Eminent Domain, and All That Jazz
I’ve been giving cursory attention to the Kelo vs. New Longdon case and have felt nothing but disgust during the process. I must admit that I’m not as well-read on the topic as I would like but some obvious issues seem to bubble up without too much time dedication.
My good friend Dave is much more pragmatic than me, me being the type to jerk knee when something outrageous [looking] ocurrs. He has a nice write-up on this same topic and, as usual, seems to be waiting for more data before drawing a specific conclusion. Not me though, I’m already prepared to opine.:) I have very strong feelings about the government, on local, state and ferderal levels so this is easy for me but should be [re]noted that I have a high level of emotion injected here. Thankfully I believe that most of my emotional responses end up with simple logical backing, mostly by coincidence.
Notions of “the greater good” often stink badly of Socialism but you might be surprised that I believe in the need for the idea of “Eminent Domain” (ED). What I don’t believe in is irresponsible use of ED. If the State or the Country must impose ED, it should not be done lightly. For many people (including myself), money is not the object when it comes to my home. Stability, neighborhood, memories and more make up my reason for being where I am. If someone offered me $1million for my place, I would flatly (and without further thought) tell them, “no thank you”. If someone were to rip my place from underneath me, they better have a darn good reason. In fact, if the reason is “for the greater good”, those wanting my place better be prepared to give up theirs, and for at least the same price; It’s “the greater good!” for goodness’ sake. If the greater good means losing my home and someone else is willing to vote on that notion, they had better put their home where their mouth is. In my mind, if you’re willing to cause me to lose my home for this ‘goodness’ you should put yours up too — Perhaps I’ll take it — It’s for the greater good!
If the State needs your land to avoid an additional $1billion by going around you while expanding a highway, I can see why ED should be imposed. But anyone who wants to vote in the ‘pro’ section should put their home in my spot and make it available for me to snatch; After all, it’s for the greater good.
It’s so easy for others to impose their wishes on the voiceless. And as Dave points out, there are so many wealthy corporations with too much money helping drive abuse of ED. Let’s help keep them honest (having to factor in those who own homes that are worth a small fraction of those being taken over).
I’ve had personal experience with our government stealing my money, time and freedoms so in my mind they are not to be trusted on a high level. But I can trust just a bit more if removing my rights, property, etc., also includes donation from those who would impose their will on us.
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