Brian, I suggest you write your U.S. Senator/Congressperson and express your View. Also Contact your State reps and request they pass legislation which will prevent Cities/Government from using eminent domain unless it is to remove "blight". This issue is getting a lot of airtime on talk radio and the majority of the hosts/callers are against this ruling. It is un-believable that 5 judges could possible read the fifth amendment the way it has been twisted.
Larry On 6/24/05, Brian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I'm not sure where to put this, but for those in the US it seems that an > important story is being missed. Thought I would bring it here to see if > anyone had any ideas of how to call more attention to the implications. > Since fascism was mentioned in this thread, thought I'd just go ahead and > mention it here. > > It seems that there were some folks in Connecticut approached by a > corporation a few years ago and offered money for their homes. They made > the decisions to keep their homes and pass up the money. The corporation > then went to the town board and said that it needed these homes for their > private development (I am guessing some sort of shopping mall or planned > housing development for the wealthy, but really don't know). The town board > decided to use eminent domain to tell the homeowners that their property was > being taken, "for the greater good of the community." The homeowners filed > suit, saying that they understood eminent domain in the case of security or > public use of land, but did not feel it applied when the use of the land was > commercial development for a profit. Unless I misunderstood what I read, > the Supreme Court decided 5-4 in favor of the town council two days ago. > Private property is no longer a right if some government body decides that > the land would better serve the public if a Wal Mart was placed on it. I > don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like it fits with the US > Constitution that I am familiar with. > > I have attempted to contact MoveOn.org about this, but can't seem to break > through their website and figure out how to ask a question. As they are > involved in the fight for America's courts, and it seems to me that this is > a prime example of why we don't want the "majority" to have the ability to > place anyone they want in the judicial system for life, it would seem like a > no-brainer for them to publicize this decision. I would also think that the > Democratic Party would jump all over it. But, everyone seems to be silent. > So, I am bringing it here. Anyone have ideas on how to make sure that the > people on the street know that there is no longer such thing as private > property in this country? > > Again, sorry for using bandwidth here for a purely US cause. I just didn't > know where else to look. > > Brian > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "-------" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <Biofuel@sustainablelists.org> > Sent: Friday, June 24, 2005 9:21 AM > Subject: Re: [Biofuel] Re: Environmentalism is dead. What's next? > > > > Bears!? I should have known that, but liked the sentence too much to > > think. > > Of scavengers and hunters the headlines abound, despite the efforts to pin > > smiley faces to the heads of vultures. What has always mystified me about > > the parade of the right wing is how blind they are to the consequences of > > their crusade. Given that the crusade is obviously not about freedom or > > democracy or even capitalism, which would require a measure of > > cooperation, compromise, yikes even understanding, it begins to look (to > > me) like it is a corporate feeding frenzy fomented by a very few > > individuals so that they may be among the last left standing. They dont > > seem to get it that the top down system of control they dream of, > > regardless of the 'freedom' rhetoric, is inherently unstable... duh. The > > only glimmer of cognizance of this feature of totalitarianism is that they > > try to appeal to the masses, as they imagine them, be they the 'moral > > majority' 'silent majority' or whatever. What they dont know, couldnt know > > is that the pool of Nationalist fervor hatched after 9/11 doesnt carry > > over to worship of CEO's or respect for mega-corps. Inspiring fear and > > loathing towards those that 'hate our freedom' isnt working quite as > > planned either. Although the bigots are having a field day the people on > > the street want want to be able to take their sick kid to the doctor for > > less than a months wages. > > Anyway, my sense is that the efforts towards sustainable energy are > > getting some traction, for alot of reasons, and that the bulk of the work > > is coming from the bottom up. The organic food movement grew the same way, > > and now (somewhat disturbingly) organic produce can be had at Wal-Mart > > Superstores. > > Maybe GW's new drive for new nuke plants will inspire some fear and > > loathing. Kerr-Magee ads have been all over the place, maybe a Silkwood ad > > would be nice to see. > > Cheers, > > S. Chapin > > > > Keith Addison wrote: > > > >> Hello Samuel > >> > >> Welcome - sympathies, and strength to yer arm! > >> > >> I don't doubt your blood is red, but I don't think you're semi-literate. > >> > >> One other thing... Dogs sure aren't monkeys, but hyenas aren't dogs > >> either, they're more closely related to bears. Never mind, they'll be > >> laughing anyway (it's not exactly a laugh, not very humourous, more like > >> a sort of ghastly, mocking cackle). One other thing about them - you see > >> wildlife movies and so on of lions feasting at their kill and the > >> cowardly hyena scavengers skulking in the background waiting for the > >> scraps when the lions have had their fill. Actually it's usually the > >> hyenas that did the killing, then the lions come along and chase them > >> away and steal the product. Remind you of anything? Hyenas have had a bad > >> press. Very tough critters, with VERY powerful jaws - you have to be > >> careful