Plan on passing your house down to your children?

[Tossica]

Not if some rich bastard has his eye on your land for development...

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/06/23/scotu ... index.html

[Narrock]

Um, that's a good thing. You don't want some Dufus getting in the way of production just because his grandpappy built the house he's living in. They're getting fair market value for the property anyway, so just take the money, move and stfu.

[Agrajag]

Another reason big buisness is

[Yamori]

Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that local governments may seize people's homes and businesses -- even against their will -- for private economic development.

This is seriously absurd.

I can begrudgingly accept clearing houses for roads, but WHAT BUSINESS does the government have helping private projects - no less by forcing innocent people out of their property against their will?

And fair market value is BS. A person has the right to decide for themselves what they want to sell *their* property for. And don't forget that the government isn't reimbursing them for the cost of the move, the cost of finding a new house, and of finding a new job if you're far away enough.

Pure insanity.

[Tikker]

Um, that's a good thing. You don't want some Dufus getting in the way of production just because his grandpappy built the house he's living in. They're getting fair market value for the property anyway, so just take the money, move and stfu.

you've got to be kidding me Mindia

There's absolutely no way a government should be able to FORCE you to move, just so they can put up a mall, or an office tower, or whatever

[shiraz]

This is the part I don't get...but it is early and maybe I am confused...

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.

The lower courts had been divided on the issue, with many allowing a taking only if it eliminates blight.

"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.

So Rehnquist, Scalia, and Thomas were against this decision....and the liberals and moderates voted in favor of it?

[Narrock]

Um, that's a good thing. You don't want some Dufus getting in the way of production just because his grandpappy built the house he's living in. They're getting fair market value for the property anyway, so just take the money, move and stfu.

you've got to be kidding me Mindia

There's absolutely no way a government should be able to FORCE you to move, just so they can put up a mall, or an office tower, or whatever

Look at the population explosion. Does it really make sense to halt production for sentimental value?

[Lyion]

Scalia is pretty consistent in his viewpoints and this goes against it. The liberals are pretty much for government doing what they want. Why does this surprise you, Shiraz?

Mindia, eminent domain should not be extended to 'private' concerns ever. I have no earthly idea how the SCOTUS managed to pass this, and it's hugely troubling. It's too easy to take advantage of.

[Agrajag]

Look at the population explosion. Does it really make sense to halt production for sentimental value?

Uh, yeah!

Maybe if you Christians would stop over populating the world to boost your ranks we wouldn't be in this situation!

[Tikker]

Um, that's a good thing. You don't want some Dufus getting in the way of production just because his grandpappy built the house he's living in. They're getting fair market value for the property anyway, so just take the money, move and stfu.

you've got to be kidding me Mindia

There's absolutely no way a government should be able to FORCE you to move, just so they can put up a mall, or an office tower, or whatever

Look at the population explosion. Does it really make sense to halt production for sentimental value?

what's it got to do with sentimental value?

You could build a brand new house, and 6 months later the government could come and say, "We decided this lot is the perfect spot for a mini-mall. Here's your cheque for the value we've appraised your house at. You have 1 month to move"

You have no legal recourse to stop them from bulldozing your brand new house

[mappatazee]

Outrageous

[Narrock]

Um, that's a good thing. You don't want some Dufus getting in the way of production just because his grandpappy built the house he's living in. They're getting fair market value for the property anyway, so just take the money, move and stfu.

you've got to be kidding me Mindia

There's absolutely no way a government should be able to FORCE you to move, just so they can put up a mall, or an office tower, or whatever

Look at the population explosion. Does it really make sense to halt production for sentimental value?

what's it got to do with sentimental value?

You could build a brand new house, and 6 months later the government could come and say, "We decided this lot is the perfect spot for a mini-mall. Here's your cheque for the value we've appraised your house at. You have 1 month to move"

You have no legal recourse to stop them from bulldozing your brand new house

Yes, it's actually not a new thing. I learned that in Real Estate school 7 years ago. It's called Eminent domain. Wikipedia has a good explanation of it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eminent_domain

[Eziekial]

Dude, where's my country?!

[Tossica]

Um, that's a good thing. You don't want some Dufus getting in the way of production just because his grandpappy built the house he's living in. They're getting fair market value for the property anyway, so just take the money, move and stfu.

you've got to be kidding me Mindia

There's absolutely no way a government should be able to FORCE you to move, just so they can put up a mall, or an office tower, or whatever

Look at the population explosion. Does it really make sense to halt production for sentimental value?

what's it got to do with sentimental value?

You could build a brand new house, and 6 months later the government could come and say, "We decided this lot is the perfect spot for a mini-mall. Here's your cheque for the value we've appraised your house at. You have 1 month to move"

You have no legal recourse to stop them from bulldozing your brand new house

Yes, it's actually not a new thing. I learned that in Real Estate school 5 years ago. It's called Eminent domain. Wikipedia has a good explanation of it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eminent_domain

EXCEPT This gives the government the ability to sieze PRIVATE property and hand it over to PRIVATE developers to do with it as they please. I can understand siezing property to build roads etc but giving a privately owned company authority to level a neighborhood so they can put in condos, Walmart, etc is fucking ridiculous.

[Eziekial]

It's like taking part of my salary that I worked for and giving it to someone else. How uncool it that!

[Tossica]

It's like taking part of my salary that I worked for and giving it to someone else. How uncool it that!

Ahhhh... poor Ziek doesn't like paying his taxes. Boo fucking hoo.

[Harrison]

His point is it's the same thing, you stupid fuck.

[Tossica]

His point is it's the same thing, you stupid fuck.

It's a little more complicated than that, you stupid fuck.

[Harrison]

One is a cake with no icing on it, this one happens to have some icing, ohnoz.

[Yamori]

Taking a portion of someone's salary (which I'm against, but whatever) is in an entirely different league than taking someone's home and giving it to walmart.

Taxes are taken for government use --- eminent domain being used for private purposes is insane.

[Tossica]

What the fuck does Harrison care? He doesn't pay taxes OR own a home. He is just voicing his useless fucking opinion on yet another issue that has no bearing on him, as usual.

[Ginzburgh]

EXCEPT This gives the government the ability to sieze PRIVATE property and hand it over to PRIVATE developers to do with it as they please. I can understand siezing property to build roads etc but giving a privately owned company authority to level a neighborhood so they can put in condos, Walmart, etc is fucking ridiculous.

You're missing the entire point. The only thing the state cares about is how much tax dollars and employment opportunities are generated.

In this case, a Riverside hotel and shopping plaza will generate more tax revenue and more jobs than a residential neighborhood.

[numatu]

The answer is clearly to filibuster whoever Bush nominates for the Supreme Court vacancy(ies) due to their extreme rudeness ten years ago when ordering a Whopper from a drive-thru trying to have it 'their way'.

We can't let this decision get overturned!

[Harrison]

I don't pay taxes?

Shit, I wish I would have known that one. I want my money back.

[Jennay]

Fuck this.. I'm moving to Canada or Switzerland, places more free than America really is. Who's coming with me?