Posted on 02/04/2008 11:17:11 AM PST by BGHater
The Constitution guarantees Americans the right to be secure against all unreasonable seizures. My home state of Texas is unfortunately planning on some very unreasonable seizures of land with the monstrous Trans Texas Corridor highway project. The TTC plans call for a highway to cut through about 4,000 Texas miles, and with separate rail lines for passenger and freight, a multi-lane highway with separate truck lanes, utility and cable easements, this highway could be as wide as 1200 feet across. In the end this project would consume something like half a million acres of land in Texas . However, since the exact path of the road has not been determined, it is putting much more acreage in jeopardy, and in limbo.
Taking land is destructive enough. But the perpetual threat of taking an undetermined amount of land is hanging over the heads of millions of Texans and putting their lives at a standstill. Land is a store of wealth and a source of stability. This highway project is tragically threatening that for so many Texans.
The principle of private property is the cornerstone to a free and prosperous society. In situations where a colossal government land grab is a distinct possibility, investment or improvement becomes more risky with an uncertain future and tends not to happen. How do you sell land that may or may not be taken by the government at some point in the not too distant future? Who would buy it? How do you cultivate or build on, or even near, land that may or may not be paved over and turned into a massive, noisy thoroughfare in a few years?
Even more insulting is the distinct possibility that, while the road will collect tolls and fees, making a private foreign firm billions of dollars in revenue, the costs of building it could be heavily borne by taxpayers. So the costs will be socialized and the profits privatized. Public-private partnership indeed!
From Washington I have voiced my staunch disapproval of taking these hard-working taxpayers’ land for a private toll road, by introducing legislation (HR 5191) that simply states, “No Federal funds appropriated or made available before, on, or after the date of enactment of this Act may be used by a unit of Federal, State, or local government to carry out the highway project known as the 'Trans-Texas Corridor'.” I am working hard in Congress to make sure that no Federal funding is used to undermine property rights in this way.
We should be focusing on guarding and securing our borders for the protection of the American people. Instead we are paving the way for more and more people to cross the border as comfortably as possible. And taking the family farm to do it. It is an absolute outrage.
TTC ping
How does Ron Paul feel about people getting their land taken for the border fence? Some people in his home state are fighting that, especially those who actually own land up to the border (and sometimes across it) who are having a secure fence built THROUGH their property (sometimes a long distance from the border).
I swear you are on more Paul threads than anyone on this sight. Are you a stalker in real life?
This doesn't have to do with Paul, but something I remember funny about the last election was how people were having a fit that a couple of the candidates didn't support expansion of the eminent domain restriction law in our Constitution (Texas) to restrict any government eminent domain acquisitions. I challenged them what would happen if illegal supporters bought up land along the border and refused to sell, thus leaving wide open paths for illegals. They said the day would never happen that Texas land owners would oppose a border fence.... well.....
Ron is not fond of fences and would rather cut off the flow of immigration by eliminating the welfare and freebies given to illegals. No education, no healthcare, no anchor babies, no work - no reason left to come here if you are just searching for a “better” life. You may still want to come here if you’re up to no good - that’s why we need to have actual troops patroling the border here at home instead of abroad.
Something else 'Ron' opposes..
I can’t IMAGINE why Paul spurs on conversations..... lol
Rather lively ones at times. ;-)
I totally agree with Dr. Paul on this issue.
The *uncertainty* part is something I didn’t think of.
It’s possible that the Feds are deliberately gobbling up more land than necessary to piss landowners off about the fence, since, it seems, there are people who do not want it built.
Trans-Texas Corridor PING!
BTTT
Hmm, I didn't realize that ad hominem attacks, baiting, and name-calling could be classified as "conversation."
I’m glad Ron Paul doesn’t want federal tax money going to a private toll road, but I thought we had already crossed that bridge.
After the Kelo decision came down from the Supreme Court, I seem to recall an outraged public and Congress fairly quickly enacting a law which basically said “no federal money to projects which use eminent domain to grab land for a private company.”
Now I’m wondering if I remember all that correctly, or if that law for some reason wouldn’t apply to this particular land grab for a private company.
ROFLMAO!!!!!
He whines about the TTC all the while he secures a $35 million dollar earmark for it’s construction.
What a loon.
It appears that Shadey Acres has lost one of it’s residents.
“we need to have actual troops patroling the border here at home instead of abroad.”
Posse Comitatus Act.
“The statute generally prohibits federal military personnel and units of the United States National Guard under federal authority from acting in a law enforcement capacity within the United States.”
That’s why we have the BORDER PATROL.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.