of them when you're camping in the bush in Africa, you could wake > >> up to find a hyena has eaten your head. I'll leave you to consider this > >> cheering thought, perhaps in connection with the list of names on your > >> wall, maybe it'll help the mouth-foam. > >> > >> Good luck with the jumping goats, and with the biod, let us know how it > >> goes, and/or if we can help. > >> > >> Best wishes > >> > >> Keith > >> > >> > >>> To this thread, and by way of introduction, > >>> > >>> My name is Samuel Chapin. I live in California, which is at once > >>> U.S. and not at all the U.S. The nearest town is largely Hispanic, > >>> struggling to survive, and for the most part dependent on minimum wage. > >>> In spite of myself I couldnt live anywhere else. In the last few years > >>> there have been several schools closed, libraries shut, food programs > >>> canceled, hospitals closed, teen programs canceled... and on. (a > >>> nationwide trend actually) > >>> Massive doses of bio fuel would not change anything here. Environmental > >>> consciousness has not reduced the cancer rate either. A sustainable > >>> agriculture mindset is taking hold over a few, and with some small > >>> impact, although the yuppies drive the $ behind the small successes and > >>> they are a fickle bunch. > >>> We (the county) did not vote for Bush, we did not vote for the > >>> Terminator. The younger generation does not sign up for the military in > >>> droves as would be predicted. > >>> We do not, as a community, embrace the words of our leaders rather they > >>> scare the bejesus out of most of us. > >>> So, as a red blooded semi literate american > >>> I agree with most put forth so far in this thread, and would be the > >>> first to condemn american fascism (which seems to fit Mussolini's > >>> definition rather to a T). The neo-cons and descendants of Nixon and > >>> Reagan, Helms, Bush and Eisenhower for christ sake have savagely > >>> brutalized the citizens of the world. Yup, it's true and getting truer. > >>> Guilt, yup I have a bundle. Shame that my forefathers could import > >>> humans for sale, yup you bet. Absolute cross eyed foaming at the mouth > >>> malevolence towards Mr. Bush and his gang... I have a list of their > >>> names on my wall. > >>> I thought very seriously of moving my family out of the US in 2001, and > >>> more fervently in 2004 (the thought crossed my mind when Ronnie got > >>> elected too but at the time I figured he'd vaporize the planet just as I > >>> was unpacking). But we were stuck here, and not many countries want > >>> americans period (although I've heard whopping great wads of cash seem > >>> to make emigration fairly easy). So although there are not > >>> insurmountable bumps in the road to a different citizenship I realized > >>> that for one thing I would be abandoning my responsibility to try to > >>> change things here if that only meant getting arrested for protesting > >>> (not as mundane an activity as you might think). In any event there are > >>> very few places on this planet that have a heritage not stained in small > >>> or large part by the machinations of greed avarice and megalomania. So > >>> while I drift ever farther from childhod I'll try to brew up some bio to > >>> put in the wretched land rover, leave some over for the tractor, grow > >>> enough organic veggies to feed the neighbors and hope to hell I can > >>> support the few voices that have the position and the courage to change > >>> the american regime, and other fanatically mindless regimes for that > >>> matter. Besides, as I heard from Dwight Yokum (sp?) on Jon Stewart > >>> (about the only news source there is besides Al Jezzera and The > >>> Guardian) we humans are more closely related to dogs than monkeys, and > >>> though it may be very small consolation to primates the hyenas are > >>> laughing. > >>> My dogs bark at airplanes but not the Electric company guy. If only > >>> goats could jump higher there would be peace in the world. > >>> Cheers to all and keep up the good work, "we're all in this together" > >>> (Red Green) > >>> S. Chapin > >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > >>> > >>>> how well you have expressed this, hakan. and this is the dliemna which > >>>> i tried to describe, since on the one hand there is such a disconnect, > >>>> as you so aptly put it. yet, on the other hand far, far too many > >>>> americans simply shrug at their lack of involvement, and lack of guilt > >>>> over its consequences. > >>>> -chris > >>>> > >>>> Hakan wrote: > >>>> > >>>> >In fact, the American propaganda techniques and handling of the > >>>> people. . .create[s] > >>>> >a disconnect between the Americans and their leaders, it is > >>>> therefore the Americans > >>>> >feel no guilt (or involvement) in what is going on with their > >>>> government and corporations. >As supposed innocent kids, they are > >>>> surprised and cannot understand why America > >>>> >is hated in other parts of the world. > >>>> > > >>>> >Hakan > >>> > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Biofuel mailing list > >> Biofuel@sustainablelists.org > >> http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org > >> > >> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > >> http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > >> > >> Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 > >> messages): > >> http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ > >> > >> > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Biofuel mailing list > > Biofuel@sustainablelists.org > > http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org > > > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > > > Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 > > messages): > > http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Biofuel mailing list > Biofuel@sustainablelists.org > http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): > http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ > > _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
