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For those who read the Greg Symanzski article (www.arcticbeacon.com)on what's in store
for U.S. roads, here's more from The Progressive Review Undernews, June
23/05, Edited by Sam Smith (http://prorev.com/indexa.htm) on the
Feds' designs to seize private property for the economic good of the
nation.
Natalia
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SUPREME COURT RULES CITIES MAY SEIZE YOUR HOME FOR A WAL-MART
HOPE YEN, ASSOCIATED PRESS - A divided Supreme Court ruled Thursday that local governments may seize people's homes and businesses against their will for private development in a decision anxiously awaited in communities where economic growth often is at war with individual property rights. . . As a result, cities now have wide power to bulldoze residences for projects such as shopping malls and hotel complexes in order to generate tax revenue. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who has been a key swing vote on many cases before the court, issued a stinging dissent. She argued that cities should not have unlimited authority to uproot families, even if they are provided compensation, simply to accommodate wealthy developers. Connecticut residents involved in the lawsuit expressed dismay and pledged to keep fighting. "It's a little shocking to believe you can lose your home in this country," said resident Bill Von Winkle, who said he would refuse to leave his home, even if bulldozers showed up. "I won't be going anywhere. Not my house. This is definitely not the last word.". . . "Any property may now be taken for the benefit of another private party, but the fallout from this decision will not be random," O'Connor wrote. "The beneficiaries are likely to be those citizens with disproportionate influence and power in the political process, including large corporations and development firms." She was joined in her opinion by Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, as well as Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. Nationwide, more than 10,000 properties were threatened or condemned in recent years, according to the Institute for Justice, a Washington public interest law firm representing the New London homeowners. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-scotus-seizing-property,1,4416816.story?coll=chi-news-hed |
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