It’s a little too late to care much about these now, but on the Institute for Justice web site, I found a page linking to amicus briefs filed by various organizations in the Kelo v. New London case. An amicus brief is a non-binding, “friend of the court” memo written by an organization expressing its views on a case. One such brief was written by the NAACP (PDF).
It seems the dinosaur might actually agree with Justice Clarence Thomas’s opinion on eminent domain. Break out the smelling salts!
Also see Chris Muir and Scrappleface.
Check out Eminent Domain Watch, which has been around for quite awhile.
Will Justice David Souter be a victim of economic development?
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This is a link to an interview with the attorney who won the case:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8346024/
Makes me want to smack him!
While Kelo directly affects 7 who sued to stop New London, Poletown remains the big daddy of land grabs. Funny enough, it was Coleman Young, with the blessing of NAACP who ramrodded this thru — must have been due to the predominately ‘white’ immigrant population of Hamtramck — incidentally, the same township that fought to allow mosques to blare their prayer calls 5 times a day with loudspeakers from one end to the other end of town.
Coleman’s dead and gone (finally) and Detroit is still dying, now down to less than 900,000 residents. Some would say that Poletown helped accelerate the decline. Can you blame anyone for wanting to own a home when the city can just up and take your land at your loss? Not I.
Google “Poletown” and you’ll find 100s of links fom the get-go about this landmark swindle.
However, it’s anyone’s guess how long that plant will survive given the GM cutbacks, plant closings. Since this plant has been go-live for less than 2 decades, you know, politically speaking, GM will try to keep this one going as long as they can. Otherwise, they will risk the utter wrath of a people bamboozled by illusions of economic security for decades to come.
Ray, you’ll like the direct photo link to 2nd Amendment here,
“In 1981, General Motors and the cities of Detroit and Hamtramck collaborated in a grand plan to bring industry back to what was perceived as a dying city, to add to the two cities’ tax coffers and to keep the automotive business centered in Detroit.
In the process, the city lost a neighborhood, the Catholic Archdiocese lost the faith of some of their flock and 4,200 people lost their homes.
At the tail end of the once promising urban renewal movement of the 1960’s, Detroit had not seen much improvement. Neighborhoods had been razed for expressways, or for ‘new development’ which never materialized. Stores and shops were closing down at a rapid pace, churches were losing their congregations to the suburbs, and industry was turning elsewhere, moving out to the far suburbs where space was not at a premium and crime and crumbling infrastructure were not issues.
And then General Motors and Detroit Mayor Coleman Young hatched a plan: If the city would get the land, the auto company would build a state-of-the-art plant, crossing the border with Hamtramck, employing 6,000 people and providing a glittering example of what the auto companies and their suppliers could do in the city of their birth.”
Read the rest at:
http://info.detnews.com/history/story/index.cfm?id=18&category=business
Lawyers love cases like this because thar’s gold up in dem blighted hills:
http://www.ackerman-ackerman.com/case2.html
We’re on the Road to Serfdom:
http://www.lawrecord.com/oldsite-pre20050412/articles/vol27/PublicUse.htm
What goes around comes around.
“Be careful what you ask for – you might “get it”". The NAACP has “gotten it”.
The NAACP, the lap dog of the Democratic party – the slaves of White Leftists – have marched in lock-step with these White Leftists at supporting activist judges who rule on affirmative action, preferential hiring and college admissions, welfare, lack of school choice, etc..
Not “the man” has come around to take their money away – with the support of White Leftist Supremes.
The property most desired by corporations run by “Rich White Guys” is that in crowded urban areas – many don’t want to commute, so urban renewal is a way out. Many of these properties have been bought by Black people, who have waited generations for the opportunity to become property owners.
“The Man” has come around – to confiscate your property.
Tif, that was a good link and like you, I wanna smack him one.
The crux of Tucker’s interview and like my post above is that redeveloping a blighted area is all and good in theory BUT comes with no guarantee whatsoever that the initiative will be a success. As such, in principle this is a bad policy. Free market dictates that economic growth CANNOT be dictated.
Politicians may not like to hear it, but sometimes a city is doomed to decline and even die, and political intervention at the expense of the common man adds insult to injury.
