Eminent Domain — The Morning After

Poor, poor New London, CT. She was hardworking, virtuous, popular, did everything right, played by the rules. Then she got seduced by a slick smooth-talking stranger who promised to take her away from all this. She fell hook, line and sinker, and said “Fuck You, I’m Outta Here!” to all of her lifelong friends.

Everything was great for a few years. It seemed almost too good to be true. It was.

Now he’s left her — penniless, barefoot, pregnant, with a house full of hungry screaming kids and bill collectors knocking on the door.

Pfizer vs. the property rights of New London homeowners — this was the case that changed the meaning of “eminent domain” four years ago. For centuries the government has taken private property for “public use.” It’s a necessary evil, without which we probably wouldn’t have any railroads, highways, parks, hospitals or schools.

But about eight years ago, city officials in New London came up with the retarded “reasoning” (using the term loosely) that the term “public use” now applies to ANY private development project that MIGHT bring more tax dollars into a community.

Some New London residents filed a lawsuit to prevent their homes from being demolished to make way for Pfizer. One judge after another sided up with Pfizer and the New London city government. And in 2005 the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5 to 4 ruling, upheld these imbecilic lower court decisions. Eminent Domain could now be used to uproot ANYBODY from their own property, as long as the new property owner was wealthier and would (probably) bring in more tax money.

And look at what happened. Pfizer is now planning to move 1,400 jobs out of New London. The “urban village” Pfizer was planning — which was the entire reason these homeowners had their homes yanked away from them! — has never been built. It’s a huge empty parcel blighting the New London landscape. (The linked article has a picture of it.)

Susette Kelo is one of the people whose homes were stolen out from under them by New London city officials and Pfizer. She said: “I’m not surprised that they’re gone. They didn’t get what they wanted: their development, their big plan.”

Scott G. Bullock is the attorney who represented the New London homeowners in court. He said Pfizer‘s announcement “really shows the folly of these plans that use massive corporate welfare and abuse eminent domain for private development. They oftentimes fail to live up to expectations.”

Robert M. Pero is one of the New London city council members who led the drive to evict his own constituents on behalf of Pfizer. His punishment for selling out his city — he’s going to be the new mayor next month. (Talk about the Peter Principle!) He said: “I’m sure that there are people that are waiting out there to say, ‘I told you so.’”

They’ll probably say a lot more than that, you cocksuckin’ son of a whore. I’d say it too if this wasn’t a respectable family blog.