Name:   lotowner - Subject:   The Constitution vs Imminent Domain Date:   1/7/2011 6:29:16 AM

_{^{Maybe, the Supreme Court should do the same reading annualy.}}


Imminent Domain and How This Law Can Affect Your Rights As US Citizens

In June of 2005, the Supreme Court ruled on a case commonly known as: Kelo vs New London, Connecticut. The result of this ruling sets a precedence that the Federal, State and City government can take property from one private citizen and give it to another private citizen.

The basics of the ruling says that if another citizen, such as a powerful developer can generate more tax dollars for the government with your property than you can, they have a right to that property. This is a gross misrepresentation of the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution which states that “ Government cannot seize personal property for public use  from a private citizen without just compensation.”

The key here is that the land must be for public use and for the betterment of the public. In no way does it say that the land can be taken and given to another private citizen to generate tax dollars. This puts every landowner at risk of losing their land and liberty at the whim of the rich.

Though it is true that if the government takes your property, they must reimburse you a fair price, but the fair price you are given is rarely adequate. Often you are given an amount far below what you could get for the property if it were put on the market.  This together with the fact that your property is being taken from you and sold to private developers is one of the biggest infringements on your rights as American citizens to date.

This is yet, just another stumbling block in our society that aids in keeping the poor in poverty and helping the rich to become even more prosperous. The American Dream of the pursuit of Life, Liberty and Justice is slowly being stolen by corrupt politicians and the power elite. In the United States the middle class is fast disappearing and the division between the “haves and the have-nots” is becoming increasingly large.

By ignoring what is happening today, not only do we risk our freedom and liberties, but those of future generations as well.

It is the citizens of this country that will have to watch their elected officials and if they are not doing their jobs, as well as following the Constitution of the United States, get rid of them on the next election. Don’t blindly vote for someone because they are part of a certain political party, research that person and find out for yourself what they stand for. It is your country and your responsibility to keep it a Free Country.  If the people of this country are not very careful they may someday find themselves ruled by the power elite, while they toil for what may easily be taken away from them.