A sad day for America: Property rights? What property rights?

In a bizarre, unconscionable and inexcusable decision, the US Supreme Court destroyed property rights with one fell swoop by deciding that cities can use private development as the reason to exercise eminent domain over private property.

As an illustration, what this means is that the Taliban City Government of Vancouver may, at their own discretion, tear down every piece of private property in their government-funded downtown area so they can give it all to their friends… and there’s nothing the private property owner can do about it.

As you might expect, the Court Leftists exercised this peculiar brand of communism, and completely non-responsive governments like the Boss Hogg variety running Vancouver will use it to the hilt.

Locally, that means the recipients of the massive tax breaks handed out like samples in Vancouver now have an additional tool in their bag to screw the people.

The Left should be proud.



washingtonpost.com
Supreme Court Rules Cities May Seize Homes



By HOPE YEN
The Associated Press
Thursday, June 23, 2005; 11:13 AM

WASHINGTON -- A divided Supreme Court ruled Thursday that local governments may seize people's homes and businesses against their will for private development in a decision anxiously awaited in communities where economic growth often is at war with individual property rights.

The 5-4 ruling represented a defeat for some Connecticut residents whose homes are slated for destruction to make room for an office complex. They argued that cities have no right to take their land except for projects with a clear public use, such as roads or schools, or to revitalize blighted areas.

As a result, cities now have wide power to bulldoze residences for projects such as shopping malls and hotel complexes in order to generate tax revenue.

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