How Government Officials Think Your Property is Theirs
“We want to be very clear on this point: Eminent domain is not a tool that any elected official wants to use. It is always used as a last resort,” said Carol Caruso, senior vice president of the Greater Cleveland Partnership. “Without it, older cites face a continuing spiral of economic downturn.” The Enquirer
So let me understand this correctly. For a city not to fall apart economically they have to have the power to take a private persons property on the governments terms. Not that developers have to pay to put a deal together, they are outsourcing to the government.
One of the foundations of the United States of America is that a person has the right to private property and not have the government interfere with it. Not that the government has the right to decide what they want to do with the property that suits the governments needs at that time.
If a big deal that will bring in lots of tax dollars can not be consummated because a businessman or homeowner does not want to sell their property, that is how it works. Of course a development official will not like it, their job is to put together these deals.
But the foundation of our country and economic system requires the sanctity of private property be upheld.
So government officials, hear us now. Our property is our property. Not yours.
And we will do everything within our power to maintain this right.
I like your analogy in this article. The real estate economy really is like a patient who you cannot ...
Real Estate is hyper-local. Every market is different. Phoenix has already hit bottom and is starting to recover. We have ...
Great to hear that the big boys
are predicting recovery sooner than
most think.
Thanks for the value! 
I agree--good analogy. You have to crawl before you can walk. Right now, at least in Austin, many people would ...
I live in the Philippines and I am glad we are not on the lists... 
I have a few Litograghs of Presidents homes , made by Richard V. Sebring. yr. 1990 Do they have any ...
I see the question I have, but no response. I do not have a for sale sign up ...
I'll add mine to the list too. This is happening in Kansas City, Missouri as well now.
We already knew ...
Comment by Nikolai on 3 March 2006:
The basic premise of economic development is enforceable property rights. It is THE recommendation to truly help developing countries. Where there is not certainty of property rights and without institutions and law to enforce those rights, “owners” can’t use the property as collateral for a loan.
Now that it has been determined that an “owners” rights can be overruled by better connected developers, how long before lenders are reluctant to lend lest the property be expropriated in some “Master Plan.” Of course, they can just wait and lend to the beneficiaries of the patronage of local “officials.”
The question is: Who decided shifting to patronage instead of fair and enforceable property rights was a good idea?