Pajamazon, you need to reread my comment in the other post re SUVs. That was sarcasm of the facts in the Kelo case taking away humble homes with a view to be replaced by fancy-schmancy condos for the elites, in effect pushing out the lower ‘class’ — which will now be repeated again and again until we put a stop to the nonsense.
Mr. Zavisca spewed:
“The NAACP, the lap dog of the Democratic party – the slaves of White Leftists…”
Gee, Frank, when SOME liberals ignorantly make remarks about black conservatives being “Uncle Toms,” or “slaves to their GOP masters”, you are one of the first to whine about it. And rightly so… But then you spew this nonsense…
There is a word for that… hmmm… begins with an “h” and ends in “ypocrite.”
LaShawn,
The vast majority of the liberals I know also hated this decision… cities are NEVER going to confiscate land from the rich and give it to the poor… land transfer will always be from the poor to those with immense resources to lobby elected officials. Walmart LOVES this decision.
Interesting article Andy
Jab,
Read Clarence Thomas’s dissent. Toward the end he makes the exact same point. Large pockets will be able to displace the poor and weak.
We are a nation of laws, unfortunately the laws aren’t being interpreted as restricting big government anymore but enabling it. Liberals got their wish and they don’t like it.
In think the solution is to remove the “requirement” that judges sitting on the Supreme Court have already served as attorneys or judges. I think judges should simply be people who believe and publicly profess a belief in One God (not Allah), of sound mind, capable of common sense, can read and have a principled MORAL base. Any qualified ordinary citizen could suffice.
They must take a new Oath that requires them to NEVER cite international law or the law of other nations and they must be prohibited under threat of a special prosecutory process or the Sedition Act or other statutes which govern traitors, from EVER making judgements which in effect create new law.
Past membership in any left-wing, anti-American club or organization (e.g. Ruth Bader-Ginsburg of N.O.W.) is an automatic disqualifier.
I’ve just made a post on my site about Free Star Media’s CEO filing a request to take Souter’s property in NH and use it for a hotel. You can read the press release here.
It will most likely be rejected but at least someone is doing something pro-active about this ridiculous liberal ruling.
OK, HTML didn’t work, so here’s the info on the press release. http://ohhowilovejesus.com/index.php/2005/06/28/now-lets-see-what-souter-thinks-of-eminent-domain/
Holy COW! This thing made drudgereport:
http://www.freestarmedia.com/hotellostliberty2.html
This cracks me up. What’ll come of this? Who knows.
Jab: ““The NAACP, the lap dog of the Democratic party – the slaves of White Leftists… ”
You’re right. Frank should have said ““The NAACP, the FORMER lap dog of the Democratic party – the CURRENT UNCLE TOMS of White RADICAL Leftists, ie moonbats, Soros, etc…†To wit the abuse heaped on GOP by Julian Bond.
Bad, Frankie, Bad!!! Are we straight now?
Regarding Free Star Media’s CEO filing a request to take Souter’s property in NH and use it to build “The Lost Liberty Hotel”, the “Just Desserts Café” and a museum, open to the public, featuring a permanent exhibit on the loss of freedom in America.
I found a link to the town and here’s an excerpt from their History page.
The Olden Times
Our early settlers, as has been told, resided in log cabins. They procured their food by tilling the land, hunting and fishing. They were crude farmers. At first they could not plow their fields, by reason of the stumps and logs. They dug the soil and hoed in their seed with a clumsy hoe, made by the common blacksmith. It required hurculean strength to wield it. They had no carts, and the manure, shoveled with coarse wooden shovels, was borne to the field in rough shods, or lugged in baskets on their shoulders. The women and girls often worked in the fields. They could drive oxen, hold plow, shovel, plant potatoes and corn, hoe, mow, reap and bind, harvest, take care of the barn and split wood at the door as well as the men.
But often farm products were scanty. Game from the woods and fish from the ponds, streams and Amoskeag falls were then a great help. At first, their facilities for cooking were very crude, it having to be done by the fire in the great, stone fire-place.
Clinton Grove Academy was the first Quaker seminary in New Hampshire. Moses Cartland, who was headmaster for fourteen years, founded the school in 1834. Moses Cartland named the village in which the Academy stands, “Clinton Grove” in honor of DeWitt Clinton, chief sponsor of the Erie Canal.
