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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