The United States Has Fallen...

[Tgace]

Yeah..It does suck. But even the founding fathers apparently knew there would be a point where the government would have to "take" from an individual for the "public good". I agree that that definition is a sticking point. My problem lies with the government paying out a fraction of the property value when they claim "domain". Those homeowners should be getting twice the value of their property for the inconvienence IMO.

 

[Bammx2]

Careful where you say that.. Limiting how we can talk & think is next.

I guess that only leaves actions

 

[Bester]

Right. We can all band together, mad martial arts masters that we are and try our emptyhand on a M1 Abrams. Tell me, how does one do an open hand disarm on a main battle tank?

I would say vote the sobs out, but, the vote is compromised.
We could stage a huge protest, but we would be arrested for "unpatriotic disobedience", and I for one don't speak spanish.
We lost, they won, and to be honest, we earned the loss. We were so happy to keep giving them "a little more". Now, they want a piece of property it's theirs.

I pause now for our Corporate anthem....
"Money Money Money, Everyones got their price."

Kaith, save me a gladius. We may go down, but we can go down fighting. Butch and Sundance baby, Butch and Sundance!

 

[TigerWoman]

Hey, this has already happened in Minnesota. They have just legalized it so less would be able to fight it.

We have friends who built a log cabin type ranch house, rather large. Their dream house. It was on a good size property in the country. Well, along comes a development of new housing. Huge development. Well, they needed a road to get to it, didn't they? So they pulled the eminent domain and cut a road right next to our friends property. But that wasn't enough they needed more space on either side of the road. Our friends were distraught about losing their home and fought it with their neighbors for years. Spent tons of money in court costs. They still got only a percentage of what it was worth in the end.

So, everyone look around your property. Are you near the outskirts of town for a shopping center, or near an airport--they do require more space all the time. Or maybe your town is just growing and needs a bigger road down the middle. This decision is going to cause alot of heartache. TW

 

[MisterMike]

I pause now for our Corporate anthem....
"Money Money Money, Everyones got their price."

And I always thought this would be
The land of milk and honey
Oh but I come to find out that its all hate and money
And there's a canopy of greed holding me down

Blind Melon, Tones of Home

 

[Bammx2]

Right. We can all band together, mad martial arts masters that we are and try our emptyhand on a M1 Abrams. Tell me, how does one do an open hand disarm on a main battle tank?

I would say vote the sobs out, but, the vote is compromised.
We could stage a huge protest, but we would be arrested for "unpatriotic disobedience", and I for one don't speak spanish.
We lost, they won, and to be honest, we earned the loss. We were so happy to keep giving them "a little more". Now, they want a piece of property it's theirs.

I pause now for our Corporate anthem....
"Money Money Money, Everyones got their price."

Kaith, save me a gladius. We may go down, but we can go down fighting. Butch and Sundance baby, Butch and Sundance!

so whats your idea then?
Do nothing?

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Heres mine:
In November, vote for the 3rd partys.
Be in constant contact with those in office telling them to change course.
Armed resistance would be a costly, and difficult action considering the unequal levels of firepower and training. It should be a last resort only.
Organized protest in several cities at the same time will get attention, where a couple of people waving signs in a small town won't.
Oh, and be sure to inform the alternative media. The regular are little more than mouthpieces at times.

 

[ginshun]

I honestly wanted to punch 5/9ths of the Supreme Court when I heard this. What a bunch of BS.

Like someone else mentioned, they might get my land, but they better expect to get a few bullets along with it.

 

[Kane]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/06/23/scotus.property.ap/index.html

This officially makes my mind up.

I no longer live in the United States of America.

I live in the American Corporate States.

Oh no they didn't.

I agree with Technopunk, such a law would make me believe the US and everything it stands for is falling. No way can they take my property, and if those government ***** try to I will turn redneck, buy a shotgun, and defend my turf till the end. The government has no right to do this.

I really hope our country won't turn communist. I really hope it doesn't happen.

 

[Cryozombie]

Oh no they didn't.

I agree with Technopunk, such a law would make me believe the US and everything it stands for is falling. No way can they take my property, and if those government ***** try to I will turn redneck, buy a shotgun, and defend my turf till the end. The government has no right to do this.

