http://reason.com/blog/2013/03/31/alabama-brings-back-eminent-domain-for-p

I mean honestly, this might be the worst decision the supreme court has ever made. Municipal and state governments already abused imminent domain, this decision just encourages bribery, amssive corruption, and crony capitalism.

Anyway, shit job Alabama legislature.

3/31/2013 3:51:27 PM

RE. PU. BLI. CANS.

3/31/2013 4:30:36 PM

I know you hate the republican party, but this is hardly exclusive to republican legislatures.

Alabama actually had incredibly strong protections against this sort of thing 6 years ago as a response to Kelo, but changed it very recently.

If there's cash to be made or the opportunity to bring jobs to a state or municipality you can bet that politicians will do whatever they can property rights be damned.

3/31/2013 4:34:00 PM

*eminent

3/31/2013 5:48:51 PM

Yeah, sorry about that. Domain isn't about to happen.

3/31/2013 6:23:02 PM

Gov. McDonnell (VA) just signed a bill instituting the exact opposite...I hardly think it's a strictly republican idea.

Opposition to the measure:

Quote :

"The Virginia Municipal League said, "The amendment is unnecessary and will harm Virginia's citizens by severely limiting the ability of local governments and the state to carry out projects that help improve life for the commonwealth's population, due to the amendment's language on lost access, lost profits and the loss of eminent domain where economic development, increasing jobs and increasing taxes are involved.""

I may be a bit biased (I work local gov't in VA), but I usually side with the VML on matters concerning the powers of local governments. I think there needs to be a "middle road" between AL and VA

3/31/2013 8:38:48 PM

Quote :

"If there's cash to be made or the opportunity to bring jobs to a state or municipality you can bet that politicians will do whatever they can property rights be damned."

This.

I too, recognize that there is a time and a place for eminent domain. The discussion on that could be a thread on its own, but I think this AL move is part of a slightly different, more troubling, trend. It's using eminent domain for private gain instead of the "public good." Yes, I realize that there are really blurry lines between private gain and public good, and that the definition of public good is pretty contentious.

Basically states and local governments are tripping all over themselves, doing everything they can to attract jobs, not an easy task in our current economic situation. They also have lobbyists for big businesses in their ears constantly. They are using eminent domain to give away property and assets to businesses in the name of jobs (among other things, ie massive tax breaks). Most of these give-aways are targeted toward huge multinationals, because of their ability to relocate quickly, the high number of jobs they can create in a region, negotiating power etc.

Other than the obvious ethical issues, its increasingly being viewed as tilting the game toward large companies and might be creating a drag on our economy. It allows larger companies to stamp out upstarts more easily, and on the local level it can create a rent-extracting monopoly instead of a wealth creating competitor.

It's why when we talk about the makers and takers of our economy, we need to turn an increasingly skeptical eye toward big multinationals (and our complicit local governments)
http://www.salon.com/2013/03/21/private_sector_parasites/

4/1/2013 12:47:17 PM

if the government cant provide enough of an incentive to property owners without resorting to force (eminent domain), then its abuse.

4/1/2013 1:34:35 PM