Ravenwood - 09/04/03 06:00 AM
Lately, Libertarian radio host and blogger Neal Boortz has been covering the property rights fight in Alabaster, Alabama. The Alabaster city council is using their police powers to seize property to give to a developer that wants to put up a shopping mall. The city council cites "public use", and justifies it with the increase in tax dollars that the city stands to gain. Their rationalle is that since tax dollars would be increased with a shopping center rather than people's homes sitting on that land, the government has a duty to the public to make more efficient use of the land. That means shoving people off their land and turning it over to the developer.
Of course that reasoning is so extremely broad, that any city council in the nation could use a similar excuse to kick anyone off their land. On September 1st, Neal noted the incredible arrogance of city councilman Bobby Harris. Recently Harris sent out a newsletter to the people in his district that claims:
I warned you to get your property appraised. I put you on notice that your property was prime... Many of you failed to do your homework. ...As your representative I placed you (owners) on notice over five years ago.I find the arrogance of city officials to be overwhelming. It is hard to fathom that your elected representatives would use police power to seize your property and sell it to someone else against your will.
Now, I never advocate violence, especially when peaceable solutions are available. However, if I lost in court and exhausted all legal appeals, I seriously doubt that I would allow them to force me off my land without a fight. This is exactly this kind of tyranical oppression that the Second Amendment was meant to protect against. Without respect for property rights, we no longer have a free society. In the end, I may not win the fight, but dammit I would take some of them to hell with me.
For the good people of Alabaster that just want to keep their homes, I hope that it never comes to that.
Category: Fall of Western Civilization
Comments (7) top link me
Sort of reminds me of Vin Suprynowicz's "The Ballad of Carl Drega". I live in the UK, not normally thought of as a bastion of freedom these days - but that situation you described would be unlikely to happen here - If it did we have no 2nd amendment, no written constitution. I used to look to the states as an example of a free society where the individual was valued. Seems I was wrong . It's a damn shame that the powers that be subborn their own constitution - I hope the victims fight this by any means necessary.
Regards
Posted by: JonT at September 4, 2003 12:53 PMMaybe they should look into storing garbage from now until eviction. That comment about giving them time to get appraisals what an arrogant ****. As though they had the gall to believe their property was belonged to them. This should scare the hell out of anyone who has land that their local pols think would look good with a convenience store.
The damn spotted owl gets more protection than people.
It rankles me as much as it does all of you. But what, other than show our outrage on the net, can each of us do to help. If the people of Alabaster Alabama lose their case in court, what do you suggest? What next? How do we defend, other than flying down and taking up arms, the injustices of another state?
Posted by: Charles Munn at September 4, 2003 7:42 PMOther than express outrage and spread the word, there isn't much we can do. Hopefully when the political heat rises, it will help their case.
Posted by: Ravenwood at September 4, 2003 7:55 PMIn a suburb of the Kansas City, Missouri area a few years back, the city used some sort of mechanism (eminent domain? sorry don't recall) to EJECT one car dealership from his property so that ANOTHER car dealership could have his land. (As memory serves, this was NOT an instance of a lease expiring, it was actually removing property ownership from one commercial enterprise, so that another could obtain it).
The justification? The "new" car dealership was in "aristocratic motors" (i.e., jags, infinities, lexus), and thus would provide greater tax revenue to the city than did the current property owner.
A stink was raised, but the land-swap went through. I remember being amazed at such a nullification of property rights. Of course, the local paper (as usual) never followed up on the story, but I hope the original owner sued (and won) millions from the city.
Posted by: cj at September 5, 2003 2:50 AMCJ: "Of course, the local paper (as usual) never followed up on the story"
Is is just my left liberal slant or is it true that the media now only fields lap dog reporters who seem to be totally controled by their sponsers via advertising?
Posted by: Charles Munn at September 7, 2003 1:36 PMYou people are nuts!!!! I used to be scared of big government until I realized that you bunch of lonely losers were the alternative.
Posted by: Sal Rossi at October 2, 2003 10:49 PM(c) Ravenwood and Associates, 1990 - 2014
