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?
7 comments:
Passage of the Private Property Rights Act of 2005 by the House Judiciary Committee has me jumping up and down because it is the constitutional thing to do.
It sends the message to the U. S. Supreme Court that their ruling in June on the Kelo eminent domain case was unconstitutional. It sends the message that the little person has the same rights to own property as the Big Box Stores and wealthy developers. It re-enforces the principles this country was founded on.
Utah's Chris Cannon has redeemed himself for all the bad votes he has cast in the past.
Our next job is to elect members of the Ogden City Council who believe in constitutional rights and free enterprise.
This is our chance with Jesse Garcia, Bill Glasmann and Doreen Jeske on the ballot.
I wouldn't be so quick to hyperventilate about Chris Cannon, whose press officer makes it sound like the Private Property Rights Act of '05 is Cannon's bill. It isn't. Cannon was neither the sponsor nor an original co-sponsor.
Cannon's vote only reflects popular sentiment in Utah, which hardly makes it a profile in courage. That kind of action I would not expect a demagogue like Cannon to take.
Let me be clear that I couldn't be more pleased that Wal-Mart's planned infestation of Ogden has been stymied so far.
Corporo-fascist neocons are dropping like flies in Washington.
Perhaps Congressman Chris is being "proactive," and cultivating a new class of "friends" with a little more "staying power."
Right!
We're not getting all warm and fuzzy on this guy.
It's interesting though, how he's going against the neocon grain with this.
Cannon is a political chameleon.
He sidled up to the neocons; and now he's suddenly pro-individual rights.
Go Cannon, political slut!
The governement should take more houses in blight, this isn't mexico folks.
I wonder what kind of freckin hovel "anonymous" lives in. Most likely he rents some flat somewhere. Usually, those poking fun and criticizm on others are just looking in the mirror, not liking what they, see, don't have the balls to admit it and stay right there in denial, and rationalize there meager existance by attempting to demean others.
Anonymous, we got ya pegged. Doesn't matter who you are, we know who you are, and you're one sorry excuse for character and a friggin groupie for wishful thinking.
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