Ohio LP draws attention to eminent domain abuse

[nooneimportant]

Libertarian Party Online
Original URL: http://www.lp.org/lpnews/0503/ohio-eminent-domain.html



    LP News & Features

    Ohio LP draws attention to eminent domain abuse

    Ohio Libertarian Party Executive Director Robert Butler paid a visit to Ohio University in Athens on Feb. 24, speaking to students at the university about eminent domain abuse -- which the party has been confronting recently in neighborhoods around the state.

    While the government has some legitimate reasons to exercise its eminent domain powers, such as for the construction of highways or other infrastructure, recent application of that power has led to the condemnation of privately held land so that it can be given to private developers or corporations, Butler explained.

    Libertarians begin actively disagreeing with such condemnation proceedings "when a private developer starts to profit from your land," he noted.

    The Libertarian Party of Ohio has actively opposed several recent eminent domain cases in the state -- including a recent one in the city of Norwood, where the city seized a number of homes to give the land to a private developer who wants to expand a nearby mall. The Institute for Justice on Feb. 11 filed an appeal with the state Supreme Court to protect the homes.

    "Ohio is known for the worst eminent domain abuses in the country," he said. "Most people don't realize the government can take away their home until it's too late."

    Butler said the students at Ohio University were receptive to his talk; he was joined by Dan Corbett, president of the campus Libertarian organization, who noted that the fight against eminent domain abuse includes elements of class struggle.

    "It's poor people that are going to lose their homes," a local newspaper quoted Corbett as saying. "There are definitely class components in the argument" for unbridled use of eminent domain.

    The first step in an eminent domain case is taken when a government authority declares a piece of property "blighted" or condemns it -- at which time it can take the property away from the owner so the land can be "improved."

    However, in a recent case, homes in one city were declared blighted simply because they had only one restroom or an unpaved driveway, Butler noted.

    Eminent domain cases are one of the top issues Butler and other Ohio Libertarians have chosen to focus on as a way to reach people around the state. He said this visit to Ohio University generated interviews on television and radio -- as well as yielding two newspaper interviews.

    Another primary focus of the Libertarian Party of Ohio is their endorsement of the Ohio-TEL (taxing and expenditure limitation) amendment to the state constitution. The amendment would restrict taxing and government spending to the rate of inflation and population growth.

    "An amendment like this is necessary to Ohio's financial well-being," Ohio Libertarian Party Chair Jason Hallmark said. "It's a logical step in the right direction to bring Ohio's taxing and spending under control."

    According to a recent study by the Ohio's Buckeye Institute, the state's government spending increased by three times the inflation rate between 1994 and 2002 -- a rate that would lead the state's budget to double every 14 years.

    "Republicans claim to be the party of low taxes," Butler said. "But under 20 years of Republican rule, Ohio has jumped to the third highest-taxed state in the nation. Only New York and California have higher taxes."

    By drawing attention to both lower taxes and to individual rights (such as property ownership) the Ohio Libertarians hope to show voters who are frustrated with the Republicans and Democrats that the Libertarian Party is a viable alternative to the two older parties.

[Dave Ridley]

They spoke to some college kids.   I'd be amazed if that got them any press coverage to speak of, but I'll eat my words if it did.   I'm still waiting for the LP to do one thing that makes me think they are not a waste of time.   Meantime I'll be over here with you guys doing worthwhile stuff.

[Russell Kanning]

What is the NHLP doing?