domain?
Susette asked me to design the card for her and, frankly, I was a little bit hesitant since I'm always in trouble here in New London.
But all your comments made it well worthwhile.
Thank you.
If you want to see the homes of the villians, you can go to VisionAppraisal.com, click on Connecticut, then New London.
No, no, no!! I live in CT and that property is probably close to $1 million (market value). The "appraised value" is just so much b.s.
I hope the 5 justices who voted to allow this development co. to take their homes all suffer.
Her property alone was probably worth $1 million. You have no idea what the market value of CT real estate is.
Thanks for the clarification.
You're welcome. :)
"It's amazing anyone could be so vindictive when they've made so much money," said Gail Schwenker-Mayer
gail clearly doesn't get it.
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