NINOMANIA
:: A constitutional law blog by Scalia/Thomas fan David M. Wagner, M.A., J.D., Research Fellow, National Legal Foundation, and Teacher, Veritas Preparatory Academy. Opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not reflect those of the NLF or Veritas. :: bloghome | E-mail me ::
:: Friday, June 24, 2005 ::
Brave New London: more on Kelo
Our local paper gets it: in its print edition this morning (not online), the Virginian-Pilot's headline ran: "City Has Plans For Your Home: Start Packing!"
Say, you don't suppose Kelo is the Supreme Court's response to the "housing bubble," by any chance? You know -- put the guvmint a check away from owning anyone's house, and housing values just have to go down, don't they?
But that's not all: the lower home values go, the more tempting the use of eminent domain will become. Soon every square foot of the country that isn't a national park or a wetland will be occupied, not by socially wasteful private homes, but by job-creating, revenue enhancing businesses!
But wait -- the people who get those jobs -- where will they live? Not a problem: Walmart, Pfizer, et al. will put up tall, efficient apartment blocs right next to their workplaces. Or right above them, so that workers can elevator-commute and not pollute! Solves trafffic problems too, see?
Eventually the whole nation will look like East Germany in the '60s, except it will be a business-goverment alliance, rather than a means-of-production-owning state, that will be in charge.
Those Framers, with their 18th century notions of property rights -- what were they thinking?
:: David M. Wagner 12:47 PM [+] ::
...
Our local paper gets it: in its print edition this morning (not online), the Virginian-Pilot's headline ran: "City Has Plans For Your Home: Start Packing!"
Say, you don't suppose Kelo is the Supreme Court's response to the "housing bubble," by any chance? You know -- put the guvmint a check away from owning anyone's house, and housing values just have to go down, don't they?
But that's not all: the lower home values go, the more tempting the use of eminent domain will become. Soon every square foot of the country that isn't a national park or a wetland will be occupied, not by socially wasteful private homes, but by job-creating, revenue enhancing businesses!
But wait -- the people who get those jobs -- where will they live? Not a problem: Walmart, Pfizer, et al. will put up tall, efficient apartment blocs right next to their workplaces. Or right above them, so that workers can elevator-commute and not pollute! Solves trafffic problems too, see?
Eventually the whole nation will look like East Germany in the '60s, except it will be a business-goverment alliance, rather than a means-of-production-owning state, that will be in charge.
Those Framers, with their 18th century notions of property rights -- what were they thinking?
:: David M. Wagner 12:47 PM [+] ::
...
