SOLD DOWN THE RIVER. How Haley Barbour sabotaged eminent domain reform

Reason Magizine ^ | May 11, 2009 | Damon W. Root

[mick]

Since the Supreme Court's notorious 2005 decision in Kelo v. City of New London, which allowed that municipality to seize private property on behalf of the Pfizer Corporation, 43 states have passed laws protecting property rights against Kelo-style eminent domain abuse. Mississippi is not one of those states. But that nearly changed in March 2009 when the Mississippi legislature voted overwhelmingly in support of a proposed law which would have guaranteed that "the right of eminent domain shall not be exercised for the purpose of taking or damaging privately owned real property for private development or for a private purpose; or for enhancement of tax revenue; or for transfer to a person, nongovernmental entity, public-private partnership, corporation or other business entity." But none of that mattered to Republican Gov. Haley Barbour, who promptly vetoed the bill, claiming it would cripple his ability to lure large corporations into the state.

[americanophile]

Yep.

[mainestategop]

So if it works so well, why is the land that was taken in New London a wasteland? Why are these states that have unregulated eminent domain poorer and jobless than all the rest?