What are you speaking about Larry? Tom McClintock, Chris Norby and Maxine Waters agree on what?
Property rights protection! In fact 376 out of 414 Congressmen and Congresswomen also agreed on the need for this protection. So what’s your point Larry?
It’s real simple. While we argue that the rights of property owners must be protected, and while the U.S. House of Representatives, with a lead by Congresswoman Walters, pushed through HR 4128 last year, our U.S. Senate stonewalled this Bill for over a year. It has just died for lack of a vote in that chamber. That is why it is critical for us to take matters into our own hands in states around this nation. Other states were successful in passage of property rights protection legislation in November. It is up to us to again draft legislation and/or a new initiative to address this concern in CA. The following was just received from the Institute for Justice.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 11, 2006
Senate Fails to Pass Eminent Domain Reform
Thousands Remain Subject To Federally Funded Eminent Domain Abuse
Arlington, Va.-Despite overwhelming nationwide public support and historic bipartisan backing in the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate failed to pass the Private Property Rights Protection Act of 2006 (H.R. 4128/S. 3873). As a result, thousands of Americans will remain subject to eminent domain abuse supported by federal dollars.
After failing to bring to a vote the reform that would have de-funded eminent domain abuse at the federal level, S. 3873 was “hotlined” last Tuesday [Dec. 5, 2006] in an attempt to pass the legislation before the 109th Congress adjourned last week. (Hotlining is an expedited process that allows congressional leadership to present a bill to the entire chamber for unanimous approval.) However, at least one unknown senator placed an anonymous “hold” on S. 3873, effectively killing the legislation. Eminent domain reform legislation was stalled both in the Senate Judiciary Committee and on the Senate floor.
Dana Berliner, a senior attorney with the Institute for Justice, which represented Susette Kelo in her fight against eminent domain abuse and is leading the nationwide effort for eminent domain reform, said, “Historically, the federal government has provided the money to throw hard-working people out of their homes and businesses to make way for private development projects. The Senate had the opportunity to end this abuse, and they blew it.” Under the federal Housing Act of 1949, cities were authorized to use eminent domain to clear “blighted neighborhoods,” and in the process displaced one million people, two-thirds of them African-American.
More than one year ago, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the “Private Property Rights Protection Act of 2005” (H.R. 4128) by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 376-38. This bill would counter the effects of the U.S. Supreme Court’s universally reviled decision in Kelo v. City of New London, which allows state and local governments to use eminent domain to seize property for private development on the mere possibility of increased tax revenue or jobs. H.R. 4128 would discourage this by withdrawing federal economic development funding for two years from any local government that uses eminent domain for economic development. This popular legislation was sponsored in the House by Representatives Sensenbrenner, Conyers, Waters, Bonilla and many others. Reform was championed in the Senate by Senator John Cornyn but became mired in the Senate Judiciary Committee for more than a year. To help push through the reform, Senator James Inhofe introduced an identical bill (S. 3873) to H.R. 4128 on the floor of the Senate in September. That bill languished and failed to pass.
Berliner said, “Throughout the past year, we called on the Senate leaders to make eminent domain reform a priority. We showed them the polling data that demonstrated how much the public hates eminent domain for private use and wants to see it stopped. We set up meetings with homeowners who faced the loss of their homes because of this abuse of government power. But in the end, the Senate never committed to end the abuse of eminent domain using federal money. It’ll now be up to the 110th Congress to provide homeowners with protection.”
Larry Gilbert, Member, Castle Coalition, the “grass roots” arm of the Institute for Justice
Keep up the pressure Larry. Just make sure its a “clean” anti-Kelo measure(unlike 90) so we can pass it like they did in other states.
The Founding Fathers knew best. Let’s support sticking with the Constitutional Law we have instead of these “half-baked” and “sweet heart” reforms.
anonymous 6:14 p.m.
Constitutional law?
The last 14 words of the Fifth Amendmemt of our Constitution reads as follows: “nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.”
The word is public “use” not public “purpose” as our Supreme Court revised the Fifth Amendment to create the private-to-private taking of Suzette Kelo’s home in New London.
In spite of the opinion of five justices the Constitution is NOT a living document.
You are right. We should stick to the well thought out wording of the Founding Fathers.
Email response to my post from a Castle Coalition colleague who is one of the eminent domain victims in Loraine, Ohio
“makes me sick”
to quote thomas jefferson: “the right to sell is one of the rights of property.” unfortunately, after the kelo decision, those rights now belong to the government-backed buyer. cathy schlicht