This eminent domain thing might just be getting silly.
Jersey City, New Jersey wants to force a tavern to sell its property to help a Catholic school expand its athletic fields. Yes, you read that right. Please go read the article.
Tune in next week when someone wants to raze an abortion clinic to put in a "Straight Camp".
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
This is what we were afraid of
Posted by Bell Curve at 2:46 PM
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6 comments:
James Madison is spinning in his grave! This kind of thing is exactly what property rights are supposed to protect us from. I think it is very telling that both these stories involve church groups. They are probably counting on more political support because of their religious identity. The football field in place of the tavern has the added "Who's going to think of the children!?" aspect.
I'm interested to see that right wing groups and big business seem to be the main beneficiary of these siezures of private property.
// posted by Raised By Republicans
Congress has the power to act. I am surprised it has not yet begun to do so, given the outcry.
// posted by LTG
Part of their sluggishness could be the huricane stuff. But a big part of it is that you have misplaced faith in the current form of the Republican party. They no longer are the defenders of individual property and liberty that they used to be. They are now much more like European Christian Democratic party than an American conservative or libertarian party.
// posted by Raised By Republicans
Senate hearings are already underway (read the NY Times article.) The Senate Judiciary Committee, now finished with Roberts, began hearings on Tuesday. They listened to residents of New London, CT. Both Republicans and Democrats seemed sympathetic.
The NAACP also expressed its "deep disappointment" in the Supreme Court ruling. Said Hilary Shelton, dir. Washington bureau of NAACP, "The history of eminent domain is ripe [sic] with abuses specifically targeting racial and ethnic minority and poor neighborhoods."
Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) is sponsoring a bill with Cornyn (R-TX) to deny fed funding to any project involving eminent domain for private use.
// posted by LTG
GOOD! That's a start!
// posted by Raised By Republicans
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