(2003-01-30) Eminent Domain

Sam Staley on the increasing destruction of Property Rights at the hands of Eminent Domain. (Urban Design) Anticipating requests like Gateway's, SWIDA had adopted a "Quick-Take" program. All applicants had to do was fill out a form, pay a fee, add a commission to SWIDA based on the value of the property, and voilà, the redevelopment agency would condemn someone else's land and hand it over... Property Rights do not get the same level of protection as other fundamental liberties, such as free speech, the right to assemble, or the right to an impartial jury.