Idaho Group Urges Support for Measure Blocking Eminent Domain Seizures

[AGENDA21]

A Christian values and religious freedom advocacy group is urging pastors, their congregants, and others in Idaho to support a petition drive to protect churches and church members' private property from eminent domain abuses.

Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the case of Kelo v. City of New London, Connecticut, et al. that the Constitution of the United States does not prevent government officials from condemning churches and private homes under eminent domain and seizing the property for commercial development projects.

However, individual states can pass laws prohibiting abuses of "eminent domain" and of the government's condemnation powers. The Kelo decision has prompted citizen activists in a number of U.S. states to push for such protections and to urge their lawmakers to move on enacting the necessary legislation.

Pastor Bryan Fischer is executive director of the Idaho Values Alliance. He says a petition drive has been initiated in an effort to put on the November ballot a proposed state law that would protect individuals and churches from entities seeking to exploit eminent domain to take their property. The proposal would prohibit local governments from condemning churches, homes, or businesses for private development projects.

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/4/192006b.asp

[caligirl]

1. I signed a petition in ther bay area to do the same last month.

[Patiod]

2. Our 300-year-old Meetinghouse almost fell victim

When they put in what locals call the "blue route" I476, they originally planned an entrance ramp that would have gone through our burial ground. Quakers aren't exactly obsessed with "not disturbing the dead" -- our school built their playground right OVER the burial ground, but having an entrance ramp that close to the Meetinghouse would effectively ruin Sunday worship. Luckily, the historical commission was full of elderly Quakers who still had some pull, and they blocked the plan.

Recently, some people in suits stopped by after Meeting one day and were asking about purchasing the small parking lot right in front of the building, so that the road the runs past the Meetinghouse could be straighted (it currently dog-legs around us). This did NOT go over well - again with the noise problem. We're hoping we've heard the last of this idea, but we're concerned they could just ram this through the courts.

Eminent Domain needs to be used as little as possible, and with great care and as much justice brought to the process as possible whenever it's absolutely necessary for the public good.

And a better shopping center or better class of housing does NOT count as the public good.

[rniel]

3. Good for them but

What about the nonbelievers private property? I guess they don't give a damn about that.

[Lostnote06]

4. I was just eminent domained......it sucks!!!!!

.......University of KY Medical Ctr TOLD the owner of a property to accept a forced value on her property.....she was offered $750.000, when she refused(prepared for court) they reduced it to $650,000 and forced her to take it....NO competitive bidding was allowed to establish a TRUE MRKT Value.....My sweetie had a high profile campus barber shop for 14 yrs....Eminent domain forces the owner to pay out all claims based on lease of the business to the renter....a simple divide and conquer strategy pits the owner vs/ leasee, leaving the powers that be gloating on the sidelines.....My sweetie received $$$$$ZEROOOOOOOO$$$$$ compensation from THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY!!!!!!!......she is in her mid-fifties and her retirement was effectivly destroyed by the "higher learning" type....BTW if the BIRD Flu migrates through Alaska to KENTUCKY the birds can park their new cars at UKs new 1000 car parking garage.....