A not unforseen end to the Kelo saga…
I can’t say I didn’t see this coming. After the town of New London, CT summarily decided that it knew how to use land better than the current owners, and the resulting court case going all the way to the supreme court, where 5 justices caused our Founding Fathers to roll over in their graves in agreeing that local governments can utilize such a heinous tactic to deprive one set of property owners in order to give said property to someone else, it’s fitting.
Pfizer has decided to abandon the land forcibly turned over to them. So after all the absolute BS those poor people in New London had to endure over the last 10 years, what are we left with? A group of homeowners forcibly removed from their homes, and a city with nothing to show for it.
A quick rundown of what this saga DID manage to tell us:
- Your private property is only yours right up until a local government feels it might get more tax revenue by giving your property to someone else. Then, with the blessing of the SCOTUS, screw you.
- Local governments are just as incompetent as the state and federal ones up the food chain. In this case, New London managed to screw themselves out of ANY tax revenue off the land, and make us less free in the process. Quite a feat.
- Nothing good ever comes from government meddling. EVER.
A greek tragedy could be made from this episode. Horrible, just horrible.
Hat Tip: Ed Morrisey @ HotAir