Well, I'm certainly not a constitutional scholar, nor am I exceptionally
familiar with the details of the case, but from what I do know, your
depiction isn't entirely accurate. In fact, NPR had a story on it this
morning while I was putting down mulch in the garden.
New London CT, the town in question, is an economic disaster, frankly.
The unemployment rate in New London is double that for the rest of the
state and is in serious need of economic redevelopment. Having driven
through parts of New London several times over the past couple of years,
I can confirm that vast areas of New London appear to be blighted.
Anyway, according to the NPR story and other things I've read, the New
London Development Corp wanted to redevelop a piece of waterfront along
the Thames River that had recently been vacated by the Navy. At the same
time, Pfizer announced it wanted to bring a $300 million dollar global
R&D center to New London. Thus, the NLDC's eventual plan included using
Eminent Domain to take 90-odd homes. Of those 90-odd homes, all but 7
agreed to sell for fair market value. The remaining 7 home owners
refused to sell "for any price" and filed a lawsuit. They lost. They
then appealed to the Supreme Court and, on a 5-4 vote, lost.
This isn't some Walmart or a mall or housing for the wealthy or even the
end of private property in the US as you imply. It's about a city's
right to take land for the greater public good, which consistant with
prior rulings according to the Supreme Court majority decision, can
include economic redevelopment if just compensation is provided.
Do I feel bad about the 7 homeowners that don't want to move? Sure, but
that doesn't change the fact the constitution allows the government to
take land for the public good if compensation is provided. In my mind,
talking land for a redevelopment project is no different that taking
land for a bridge or a highway.
I fail to see any change in the status quo here.
jh
Brian wrote:
I'm not sure where to put this, but for those in the US it seems that an
important story is being missed. Thought I would bring it here to see
if anyone had any ideas of how to call more attention to the
implications. Since fascism was mentioned in this thread, thought I'd
just go ahead and mention it here.
It seems that there were some folks in Connecticut approached by a
corporation a few years ago and offered money for their homes. They
made the decisions to keep their homes and pass up the money. The
corporation then went to the town board and said that it needed these
homes for their private development (I am guessing some sort of shopping
mall or planned housing development for the wealthy, but really don't
know). The town board decided to use eminent domain to tell the
homeowners that their property was being taken, "for the greater good of
the community." The homeowners filed suit, saying that they understood
eminent domain in the case of security or public use of land, but did
not feel it applied when the use of the land was commercial development
for a profit. Unless I misunderstood what I read, the Supreme Court
decided 5-4 in favor of the town council two days ago. Private property
is no longer a right if some government body decides that the land would
better serve the public if a Wal Mart was placed on it. I don't know
about you, but that doesn't sound like it fits with the US Constitution
that I am familiar with.
I have attempted to contact MoveOn.org about this, but can't seem to
break through their website and figure out how to ask a question. As
they are involved in the fight for America's courts, and it seems to me
that this is a prime example of why we don't want the "majority" to have
the ability to place anyone they want in the judicial system for life,
it would seem like a no-brainer for them to publicize this decision. I
would also think that the Democratic Party would jump all over it. But,
everyone seems to be silent. So, I am bringing it here. Anyone have
ideas on how to make sure that the people on the street know that there
is no longer such thing as private property in this country?
Again, sorry for using bandwidth here for a purely US cause. I just
didn't know where else to look.
Brian
----- Original Message ----- From: "-------" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <Biofuel@sustainablelists.org>
Sent: Friday, June 24, 2005 9:21 AM
Subject: Re: [Biofuel] Re: Environmentalism is dead. What's next?
Bears!? I should have known that, but liked the sentence too much to
think.
Of scavengers and hunters the headlines abound, despite the efforts to
pin smiley faces to the heads of vultures. What has always mystified
me about the parade of the right wing is how blind they are to the
consequences of their crusade. Given that the crusade is obviously not
about freedom or democracy or even capitalism, which would require a
measure of cooperation, compromise, yikes even understanding, it
begins to look (to me) like it is a corporate feeding frenzy fomented
by a very few individuals so that they may be among the last left
standing. They dont seem to get it that the top down system of
control they dream of, regardless of the 'freedom' rhetoric, is
inherently unstable... duh. The only glimmer of cognizance of this
feature of totalitarianism is that they try to appeal to the masses,
as they imagine them, be they the 'moral majority' 'silent majority'
or whatever. What they dont know, couldnt know is that the pool of
Nationalist fervor hatched after 9/11 doesnt carry over to worship of
CEO's or respect for mega-corps. Inspiring fear and loathing towards
those that 'hate our freedom' isnt working quite as planned either.
Although the bigots are having a field day the people on the street
want want to be able to take their sick kid to the doctor for less
than a months wages.
Anyway, my sense is that the efforts towards sustainable energy are
getting some traction, for alot of reasons, and that the bulk of the
work is coming from the bottom up. The organic food movement grew the
same way, and now (somewhat disturbingly) organic produce can be had
at Wal-Mart Superstores.
