Posted on 11/05/2015 10:09:15 AM PST by Freemeorkillme
Donald Trump’s high standing in the polls is attributable entirely to the fact that he’s not a Washington insider, not part of the racket, and despite his wealth really might actually give a damn about the Little Guy. So why is he saying things like this?
Donald Trump on Wednesday defended government property seizures as a “necessary thing,†even when it means involuntarily taking property from a private owner to transfer it to another business. Trump was speaking to reporters outside the capital statehouse moments before formally filing his candidacy for the February primary, and the Washington Examiner pressed him on his record of using eminent domain laws to expand his casino empire.
“Property rights are a big issue in New Hampshire,†the Examiner noted. “In Atlantic City you used eminent domain laws aggressively to expand your casino.â€
Trump interjected by calling this a “stupid question†before launching into a defense of eminent domain. â€I am all for private property rights,†Trump said. “There’s nobody who wants property taken away less than I do, believe me. I would lose a lot of money if my property were taken away. But when you’re building a road, when you’re building a highway, when you’re building whatever it is you’re building from a municipal standpoint, you may need a corner of a piece of property.†As he said this, he pinched his fingers together to demonstrate the smallness of the property.
The abstract reasoning may be sound — although in the Supreme Court’s disgraceful Kelo decision it certainly was not — but the optics are terrible. It smacks of Romneyism, a cluelessness about how ordinary people live their lives.
Very rational and logical and practical attitude. Congrats.
Sounds to me like Trump was defending the traditional definition of Eminent Domain and not the dodgy, crony-capitalist one embraced by SCOTUS in Kelo.
I agree, Emminant Domain should be used with great discretion. On the other hand, abortion or gay marriage—never.
Are you really holding something like that against Trump??
He never bought the property, he was out of Atlantic city when it finally sold at an auction.
If they did not intend for the government to be able to take the land from the private property owner in dispute, the last three words of the 5th Amendment would not exist.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/fifth_amendment
I agree it has been abused with claims more tax revenue are public use. Some states have tried to prevent that abuse, such as:
http://www.texaspolicy.com/library/doclib/2005-11-08-pp-kelo.pdf
My point is that his explanation makes sense. Now if he’s lying then that’s one thing. Your hypothetical is just that.
On first glance the KELO decision made us all wince, but Trump’s explanation makes sense.
Go back to the drawing board and see if you can come up with something better to sink Trump’s boat.
I know you mean well, and I can understand where you are coming from but think of it this way. The hold out property owners generally get a fairly decent payout.
Yes, the business enterprise generally is expected to make a profit, but that’s a decent goal. Beyond that, employees, suppliers, other businesses, the town, region, state, and federal government benefits.
Other businesses will come into the vicinity to tap into the large body of workers and users of the business involved. This means still more jobs and impacts on the entities mentioned above. It can also mean a broad influx of money into a town. Local malls, theaters, restaurants can be affected reasonably removed from a hotel (for instance).
Members of the public have a business entity to use. This betters their life.
This doesn’t boil down to one guy being greedy at another person’s expense, although that is a factor. There are a lot of factors in there.
Vera Coking turned down $1,000,000 in the 70s and finally sold it at auction for $580,000 in 2014.
Not what I would call smart.
Someone pointed out the VP is the Head of the Senate. Cruz would be awesome in that position because he wouldn’t be the traditional do nothing figurehead.
Hope you are aware that Donald Trump’s companies have sought 1,000 H-1B forgien workers.
His club in Florida applied for 70 H-1B visas for forgien workers.
Hope your aware of that.
If the company who builds the Keystone Pipeline compensates as some form of land rent for those farmers where most of the Keystone Pipeline will be built , that will be no problem.
Well....yeah....good intentions can sometimes build a road to hell.
The problem as I see it, is that it badly needs clarification because the abuses will continue to snowball.
That clarification will never come without amendment, so eminent domain needs to be front and center for a State Convention. (among numerous other issues)
I have a number of issues concerning Trump’s naiveté. Which is why I have not supported him. I don’t think he has the depth of understanding required to reverse what Obama has done to the Constitution, and I fear that he will likely take advantage of the precedents set, and use it to his advantage in the same extra-constitutional way.
He reminds me a lot of Teddy Roosevelt.
Teddy’s historical claim to fame is that he led the republican party into a progressive era.
IMO, I think it’s critically important that we go in the exact opposite direction.
Thanks. In principle, I don’t disagree with a single thing you said (typed). I just object to the political influence factor in that a politician at any level chooses which business is going to provide the greatest public good and profit (I definitely don’t object to profit) from the application of eminent domain. The government’s record in such matters ain’t all that good...
Cheers!
Will be tough to build the wall without it. Or even the keystone pipeline.
You'll note that in his response, he brings up building roads and such, but that is not what Kelo concerned. It was an example of a facist government stealing property from one person and giving it to another, and justifying it by the claims that it would increase tax revenue. That is just plain wrong and was a dark day in the history of this country.
Hypothetics seem to sometimes come into being, and not for the good.
This only comes into play when there is a tie vote or one more vote is needed for cloture. Ted Cruz would be no more valuable in this position then any republican who takes orders from the president.
They don’t care what Trump believes. They choose to believe that he believes what they believe although what he says contradicts that belief. They have chosen their man and he will be King! Much like the dimwits did in 2007. History is repeating itself.
Yes. See tagline by Ludwig Von Mises.
Wow I did not even mention Trumps name!!!!!
You Trumpetteers are real defensive aren’t yawl.
“Will Kelo decision finally sink Donald Trump?”
Uhh,... No.
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.