The right to free speech is also enshrined in the Constitution. Too bad you chose to ignore the Constitution when you and Russ Feingold passed the McCain-Feingold "bipartisan" campaign finance "reform" legislation.
Posted on 11/01/2009 10:50:06 PM PST by rabscuttle385
Years ago, Mark Twain said, "Buy land, they're not making it anymore." It's a wise admonition, unless you live in one of the many states that disregard private-property rights.
In Connecticut, if a landowner won't sell you his land, then the government is happy to seize it in order to generate new taxable income for the government. Shockingly, four years ago this month the Supreme Court held that cities could take land from a private owner and transfer it to another private owner for economic development. Nine homeowners were forced out of their well-maintained homes in New London, Conn., because the city believed that the property could be developed to create aesthetic pleasure and more jobs for its citizens — and higher tax revenues for the city.
Arizonans living in the wide-open West cherish their homesteads as much as any American, if not more. And Arizonans cherish their private-property rights, including the right set forth in the Fifth Amendment that their private property shall not be "taken for public use, without just compensation." For these reasons, 62 percent of Arizonans, including myself, strongly supported a ballot initiative in 2006, known as Proposition 207, which stated that "eminent domain may be exercised only . . . for a public use" and with "just compensation."
However, while residents in Arizona and 42 other states have moved to protect private-property rights, numerous states still leave residents' private-property rights at risk. The right to own private property is enshrined in our Constitution. John Adams wrote, "Property is surely a right of mankind as real as liberty." It would be shocking for our Founding Fathers to learn that today a government can seize a private, well-kept home for economic development under the guise of "valid public use." In New London, officials determined that it was a public benefit to take private property to build residential, hotel, conference, research and development space. And what has been built on this 90-acre property four years after the Supreme Court allowed the city to seize it? A 16-acre, $25 million state park with the remaining 74 acres sitting empty.
Four years later, the economic and public benefits have not been seen. But the property owners have still suffered a great loss. The protection of property rights lies at the heart of our constitutional system. Homeowners' rights have now become vastly unstable. The threat is shared by millions of small-business owners.
Property represents the fruit of one's labor. Our economy is fueled by the dreams of innovators and entrepreneurs. Private-property rights are necessary to secure the incentives that have made America the greatest exporter, importer, producer, saver, investor, manufacturer and innovator on the globe. Protection of those rights means that the individual reaps the rewards of his or her own hard work, not the government or those who control the government. I hope the Supreme Court revisits its decision in the near term because it is irresponsible for the court to abandon long-held limitations on government power. Most Arizonans, and most Americans, want the government to stay out of their lives and off of their property. Due to the court's decision, private property in much of the country is now vulnerable to being taken and transferred to another private owner, as long as the government sees it as beneficial to the public and its tax coffers.
I hope all Arizonans will stand with me in supporting the private-property rights of all Americans.
The right to free speech is also enshrined in the Constitution. Too bad you chose to ignore the Constitution when you and Russ Feingold passed the McCain-Feingold "bipartisan" campaign finance "reform" legislation.
Wtf is this...McCain talking about honoring the Constitution and property rights and bashing Kelo v. New London. Am I living in bizarro world, or does McCain just want to get re-elected?
Ah, he is just kidding - trying to get on the inside track to a job with the Obama administration. He is a clown and does NOT deserve any more adoration - please. He was a great hero but that is long past. Today he is a lousy politician that has lost any bearings that he ever had!
“Am I living in bizarro world, or does McCain just want to get re-elected?”
I have no information to comment on the world you live in.
McCain DOES of course want to get re-elected, as do many others.
And he is correct in his position on this matter, and is due credit.
He was ALSO among the few raising alarms about the impending financial crisis from bad lending, a few short years ago. S. 190 (I cannot find any perfect conservatives among the co-sponsors; McCain, Hagel, Dole, Sununu and as I recall Chris Shays was on this in the House).
http://uppitywoman08.wordpress.com/2008/09/21/john-mccains-fannie-maefreddie-mac-warnings-may-2006/
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s109-190
Wow!... you do seem like a McCain enthusiast. If that is the case, your are a bit out of line! We do not need anyone who pushes any candidate for personal reasons. Either he wins on the merits or falls due to his deficiencies.
In McCain’s case, he made his pitch earlier and failed. He has been perceived as a RINO (or worse) and has no connection to Conservatives. Not sure why you want to continue to promote him here...
I’ve been giving money to Chris Simcox who is running against McLame.
Don’t know about Simcox but he can’t be any worse than McCain. So for that, I am pulling for you. Hope that you and your fellow Arizonians change Senators.
Why did McCain back-stab property rights by refusing to support unambiguously conservative judicial appointments?
Is there anything moving forward with JD announcing? When I heard that he was making noises about running, I e-mailed him directly to promise my support.
Doesn't really change my opinion of McCain, he's a damn liberal.
Even a broken clock is correct twice a day.
i have to say, this particular issue is a strong one with me. Everything we are in America revolves around our rights to private property. We have so many instances of that right being abused in so many twisted ways, this is one of a thousand...
McCain gets credit for this, but when your down 40 points in that 4th quarter with 10 seconds left, what does this score really matter in the larger scope of McCain? He's a loser.
"Buy land, they're not making it anymore."
Sudden, temporary respect for the Constitution....from the father of McCain-Feingold. That’s about all this is.
LOL!!
Amen, rabscuttle, Amen.
The Feingold leaker's from my neck of the woods, WI.
A bigger skunk would be damned hard to find; yet, McLame found 'em a great partner to work with. LOL
Stephen?
Capt Queeg's your problem down there in AZ, do with 'em as you see fit so long as he disappears from the national scene. I'll do what I can with Feingold "The Skunk". LOL
“Does “gang of fourteen” ring a bell? “
Yes, it was probably better than the alternative of getting fewer of Bush’s nominees confirmed.
As opposed to using media attention (which McCain gets) to call attention to the blatant stonewalling for eight years?
No.
If he loved private property so much, he would work to abolish tax on private property. Think of how people would feel...especially the rich...if they taxed personal possessions like cars, boats, planes, clothing, stocks, bonds, silver, gold etc by what it is the current market value.
If he loved private property so much, he would work to abolish tax on private property. Think of how people would feel...especially the rich...if they taxed personal possessions like cars, boats, planes, clothing, stocks, bonds, silver, gold etc by what it is the current market value....and did so every year.
“Wow!... you do seem like a McCain enthusiast.”
By stating areas he should be given credit for?
I pointed out Senate Bill 190, supported by him and co-sponsored by other Senators by name, regarding the banking, financial crisis.
Did you or anybody address this ISSUE?
No you didn’t. You all just shouted into this echo chamber, which is obsessed with anti-McCain.
And I raised the question: Where were the “true” conservatives, in raising concern about bad loans and the financial industry?
When Ron Paul says or does something I agree with, I can say good job to the man. Likewise McCain.
That doesn’t make me a Paul or McCain “enthusiast” to use your phrase, among serious mature political observers.
“As opposed to using media attention (which McCain gets) to call attention to the blatant stonewalling for eight years?
No.”
You want drama without results? Or results?
Any comments on the other area? The absence of “true” conservatives raising alarms about bad loans, financial/banking crisis—and not co-sponsoring Senate 190 a few years back?
Almost the entire energy of FR has become anti-McCainism.
It is time to step up to a higher level political game, than just being an echo chamber against McCain and a few other notables.
Arizona voters will decide his fate. Better to redeploy all the energy towards more fruitful ends.
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