President George W. Bush signed an executive order on Friday limiting what the federal government could seize private property under Eminent Domain for. Under this executive order, the feds can only take a property for public projects such as building roads and hospitals.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, welcomed Bush’s executive order. But since the federal government has only a limited role in these types of projects, he said Congress must do more. Cornyn has introduced legislation that would also bar federal funding for any state or local projects in which the land was obtained through eminent domain.

“The protection of homes and small businesses and other private property against government seizure or unreasonable government interference is a fundamental principle of American life and a distinctive aspect of our form of government,” Cornyn said. “The Supreme Court’s decision last year represented a radical departure from the decisions handed down interpreting that constitutional provision over the last 200 years, and the president’s action was an important step toward righting that wrong.” SOURCE

This action was taken on Friday which was the one year anniversary of the US Supreme Court decision (Kelo v. City of New London)allowing private property to be seized by New London, Connecticut for an area improvement project. These properties being seized were being turned over to private developers to be used not for the building hospitals, roads, or bridges, but shopping malls and condos and sparked a flurry of private property seizures by local governments in this past year for such purposes.

The idea that a local government can take private property for the sole purpose of expanding the tax base is worrisome for those of us who believe in private property rights. Being forced to move your home or business from what others may consider a blighted area in order to expand the tax base and property values in a particular area borders on the same idea of being required to quarter troops.

Last year’s Supreme Court decision basically told property owners either you take what is offered for your property or a judge will order your property condemned as being blighted and seized for development. This decision sparked outrage on both the left and the right as-well-as an effort in New Hampshire to seize the home of Justice David Souter to be turned into a multi-million dollar luxury hotel mocking the Justice’s majority vote.

Ok, if they really need a road that has to pass through my property that is one thing. But to tear down a home and take my property which I may have worked a lifetime to obtain so that they can build a parking lot for a shopping center is abuse. Giving local governments carte blanch to take people’s property is contrary to the American Dream. And something needs to be done.

What this tells you is that if you own property, it is essential that you are aware of what is on the agenda of your local government and attend meetings. You must speak up and oppose actions which take away from property rights. And you must be vocal about which of your elected officials are attempting to abuse Eminent Domain. If you have a town councilman or trustee who is in favor of seizing private property it is your responsibility and that of your neighbors to remove people from power in your local government who would use that power against you.

It is also your responsibility and that of your neighbors to bother your elected officials on the state level to limit Eminent Domain in the same manner that the President’s order does. This would put a stop to abuses in your state all together.

Too many Americans have become politically complacent. Apathy is leading us down the path of destruction as a nation. The America of today is NOT the America of 60 years ago. It seems with the degrading of American society, our freedoms are being stripped away in the name of freedom. And personally I see something wrong with that. So in the words of John F. Kennedy (poster child of the left), “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” The person that you should ask is you. And what you can do is pay attention and vote.