dksuddeth

One of the numerous failures of the USSC to uphold the constitution and protect citizens from the tyrannical deprevations of government was the 2005 Kelo vs. New London decision. This epic betrayal of Americans by the branch of government set up to specifically shield them from an overreaching government didn't come overnight though. It started back in the early 1900s when the USSC re-interpreted the meaning of 'public use' in the 5th Amendment to mean 'public benefit', which included adding jobs to an area or increasing the communities tax reciepts. This allowed the several states to use the takings clause to abscond private property and then resell it to private developers who would then be able to increase their own business, start a new business, add jobs to the community, or increase the tax reciepts for the community.

The Kelo case of 2005 was the solidification of wealthy business interests to legally steal private citizens property and homes in order to increase their own profit. In arguments of this case, the 4 liberal justices and swing vote justice kennedy claimed to have done a careful and exhausting analysis of Pfizers economic development plan and declared it to be in alignment with the re-interpreted public benefit portion of the 5th amendment by providing jobs, adding tax reciepts to New London, and supposedly cleaning up a 'blighted' environment.

4 years later, Pfizer is announcing that they are closing down their research and development facility in New London. While Ms. Kelo and her neighbors lost their homes, the city and the state spent some $78 million to bulldoze private property for high-end condos and other "desirable" elements. Instead, the wrecked and condemned neighborhood still stands vacant, without any of the touted tax benefits or job creation.

If there is a lesson from Connecticut's misfortune, it is that economic development that relies on the strong arm of government will never be the kind to create sustainable growth, but I seriously doubt that tax and spend liberals or big business conservatives will care about that, just so long as they still have current law to take peoples property.


Pfizer and Kelo v. City of New London - WSJ.com

__________________
"no amount of force can control a free man, a man whose mind is free. No, not the rack, not fission bombs, not anything. You cannot conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him."

Derwood

I don't think you're going to get a lot of arguments here; most of us were equally upset about this use of "eminent domain" rules

ratbastid

Not all of us plan to foment armed insurrection about it, of course...

But yes. Judiciary Fail.

Plan9

The Supreme Court is just as political as everything else in the United States. They just put it in its own little SnoGlobe. No great surprise. There's all sorts of judicial legislation going on, all sorts of interesting psychic friends network stuff. It's a mess at times, but it's what we've got.

...

Ya know, DK kinda reminds me of the main character in Richard Bachman's Roadwork.

__________________
Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

SecretMethod70

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Le temps détruit tout

"Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling

robot_parade

Yeah, I agree that the trend towards expanding the definition of eminent domain is a terrible choice. Not much else to say.

Willravel

I was reading about this case earlier today. Someone posted a story on reddit. DK, you're totally, 100% right about this. Clark vs. Nash was a horrible mistake.
Dawes used explosives, though. DK has always resisted when I mentioned them.

Plan9

Hello? Dawes totally used a S&W 629 .44 Mag and a Weatherbee in .460. It practically raped his shoulder.

"The muzzle energy on that baby is over eight thousand pounds... like hitting something with an airport limousine."

__________________
Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

Willravel

I don't mean he just used explosives.

dksuddeth

thats because explosives have one huge limitation. It doesn't discriminate between its victims. A poorly placed explosive can do more harm than good by taking out the wrong people.

__________________
"no amount of force can control a free man, a man whose mind is free. No, not the rack, not fission bombs, not anything. You cannot conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him."

Plan9

Must... stop... baiting... too easy... so... easy.

__________________
Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."