Senator John Cornyn addressed private property rights on the floor of the Senate today:
The main reason I wanted to come to the floor today was to talk about the important issue of private property rights. Today marks the one-year anniversary of one of the most controversial decisions ever handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court, and that is the case of Kelo v. the City of New London. In that decision, the Court held by a 5-to-4 vote that the government may seize private property, whether it be a home or small business or other private property, for the purpose—not of public good but, rather, to transfer that same property to another private owner simply because the transfer would create an increased economic benefit to that community.What made this such a profoundly alarming decision was that it represented a radical departure both from what the Constitution says—that the power of government to condemn private property should be used only for public use—and it represented a radical departure from the decisions handed down interpreting that constitutional provision over the last 200 years.
Old School BoW readers may remember me being pretty unhappy about Kelo:
Have a home on nice corner lot? Better hope that a fast food chain doesn’t take an interest in it. Live near an airport? Holiday Inn would love to build a high-rise hotel where your home now stands. Maybe a larger competitor can convince (bribes are convincing aren’t they?) city officials that replacing your family-owned small business with a mega-mall would generate more tax revenue. Corrupt, cheaply bought, local officials now hold your family’s future in their hands.
Big developments now in this issue – President Bush just issued an executive order:
President George W. Bush issued an executive order on Friday to limit the U.S. government from taking private property only for the benefit of other private interests, like corporations.The order came exactly a year after a divided Supreme Court ruled a city could take a person’s home or business for a development project to revitalize a depressed local economy, a practice known as eminent domain.
“The federal government is going to limit its own use of eminent domain so that it won’t be used for purely economic development purposes,” White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.
You can read the order here. It looks like the balance has tipped back in the individual’s favor.
Developing…
Others Blogging:
BizzyBlog (blogging the subject throught the day)
Pamibe
GOPBloggers
3 Responses
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June 24th, 2006 at 12:32 am
Senator Cornyn Address The Senate on Eminent Domain
John Cornyn (R-NV) spoke today in the Senate about the one-year anniversary of Kelo. (Hat tip: Blogs of War) Excerpt: Suffice it to say that the Kelo decision was a disappointment. What I find particularly troubling is that the Kelo
June 24th, 2006 at 3:38 am
Bush Stomps Kelo
Many on the right are saying this is too little too late. Not a word about the failure of our Senate to act on this legislation the House already passed close to 8 months ago.
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June 24th, 2006 at 7:19 pm
Bush order would limit property seizures
President Bush ordered Friday that federal agencies cannot seize private property except for public