I read the Houston Chronicle headlines off their web site this morning to check on the progress of the orgy of greed regarding the Supreme Court ruling in favor of expanded eminent domain powers for local governmental agencies. What had been a stretch for even the most ambitious carpet baggers has opened the field wide open for any and all now that the barrier of individual ownership has been removed entirely.
There are some statements of reassurance from elected officials claiming that, “…even though the courts have now said unequivocally that we can take your land to improve our tax base, let some schmuck with a bigger bank roll pay us off under the table just to put a Super-Buy Computer Store where your lousy Stamp Pads and Signs in a Minute takes up space; we are honorable men and would never do such a thing to our loyal servants, I mean subjects, I mean citizens.”
“Hours after the court's 5-4 ruling came down, Rep. Frank Corte Jr., R-San Antonio, said he would seek "to defend the rights of property owners in Texas" by proposing a state constitutional amendment limiting local powers of eminent domain, or condemnation.
The city of Houston has not, and likely never will, use eminent domain powers as aggressively as some cities simply for the purposes of economic development," White said in a statement. "We do respect property rights, and believe that eminent domain should not be used in a way that might simply benefit one economic interest versus another.
But officials in the beachfront town of Freeport, south of Houston, said they would move aggressively to condemn property owned by two seafood companies to clear the way for an $8 million private marina.”…and you thought I was just making this crap up as I went along ranting…
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