The original Academy served as a private high school. The complex included a classroom building, boarding house, barn and sheds. Students came from as far away as Ontario, Nova Scotia, Minnesota and Texas. The Academy closed in 1847 and reopened in 1851 with a celebration by the alumni.
In 1872, the Academy complex burned and classes were continued in the Quaker meetinghouse across the common until 1874, when the current building was completed. From 1877 to 1938, the Academy building served as a Weare district school.
In 1933, the Academy’s auditorium was used for regular church services and Sunday school. Electricity was installed that year and the auditorium papered. The building was also used as a meeting place for Girl Scouts and a women’s organization.
In 1934, during the occasion of the one-hundredth anniversary celebration of the Academy’s founding, a bronze plaque was set in the boulder in the schoolyard with an inscription written by John Greenleaf Whittier about his cousin, Moses Cartland.
============================================
1834 – 1934
Clinton Grove, North Weare, N.H.
N.H.’s first quaker seminary
was located on this site.
Moses A. Cartland was the first teacher.
“The task was thine, to mold and fashion
Life’s plastic newness into grace,
to make the boyish heart heroic,
and light with thought the maiden’s face.”
J.G. Whittier
============================================
http://www.weare.nh.gov/history.htm
How cute and quaint and I’m sure this new development effort should energize that sleepy little town, not to mention their current civic effort to keep the Annuals of Weare going.
I also checked the Land Use Office Department website, Naomi Bolton is open for business Mon., Tues., Thurs. 8:00am-4:30pm.
Oops, forgot the </em> tag just before the link.
Blacks have been complaining about E.D. land grabbing under the guise of “urban renewal” for years.
I personally came to know about the law around ‘75 when a friend of the family’s home was condemned and the friend was giving “pennies” to find his family a new home.
The city of Baltimore tore down a lot of homes to build I-395, which became known as the shortest interstate in the U.S. It was a strip of “interstate” that was around 0.7 miles long.
Darkstar wrote, “The city of Baltimore tore down a lot of homes to build I-395″
Yes, this was for “public use”. Not a take and give to another private entity.
Yes, this was for “public useâ€. Not a take and give to another private entity.
They used the guise of “urban renewal” to do it.
They destroyed stable neighborhoods for 0.7 miles to nowhere. They destroyed home values around the area because no one wanted to risk buying homes to only have E.D. used again to take over property. The Blacks who lived in that neighborhood complained but was shot down.
Now, years later, people are upset because they see it can now happen to them. But when it happend to others, nothing.
“We” told you so. And I’m not gloating at all. I find it a durn shame.
Well. Thanks for telling us.
I hope you are finding a friend in us as opposed to thinking that we need to be argued with.
Ya’ll overlook when I agree.
Baklava said:
“I hope you are finding a friend in us as opposed to thinking that we need to be argued with.”
Very nice sentiment. Maybe your friends Andy and Frank (see their zany comments above) can help out with that…
As I said before, the vast majority of liberals I know oppose this decision because it will be used by cities to further “re-gentrify” at the expense of the urban poor and middle class… they are the ones who will be the most vulnerable… it’s not as if cities are going to take land from the wealthy…
This is one of those rare times when liberals and conservatives can agree and might be able to work together… if only the partisan rhetoric could be toned down.
raymond-
I think judges should simply be people who believe and publicly profess a belief in One God…
So, your solution to this violation of the Constitution is to propose a different violation of that same document?
When I heard about the proposal to seize Souter’s property under eminent domain on Rush today, I thought I’d wreck my car from laughing.
But then I realized: the Court has just given another tool for the government / rich to harass their enemies. Is it a tremendous stretch to see that an unscrupulous government might hatch a ‘public good’ scheme to take the property of people who annoy or oppose them?
For example, I wonder how much more tax revenue the NAACP headquarters property could generate if it were turned into a hotel? What if we turned the DNC property into low-cost housing?
See what I mean?
Jab, so which one of my comments was zany #2, #13 or #14?
Cause I’m not seeing where I’m in favor of this decision to further re-gentrify at the expense of urban poor and middle class.
Oh, you mean the NAACP. Since when is the truth zany?
First they were for economic ED, now they’re against it, how zany is that?
Actually on this topic, the NAACP is alot like a riff on the old saw: “First they came for them and I did nothing, now they could come for me and I screamed bloody murder.