Maybe GW's new drive for new nuke plants will inspire some fear and
loathing. Kerr-Magee ads have been all over the place, maybe a
Silkwood ad would be nice to see.
Cheers,
S. Chapin
Keith Addison wrote:
Hello Samuel
Welcome - sympathies, and strength to yer arm!
I don't doubt your blood is red, but I don't think you're semi-literate.
One other thing... Dogs sure aren't monkeys, but hyenas aren't dogs
either, they're more closely related to bears. Never mind, they'll be
laughing anyway (it's not exactly a laugh, not very humourous, more
like a sort of ghastly, mocking cackle). One other thing about them -
you see wildlife movies and so on of lions feasting at their kill and
the cowardly hyena scavengers skulking in the background waiting for
the scraps when the lions have had their fill. Actually it's usually
the hyenas that did the killing, then the lions come along and chase
them away and steal the product. Remind you of anything? Hyenas have
had a bad press. Very tough critters, with VERY powerful jaws - you
have to be careful of them when you're camping in the bush in Africa,
you could wake up to find a hyena has eaten your head. I'll leave you
to consider this cheering thought, perhaps in connection with the
list of names on your wall, maybe it'll help the mouth-foam.
Good luck with the jumping goats, and with the biod, let us know how
it goes, and/or if we can help.
Best wishes
Keith
To this thread, and by way of introduction,
My name is Samuel Chapin. I live in California, which is at once
U.S. and not at all the U.S. The nearest town is largely Hispanic,
struggling to survive, and for the most part dependent on minimum
wage. In spite of myself I couldnt live anywhere else. In the last
few years there have been several schools closed, libraries shut,
food programs canceled, hospitals closed, teen programs canceled...
and on. (a nationwide trend actually)
Massive doses of bio fuel would not change anything here.
Environmental consciousness has not reduced the cancer rate either.
A sustainable agriculture mindset is taking hold over a few, and
with some small impact, although the yuppies drive the $ behind the
small successes and they are a fickle bunch.
We (the county) did not vote for Bush, we did not vote for the
Terminator. The younger generation does not sign up for the military
in droves as would be predicted.
We do not, as a community, embrace the words of our leaders rather
they scare the bejesus out of most of us.
So, as a red blooded semi literate american
I agree with most put forth so far in this thread, and would be the
first to condemn american fascism (which seems to fit Mussolini's
definition rather to a T). The neo-cons and descendants of Nixon and
Reagan, Helms, Bush and Eisenhower for christ sake have savagely
brutalized the citizens of the world. Yup, it's true and getting truer.
Guilt, yup I have a bundle. Shame that my forefathers could import
humans for sale, yup you bet. Absolute cross eyed foaming at the
mouth malevolence towards Mr. Bush and his gang... I have a list of
their names on my wall.
I thought very seriously of moving my family out of the US in 2001,
and more fervently in 2004 (the thought crossed my mind when Ronnie
got elected too but at the time I figured he'd vaporize the planet
just as I was unpacking). But we were stuck here, and not many
countries want americans period (although I've heard whopping great
wads of cash seem to make emigration fairly easy). So although there
are not insurmountable bumps in the road to a different citizenship
I realized that for one thing I would be abandoning my
responsibility to try to change things here if that only meant
getting arrested for protesting (not as mundane an activity as you
might think). In any event there are very few places on this planet
that have a heritage not stained in small or large part by the
machinations of greed avarice and megalomania. So while I drift ever
farther from childhod I'll try to brew up some bio to put in the
wretched land rover, leave some over for the tractor, grow enough
organic veggies to feed the neighbors and hope to hell I can support
the few voices that have the position and the courage to change the
american regime, and other fanatically mindless regimes for that
matter. Besides, as I heard from Dwight Yokum (sp?) on Jon Stewart
(about the only news source there is besides Al Jezzera and The
Guardian) we humans are more closely related to dogs than monkeys,
and though it may be very small consolation to primates the hyenas
are laughing.
My dogs bark at airplanes but not the Electric company guy. If only
goats could jump higher there would be peace in the world.
Cheers to all and keep up the good work, "we're all in this
together" (Red Green)
S. Chapin
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
how well you have expressed this, hakan. and this is the dliemna
which i tried to describe, since on the one hand there is such a
disconnect, as you so aptly put it. yet, on the other hand far,
far too many americans simply shrug at their lack of involvement,
and lack of guilt over its consequences.
-chris
Hakan wrote:
>In fact, the American propaganda techniques and handling of the
people. . .create[s]
>a disconnect between the Americans and their leaders, it is
therefore the Americans
>feel no guilt (or involvement) in what is going on with their
government and corporations. >As supposed innocent kids, they are
surprised and cannot understand why America
>is hated in other parts of the world.
>
>Hakan
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--
John E Hayes, M.S.
Instructor, Dietetics Program, DIET 203 / DIET 215
Doctoral Student, Nutritional Sciences
University of Connecticut - 326 Koons Hall
[EMAIL PROTECTED] / 860.486.0007
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