Citizens for Limited Taxation is stunned by
yesterday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision to allow the government to take
our homes for the benefit of developers. Citizens from the far right to
the far left and everywhere in between should be rising in outrage.
We fight to limit taxes – but we start with the assumption that we have
private property to be taxed. We understand, and barely approve, the
concept of eminent domain for major public projects like roads, but
certainly not the abuse of “public use” to include increasing government
revenue.
But to be forced by government at any level to give up our homes to
private sector developers, for business expansion, shopping malls and
“better” housing than our little homes, is a violation of everything for
which America has stood since its birth.
We intend to become involved in any movement to reverse this decision.
We will support a presidential candidate and congressmen who will change
the Supreme Court vote by choosing judges who understand property
rights. We call for a federal constitutional amendment to clarify for
the Court what the Fifth Amendment of the Bill of Rights has meant for
centuries. In the interim, we call on Governor Romney to determine how
much the Massachusetts Constitution protects us on this issue, and to
file a legislative constitutional amendment if necessary.
In the meantime, the Massachusetts Legislature should pass an “Our home
is our castle” resolution, forbidding any taking of homes that will be
given to any private sector entity for any reason.
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