No more home for you!

jimmoyer

jimmoyer
Apr 3, 2005
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Winchester Virginia
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You should consider the Canadian form of "Eminent Domain."

But I agree with you, no1important and so does the vicious dissent of one Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O'Connor.

The issue complicates itself on that gray line of the Greater Public Good vs the right of the Individual.

This town govt made the case that tax revenue generated by development in this location would bring far greater benefit to the whole town than just respecting that individual's property rights.

If you think beyond just this narrow headline, you will consider this case to be the ultimate metaphor describing all government's positioning of the Greater Public Good vs the individual's rights.

It is a battle that will never end, not only in autocratic systems but also in democratic republics everywhere.
 

Just the Facts

House Member
Oct 15, 2004
4,162
42
48
SW Ontario
I agree it is pathetic. It's happened where I live several times and no one even seems to notice. It makes my blood boil. If I want to hold a property as an investment that's my right (should be). No gov't should be able to decide it's time for me to sell to them at current market value.

The guys who got bought out by the city a couple of years ago got screwed big time, cause they got "expropriated" just before the hottest real estate boom in a long time.

It isn't right.
 

jimmoyer

jimmoyer
Apr 3, 2005
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You know, "Just the Facts", this issue of the Greater Public Good (as in more tax revenue allegedly helps more citizens with services supplied) vs INDIVIDUAL rights used to have a boundary defined in EMINENT DOMAIN.

The boundary used to be that no government could take your land even with compensation if it does not involve highways, sewers, water, schools.

Now government can take your land with compensation even if it involves private investors who promise the city revitalization of a downtown area with more tax revenue.

All for the GREATER PUBLIC GOOD.

Often individual liberty is taken away for a worthy convenience.

Look at cell phones, the first step to everyone complicity acknowledging the value of knowing where everyone is at all times, trumps the value of privacy for privacy sake.
 

Just the Facts

House Member
Oct 15, 2004
4,162
42
48
SW Ontario
Re: RE: No more home for you!

jimmoyer said:
The boundary used to be that no government could take your land even with compensation if it does not involve highways, sewers, water, schools.

Now government can take your land with compensation even if it involves private investors who promise the city revitalization of a downtown area with more tax revenue.

You're exactly right. That's what it was too, "downtown revitalization". They've been revitalizing the downtown for twenty-five years, and it still needs revitalizing :)

The latest thing they did is take an entire city block for a condo development with a market bazaar in the basement. Now, I'm all for condo developments with market bazaars in the basement, but it seems to me the developer, upon finding a location, needs to make the current owners an offer they can't refuse. If the owners don't want to sell, or you don't like their price, you look elsewhere. Calling your buddies at city hall and having them hand you the property seems (to me) scandalous. Yet it goes on here regularly without controversy. I don't get it, if Apathy were fatal Canadians would be all dead. :wink:

Anyway, as far as downtown development goes, as a businessman I would never start a business there, knowing the city could have me out on my coat-tails on a whim. Maybe that's why they're still re-vitalizing after 25 years. 8)
 

I think not

Hall of Fame Member
Apr 12, 2005
10,506
33
48
The Evil Empire
The 4 justices who voted for this should be hung by their pubic hairs and burnt slowly to a crisp, after everyone that has ever lost a home to this will have taken a scissor to them.

Maybe pour some alcohol in their wounds.
 

jimmoyer

jimmoyer
Apr 3, 2005
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Winchester Virginia
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The city certainly proved to the Supreme Court that it needs its hands untied. And the supreme court did just that.

Downtown revitalization, more tax revenue to supply services, all for the Greater Public Good.

Such is the trump card over individual rights in an urban population.

The fault line of liberty loss is between urban and rural living.
 

mrmom2

Senate Member
Mar 8, 2005
5,380
6
38
Kamloops BC
All those houses are on the water front Jim.Thats why the corporations want them .I will bet they put in a stip mall that fails within 5 years and then the they will build private homes on the sit for themselves :wink: Can't offer those people a fair price so will rip the land right out from under them with lawyers.Hold on to your hat Jimmy they get away with it there they will be doing it all over your country
 

jimmoyer

jimmoyer
Apr 3, 2005
5,101
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Winchester Virginia
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Mrmom2 ????

10-4.

Got it.

I feel the same way.

But it is also important to see the mechanics of these court decisions so that our opposition to it becomes more intelligent with a deeper understanding.

Yes, it's a simple power play, but there is an overview of thought that allows individual rights to be honorably taken away for the Greater Public Good.

And the Greater Public Good is quite an intellectually suspicious specimen that rises its ugly head mostly in urban areas.
 

jimmoyer

jimmoyer
Apr 3, 2005
5,101
22
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Winchester Virginia
www.contactcorp.net
...."nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. " --end lines of the 5th amendment...

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Every government in the world assumes this ability.

Not to understand why leaves a shallow appreciation of the nature of society and its natural seesaw of conflict between the GREATER PUBLIC GOOD vs INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS.

You can deny the seesaw, but it sits in every playground, and is the nature of mankind.