I really hope our country won't turn communist. I really hope it doesn't happen.

It wont turn communist, the corporations are paying to much to control it to lose that controll thru communism.

 

[Kane]

It wont turn communist, the corporations are paying to much to control it to lose that controll thru communism.

Yea that maybe true but with the government having the right to seize our land, that makes it more communist.

 

[arnisador]

They've always had that right. This just broadens the list of allowable reasons for doing it.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Yes. Now rather than because they need to build a road, they can take it to build a McDonalds or Walmart.

 

[Marginal]

In CO, Gov Owens recently vetoed a bill that would've prevented private companies building private roll roads from being able to condem land as they saw fit along the path of the proposed road.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Eminent domain: A big-box bonanza?
Court's ruling OKed land grab for business like Target, Home Depot, CostCo, Bed Bath & Beyond
June 24, 2005: 3:20 PM EDT
By Parija Bhatnagar, CNN/Money staff writer

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - The Supreme Court may have just delivered an early Christmas gift to the nation's biggest retailers by its ruling Thursday allowing governments to take private land for business development.

Retailers such as Target (Research), Home Depot (Research) and Bed, Bath & Beyond (Research) have thus far managed to keep the "eminent domain" issue under the radar -- and sidestep a prickly public relations problem -- even as these companies continue to expand their footprint into more urban residential areas where prime retail space isn't always easily found.
(Full Story: http://money.cnn.com/2005/06/23/news/fortune500/retail_eminentdomain/index.htm?cnn=yes

 

[arnisador]

Yes. Now rather than because they need to build a road, they can take it to build a McDonalds or Walmart.

Or a strip club, hopefully.

I see the benefits of economic development to a community. But, I don't see this as taking something for public use--it's taking it for private use. That bothers me.

 

[Cryozombie]

If you take the homes of the people who live there... pay them less than they owe on the homes, you create a Homeless person...

Is a homeless person really gonna buy goods from Home Depo or Bed Bath and Beyond? I doubt that.

 

[Ping898]

I have a problem with the fact that they seem to always undervalue how much the homes they are taking are worth and doesn't in anyway take into account intangibles, like that you may live in walking distance of your mother who you help out daily and there is no housing anywhere near her that would allow you to do the same thing.

 

[Phoenix44]

This country elected a government that consistently sides with big business to the detriment of the average citizen. You can express your opinion in November. This is exactly the type of issue voters should think about.

 

[Don Roley]

I think you guys are concentrating too much on the corporations and not on the goverments.

I doubt there will be any overt moves by big corporations to seize houses. Instead, you should worry about the local goverments taking property away from people in order to try to lure corporations and their tax dollars to them. Lets look at a passage from the original article.

Susette Kelo and several other homeowners in a working-class neighborhood in New London, Connecticut, filed suit after city officials announced plans to raze their homes for a riverfront hotel, health club and offices.

Ok, it looks like that is more than one business. The city is looking at more tax dollars than the existing properties can give them. More money for them to spend, more money in the budget for salaries..... The corporations are going to go where they can make the most money for the least cost, and goverments are right now competing for them. They don't have to bribe anyone. The goverments are doing all they can to make things attractive for them.

If I was in business, I would right now be getting some contacts and influence over local officials. I would not do it to seize property. As I have shown too many goverments would be competing for my business to worry about not finding a place to build my plant. But since goverments can determine that a future possible income is a excuse to take property, I would have to worry about them going after my business. All it would take is a few council members to draw up plans for a vacation resort that would (in theory) bring in more tax dollars and they could send in the wrecking crew. So a few politicians in my pocket is just a form of self defense. Don't bet that we will not see a few goverments put pressure on locals for contributions with plans like this.

Nor should we not expect a few vandettas to go on by local goverments. Unpopular businesses like strip clubs, tobacco stores, and even fur coat makers could have vacation resorts built on their land in the near future. You want to prove that the pols decided to build where they did based on a hatred of the current owners? Take a look at what is happening in Zimbabwe right now. You back certain political rivals and your place is taken down for "The Greater Good."

Give me a corporation that is motivated by greed but with no political power over a bunch of proffesional politicians crying about the greater good any day.