Thumbsucker's Guide to the Universe ™: 1313 Mockingbird Lane

Eminent Domain or, Evident Disdain?

For those in caves Eminent Domain refers to the power possessed by the state over all property within the state, specifically its power to appropriate property for a public use. Some may have noticed the increase in the use of eminent domain by the profiterrorists. In recent years some governments appear inclined to exercise eminent domain for the benefit of developers or commercial interests, on the basis that anything that increases the value of a given tract of land is a sufficient public use.

In most cases it goes something like this;

Joe Gotbuck$, (your average profiterrori$t/land developer), decide$ that the beautiful water front property that you and 50 of your clo$e$t neighbor$ re$ide on, (the one with the $pectacular view), i$ ju$t being wa$ted on the like$ of you and your neighbor$.

$uch $plendor can only truly be appreciated by $omeone of more refined ta$te, and $ocial grace, $omeone who could really appreciate the value of thi$ prime location. $o Joey goe$ to the di$trict judge and file$ the appropriate paperwork, ($ome of which may or, may not be green).

Joey $tate$ that the property in que$tion would look ever $o much better if all tho$e hou$e$ were gone and 2 or maybe even 3, million dollar man$ion/condo$ took their place, maybe even a park acro$$ the $treet for the kiddie$, (who will no longer be living there), to u$e. Hell there might be enough land left over for a golf cour$e that everyone, (with a $mall initiation fee, $ay $10000), can join.

   “The Little Judge Who Can” agree$ and rezone$ the area $o that any hou$e/home not having 6 bathroom$, a gue$t hou$e, and a large marble fountain out front, i$ con$idered “blighted”. The$e $tructure$ will ju$t have to go, (in the intere$t of the common good, of cour$e), $o when the realty market reache$ it’$ next low the profiterrori$t $eize$ your property (at “fair market value”). You now have no choice but to $ell, (at “fair market value), you can now peddle your a$$ down the road and buy a hou$e/home on the other $ide of town, (over the river and through the wood$ to the other $ide of the track$). Chance$ are that the$e hou$e$/home$ are already built and Joey Gotbuck$ wa$ having trouble $elling them, (at “fair market value), but you can now purcha$e them at $lightly more than you got for your “Blighted Re$idence”, (they are new after all). Everyone walk$ away knowing that they did what wa$ be$t for the community a$ a whole.
   Hell, you might even get a $tarbuck$ built in your town in honor of the new re$ident$, on the hill, by the lake, where you u$ed to live, you know, acro$$ from the park, next to the golf cour$e.

   If you think this is far fetched, then you truly are living in a cave, this is happening all over the country. If you think it only affects those living in those really nice areas on the lake, or river, or ocean, ( the ones you’ve always envied for having those great vistas).
Wake Up! Pay Attention! Vote!

http://www.emdo.blogspot.com/
http://www.reason.org/eminentdomain/index.shtml
http://eminentdomain.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/12/index.html
http://www.florida-eminent-domain.com/
http://www.planning.org/legislation/eminentdomain/
http://www.srcitizensagainsteminentdomain.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0lQtkWJDzg&eurl
http://www.saysuncle.com/archives/category/eminent_domain/
And then some…

   Eminent Domain has been used throughout history from the days of the Robber Barons to the present. In some cases you could even say it was justified, some social necessity was actually behind the annexation of property. Unfortunately, today, it seems that the only requirement for the use of Eminent Domain is the need for profit by the profiterrorists.
( I just love that word,“profiterrorist”, don’t you?, sort of rolls off the tongue, granted the after taste sucks, but hey, the good with the bad).