How ironic that the brother they love to hate on the bench is Anti-Kelo, meanwhile their friends on the left side of the bench showed their true colors. If they had spent more quality time trying to be a friend of Clarence, maybe they would have been able to sway a favorable ruling from their philosophical massahs. Yep, zany indeed.
And where will the NAACP be if and when Janice Brown is nomininated to SCOTUS? Up in the choir cheering on how extremely out of touch she is with her race, and solemnly ‘amen-ing’ as the MSM/DNC leadership liberally drags her name and honor thru the streets behind their limosines. Yep, zany in word and deed.
docjim, exactly.
Scott, your grasp of the constitution and intent of our founding fathers is misguided.
===========================
Thomas Paine: “It has been the error of the schools to teach … natural philosophy, as accomplishments only; whereas they should be taught … the principles of science are of Divine origin. Man cannot make, or invent, or contrive principles. He can only discover them; and he ought to look through the discovery to the Author … The evil that has resulted from the error of the schools in teaching natural philosophy as an accomplishment only has been that of generating in the pupils a species of atheism …”
Benjamin Franklin: “the necessity of a public religion … and the excellency of the Christian religion above all others, ancient or modern.”
George Washington:
—”To the distinguished character of patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian.”
—”Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and Citizens. The mere Politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connexions with private and public felicity.”
—”Happy, thrice happy shall they be pronounced hereafter, who have contributed any thing … who have assisted in protecting the rights of humane nature and establishing an Asylum for the poor and oppressed of all nations and religions.”
—”Let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”
—”The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their Constitutions of Government. But the Constitution which at any time exists, till changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole people, is sacredly obligatory upon all. The very idea of the power and the right of the people to establish Government presupposes the duty of every individual to obey the established Government.”
—”Almighty God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government … to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation … Amen.”
Patrick Henry: “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religions but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ”.
John Adams:
—“We Recognize No Sovereign but God, and no King but Jesus!”
—”We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
Finally, in James Madison’s letter to Attorney General Bradford, he wrote that public officials were not sufficiently strong about their Christian faith in public and that public officials should be “fervent advocates in the cause of Christ.”
Any questions?
More quoteables:
http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~clc5q/quotes.html
http://www.eadshome.com/QuotesoftheFounders.htm
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_Washington
I love how some you guys love to continue to dog the NAACP and know nothing or care nothing about what they (meaning the local chapters) are doing in the trenches in the local communities. I personally have benefited from the service of commitment of individual people who care about helping the young and the defenseless. I will fully admit that the national administration has work to do and have began to take those steps with the appointment of a new chief executive but the harping is getting old.
Give it a rest and find a new drum to beat.
Tiffany, you mean the NAACP & DNC share the same problem, like “…continue to dog the Democratic Party and know nothing or care nothing about what they (meaning the local chapters) are doing in the trenches in the local communities. I personally have benefited from the service of commitment of individual people who care about helping the young and the defenseless. I will fully admit that the national administration has work to do and have began to take those steps with the appointment of a new party leader but the harping is getting old.”
The thing to keep in mind about blogs on politics, unless it’s dedictated to local issues, we’re generally talking about the national scene unless otherwise noted. Why, there’s even some local NAACPs run by republicans or independents, and one can be sure they don’t march in lockstep on orders from Julian Bond.
Like Zell Miller and other DINOs, my family were NAACPINOs for nigh 3 decades, but we still have some relations with certain chapters/affiliates.
Baklava and Andy
I especially like the part about the “Just Desserts” Cafe.
While I agree with Stevens that a bright-line rule should be avoided to allow deference to local legislatures to decide for themselves, I must agree to a greater extent with Justice O’Connor that a bright line already exists: quoting Justice Chase that a legislature cannot be allowed to act contrary to the “first great principles of the social compact”. She correctly foresees that this decision will blur the distinction between public and private holdings and will make vulnerable any property privately held.
What I find particularly frightening is Stevens language that economic development “as deemed by the legislature” should be a determining factor and that he cites that the NLDC had an established plan to invigorate the local economy. If all I have to do is create an established plan to rob my neighbors then when, where, and how will this end? The door has been opened for much mischief and those who would protect the rights of individual, minority, private owners have been restrained.
I also like the idea to condemn Souter’s house, too funny!
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