libertarianparty

Mon, 30 Oct 2006 23:52:07 GMT

clipped by: canarymburns

Confiscating Land for Private Use

If city officials where you live think you don't pay enough property taxes, they can now take your home and give it to an individual or corporation who promises to pay more taxes.

Looking back at the week of June 19-25, there can be little doubt that the Outrage of the Week was the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that it's perfectly appropriate for private property to be ripped from the property owner and given to other private entities including corporations.

Here's an excerpt from our recent press release on the matter:

Government agencies including city and county governments have long been allowed to condemn private property so that public buildings, roads and other infrastructure can be built. Called "eminent domain," this practice is constitutional as long as the power is exercised strictly in accordance with the Fifth Amendment's "takings clause."

The court ruled that government agencies no longer need to declare property as blighted in order to condemn it, and that property condemnation via eminent domain is now allowed even without the "It's for public use" disclaimer.

A state or local government can now seize a home or neighborhood, raze it, and allow a privately owned business to build a mall or office building or even a parking lot there -- as long as the bureaucrats in charge can claim the new project will yield higher property taxes than the land's original use did.

Calling this the Outrage of the Week may not be enough. This is now in strong contention for recognition as the Outrage of the Year.