In yet another blatant and shameless giveaway to the rich and powerful, the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision written by Justice John Paul Stevens, gave local governments the right to condemn someone's home or business to make room for more lucrative use of the land.
'Eminent Domain' has long been used to build public roads, schools, railways, and utilities. But now it has been expanded to the private sector! Which means that if a developer can prove that your home would be better used as a site for a business that would increase the tax base 'for the community' (ha!), then - voila! There goes your house. Poof!
This means that no one really owns their own home anymore. And, worse still, this is decided by projection! If a chain comes in and says, "We expect to make x amount of dollars because our other stores did blah-blah, woof-woof, etc., etc." then they're in business. But suppose the store doesn't do so well? Too damn bad - your house is just as gone.
This is the most grotesque thing I' ve heard in, oh - a day or so...and it was decided by a majority of one. One person. One person got to decide that rich and powerful corporations are entitled to what you've worked all your life for. Just because they want it.
By the way, this is not even a liberal issue. Read this from the Conservative Voice...
This comes right on the heels of the decision to let United off the hook for their pension plans in their bankruptcy action, dumping it onto us, the taxpayers, and voting to allow this to become a precedent so that other big screw-up corporations can do the same. But the Bankruptcy Bill ensures that the individual who files for bankruptcy has no such luxury. No siree. Why, that would be 'irresponsible'. Off to Debtor's Prison with you!
I'm just waiting for Bush to declare himself King and take away all our private property and be done with it. Why these little baby steps?
Everybody's just laying the fuck down for it anyway.
Where is the fucking outrage?
Where is the motherfucking outrage?
4 comments:
Baby steps to get the people used to it. Then, Whammo!
This is a disgusting ruling. So, people can lose their homes because some company/developer decides it needs that land to make more stores or malls or whatever. They can prove that they will create jobs...and the homeowner is the loser. ugh!
Of course, they rationalize it by saying the business will crate new tax dollars and jobs for the community. This is of course Bushit! Our rights are slowly eroding. Wait until Dubya gets another couple of HIS goons on the bench. we can kiss all of our civil rights bye-bye!
"I pledge allegance to the flag (as long as you don't try to burn it)
of the Used to be United States of Busherica.
And to the Georgublic for which it stands,
Every Nation, Under God
Indisputable
With Liberty and Justice for all who sign the loyalty oath, all others must march their sorry asses into the concentration camps 'til we figure out a good cheap way to dispose of you now that we've used up all the fossil fuels."
Sorry. I have to rant to keep from crying.
I'm with you, bro - rant on! Maybe someone, somehow will hear if enough of us do it.
shoot - what are bones but pre-fossils anyway? oh yeah - former embryos...
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