Once again, the government rules in favor of big business and the rich, and against the individual and small businessperson:

From an article by HOPE YEN Associated Press Writer

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON Jun 23, 2005 — A divided Supreme Court ruled Thursday that local governments may seize people's homes and businesses against their will for private development in a decision anxiously awaited in communities where economic growth often is at war with individual property rights.

The 5-4 ruling assailed by dissenting Justice Sandra Day O'Connor as handing "disproportionate influence and power" to the well-heeled in America was a defeat for Connecticut residents whose homes are slated for destruction to make room for an office complex. They had argued that cities have no right to take their land except for projects with a clear public use, such as roads or schools, or to revitalize blighted areas.

As a result, cities now have wide power to bulldoze residences for projects such as shopping malls and hotel complexes in order to generate tax revenue.

<center><FONT COLOR="#000080">--- Edited 1 times, lastly by Captain Zap on Jun 23, 2005 ---</FONT></center>

Cap Zap, This newest 'Rich staying/getting Richer' is sickening.
We NEED another 'Movement', badly!

History will repeat itself, sooner than it would, at this rate.

Wonder if the Powers That Be ever learned what happened to this Great Country in The Year 1929?? From the Cheap seats it seems as though they did not, oopps, its just they did not CARE, I spose

<center><FONT COLOR="#000080">--- Edited 1 times, lastly by aka ruthie on Jun 23, 2005 ---</FONT></center>

This is really bad. Hate to see this happening... <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/peace.gif" width=16 height=16>

Ditto ruthie!

That certainly makes clear whose land this is. This land certainly isn't our land. It was particularly touching that one of people who'll be thrown out of their homes is an 87 year old woman who was born there.

Let's folk process this one. I just got up, so this is all I have so far:

This land ain't your land
This land ain't my land
From California to the New York Island
This land was made for powers that be

The concept of eminent domain has been replaced by the concept of walmart domain. what terrible ruling.

What makes this even more frightening, is that the majority on this ruling was made up of the so-called 'liberal' justices!

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by pat:

Let's folk process this one. I just got up, so this is all I have so far:

This land ain't your land
This land ain't my land
From California to the New York Island
This land was made for powers that be<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Great grandpa, he built this house and made a farmstead
Grandma, she sewed my clothes and baked all of our bread
Dad’s tried awfully hard, to keep crops growing
But this land’s being taken away from me


<FONT size="1">edited to make it fit the meter better</FONT s>

<center><FONT COLOR="#000080">--- Edited 1 times, lastly by Wyldflower on Jun 24, 2005 ---</FONT></center>

an excerpt from the NYT ...
"The project, to be leased and built by private developers, is intended to derive maximum benefit for the city from a $350 million research center built nearby by the Pfizer pharmaceutical company."

Pharmaceutical corporations have REALLY deep pockets... full of OUR money from paying for prescriptions at ridiculously inflated prices, which they need "for research" they say....

Like Woody said in "Pretty Boy Floyd",

"Yes, as through this world I've wandered
I've seen lots of funny men;
Some will rob you with a six-gun,
And some with a fountain pen.

And as through your life you travel,
Yes, as through your life you roam,
You won't never see an outlaw
Drive a family from their home."

Where's the James Gang when you need 'em? (No, I don't mean Joe Walsh's old band!) Didn't those boys have it in for the railroad companies for doing the same thing to people? Over one hundred years have passed and things haven't changed for the better, have they?

Anyone for a "Tea Party"..... like the Boston one?

<center><FONT COLOR="#000080">--- Edited 1 times, lastly by Captain Zap on Jun 24, 2005 ---</FONT></center>

Ry Cooder's release of Chavez Ravine strangely coincides with this turn of events!Chavez Ravine (for those unaware) was a site for New Deal Affordable housing until the Dodgers needed a stadium in LA. Now Chavez Ravine is Dodger Stadium! Pictures of Cats tractoring out the houses and everthing!

They been tractored out by the the Cats Great God
They been tractored out by the Cats

Tom Joad and Caterpillars or somethiin'

and since we are there lets not forget the UK (getting ready for the trip an all!)


well there putting us in identical little boxes
photographs and souvenirs are all I've got
They can clear the slums as part of their solution
but they will never ever kill my cockney pride

cause I'm a Muswell Hillbilly Boy
but my heart lies in old West Virginia
never seen New Orleans Oklahoma Tennessee,
Take me back to those Black hills
That I have never dreamed

Those childhood memories can surely haunt!
Just ask Raymond Douglas Davies!

Englands greatest poet of the 20th Century

Muswell Hills is the London Neighborhood from which the Kinks emerged and it was "tractored out" in the early 70's apparantly with little regard for the residents, if you didn't know!

I live about 10 minutes away from New London, CT, where this happened, and I find it very scary. What's even scarier is I know of another situation kind of like this that's going on in my hometown in New Jersey right now, where they want to kick an old guy off his nice piece of property, where he's lived for 50 years and is one of those people who has become a local institution, and build a bunch of big, expensive houses, not even businesses, which will probably be ugly as hell and have no trees around 'cos they'll cut them all down to build the big ugly houses, and, well, I get sick just thinking about it. They actually threatened to condemn his house if he didn't accept their pittance of an offer, but I hear they've supposedly backed down on that. There's a big sign by his pond--a circle with the word "condemnation" crossed out. I have friends that live near him who were anxiously awaiting the decision in the New London case. Haven't heard from them yet 'cos they're on vacation......