When the levee breaks

The Institute for Justice, a libertarian law firm in Washington, counts more than 3,700 cases from 1998 to 2002 of homeowners or small businesses forced to sell for the benefit of private developers. Examples:

• Norwood, Ohio, is using this power of "eminent domain" to evict people from their homes and businesses so a Cincinnati developer worth $500 million can have the property for an office-retail complex.

• Bremerton, Wash., removed a woman in her 80s from her home of 55 years supposedly to expand a sewer plant, then sold the land to an auto dealership.

"Public use" was redefined as "public purpose" and later as "public benefit." Now that has been twisted to mean that real-estate promoters with enough political clout can get government to do the dirty work of running off middle-class home and business owners in the way of their plans promising higher property-tax revenues.

So what does "public use" really mean? Its quite simple really, whatever they want it to mean and they are willing to change it just for you. This is one of reasons I laugh at people who tell me I need to buy property. "Really?" I say, "you can own property?" My view is that, if people can take something from you and no one will protect you, either the individual or the government, then you don't truly own it. A government should never, ever be able to force you out of your home, even with just compensation, for any reason.