Debate Aftermath - Part 2

City Council-members Kent Jorgensen and Donna Burdett have amused and enraged us, both at the Junior League Meet the Candidates night, and at last Wednesday's League of Women Voters Debate, in their clumsy attempts to defend Ogden city's hiring of a $45,000 lobbyist to overturn legislation passed in the last Utah legislature.

The legislation passed was Senate Bill 184 in March which stopped the use of eminent domain to seize private property to turn over to another private party under the guise of economic development. This was the legislation that stopped the Wal-mart Project on Wall Avenue which had been started through the use of eminent domain.

The seizure of property by eminent domain for the River Project and other RDA projects is still a dream of the current Ogden City administration and Chamber of Peoples' Deputies Jorgensen and Burdett. I suppose you can also add candidate Steve Larsen to that group, inasmuch as he'd been an outspoken advocate of the corporate-welfare intended Wal-mart landgrab. Ogden City has no respect for constitutional property rights even after passage of S. B. 184, and neither does Comrade Larsen.

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the Kelo case that eminent domain could be used for so-called economic development. There is a movement across the U.S. to get that decision reversed or a Federal law passed making it illegal because the general public does not believe private property should be seized for another private person.

A noteworthy development has now occurred at the federal level. On October 27, Utah Congressman Chris Cannon (R-UT) and the full House Judiciary Committee approved H.R. 4128, the Private Property Rights Protection Act of 2005, sending the legislation to the House floor. This legislation will prevent the federal government from using eminent domain for economic purposes and will prevent states from using federal money in economic development projects where eminent domain has been used. Congressman Cannon has responded to the sentiment of his Utah constituents, and is paving the way to drive a stake through the heart of eminent domain abuse across the entire U.S. You can read all about it here.

Due to public sentiment, this popular legislation will no doubt sail through the House and Senate, and will resolve the issue regarding the use of eminent domain throughout the country. Ogden City's hiring of a lobbyist will become yet another bad financial decision by City Hall. As much as I hate to see the hearts of Comrades Jorgensen, Burdett and Larsen broken, it seems the citizens will have their way on this issue.

Here's Congressman Cannon's email addy, in case you'd like to offer your congratulations, and further cheer him on: cannon.ut03@mail.house.gov.

And what say our gentle readers about this?