Kelo Report, Part 3

[Dave Ridley]

when i called 5201 it went straight to the NLDC !?

So I left a message for one of the NLDC folks I hadn't left a message for yet.

[erich]

I sense that the executive team has its share of Objectivists.  As evidence, see this bit from BB&T's "About Us" section.  Note issues of survival, evidence of the senses, etc.  This is right out of Rand.

http://www.bbandt.com/about/philosophy/values.html#reason

[TackleTheWorld]

Wow, that looks like the lesson plan for an objectivist ethics class.

Too bad there are no branches in New Hampshire.

[TackleTheWorld]

Hi, Lauren here, resident of the embattled Ft. Trumbull neighborhood of New London, Connecticut.  Day 172.

Status of utilities:
electricity     On
gas             On
water           On
phone           On
cable           On

This week I heard a story about renters who live here.
Five of the Kelo 7 are/were landlords, they earn their living by providing homes for people.
Both Bill Von Winkle and Michael Christofaro have lost eviction powers over their own property.
On two separate occassions when renters didn't pay the rent, the landlord moved to evict them, and the court says, "That's not your building, NLDC holds the deed, not you.  Case dismissed."
Does NLDC paint the building? 
Do they open your door when you locked yourself out? 
Do they pump the water out of the basement? 
No.

In my building, during the reign of the NLDC, renters have actually been padlocked in their apartments, and Bill brought the bolt cutters to free his entombed tennant.
Really!  I kid you not!
Come visit me and I'll show you the screw holes still in my front door.

[Russell Kanning]

Actually I was thinking it was kinda cool that they can't use the power of government either.

[Kat Kanning]

 

Compromise Proposed in Eminent Domain Fight

Tue Feb 7, 10:53 AM ET

NEW LONDON, Conn. - The mayor of New London, where a fight over government seizing property led to a controversial
U.S. Supreme Court ruling, is proposing a compromise for a group of homeowners.
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Under a plan presented to the City Council Monday night, four people whose homes were seized for a private development would be allowed to stay. The city would own their properties and the residents would have to pay the city to live there.

Two other homeowners were excluded from Mayor Beth Sabilia's plan; one doesn't live in the home and the other moved in after the court battle began.

The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in June that the quasi-public New London Development Corp. could take homes in the Fort Trumbull area for private economic development. The 94-acre project, proposed in 1998, calls for a hotel, office space and upscale housing.

The court also said states are free to ban the taking of property under eminent domain for such projects, and many states have begun considering such bans.

One of the property owners who sued over the Fort Trumbull seizures, Susette Kelo, said the mayor's proposal shows that the houses and the private development can coexist. But she and another plaintiff, Michael Cristofaro, said they aren't interested in paying rent for homes they owned.

"The ongoing battle of the last eight years has not been to allow us to live in our homes and pay rent to the city of New London until we die," Kelo said.

The city council voted Monday to collect rent from the homeowners while city Law Director Thomas Londregan studies the mayor's proposal.

Michael Joplin, president of the New London Development Corp., said the agency would defer to the council's decision.

The government offered what it said was fair value for the Fort Trumbull homes. Most residents took the money and left, but those remaining either say the money isn't enough or their homes aren't for sale at all. Money for the houses still standing has been set aside for the homeowners

[tracysaboe]

They're already paying property taxes like good little serfs! How much more rent does the state want!

That's rediculous.

Tracy

[Russell Kanning]

As far as I know those people are not paying property taxes.
They have not acted like serfs in my mind.

[Lloyd Danforth]

I guess you could say they've not been allowed to pay their property tax

[Russell Kanning]

Yea just give up your deed and then don't move away.

[FTL_Ian]

Covered this on-air tonight, thanks for posting it.

[TackleTheWorld]

New London Development Corp legally owns the land here at Fort Trumbull, they are the ones not paying taxes. 

Last night at the city council meeting, Fort Trumbull property (rightful) owner - Michael Christofaro- made two offers to the city council. 

Give back his deed to the rightful owners and he will pay the back taxes,
or,
He would trade his house for any of the city councilor's house, then the public servant can donate the property to NLDC.

[Russell Kanning]

That is perfect. Let them give up their houses for the "public good".

[tracysaboe]

As far as I know those people are not paying property taxes.
They have not acted like serfs in my mind.

I didn't mean it that way.

I was just saying that they were already "RENTING" before this whole thing came down. Technically, the government believed it owned their land from the start.

Heck, they've been paying rent to the government on that land for 10s of years prior, and just now the government tells them it owns their land? They should get back pay for all those years they were paying for during the times the government says it did belong to them.

Tracy

[Russell Kanning]

Oh ... I agree.
They are learning about the evil government ..... and us through them.