Democratic Underground Latest Greatest Lobby Journals Search Options Help Login
Google

TX woman having property taken by foreign company, eminent domain.

Printer-friendly format Printer-friendly format
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend
Printer-friendly format Bookmark this thread
Home » Discuss » Political Videos Donate to DU
 
madfloridian Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-10-13 12:31 AM
Original message
TX woman having property taken by foreign company, eminent domain.
Edited on Thu Jan-10-13 01:23 AM by madfloridian
 
Run time: 03:21
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0ZzOkRU48Y
 
Posted on YouTube: March 08, 2011
By YouTube Member: NWFblogs
Views on YouTube: 511
 
Posted on DU: January 10, 2013
By DU Member: madfloridian
Views on DU:
 
That's seems to be what's happening in Texas right now. That's what Eleanor Fairchild was doing in October when she was arrested on her own property for protesting TransCanada’s construction of its Gulf Coast tar-sands pipeline.

But she had been fighting this intrusion on her property for a while. This video was uploaded March 2011. Here is more from October this year when she and Darryl Hannah were arrested.

http://grist.org/news/texas-grandmother-arrested-for-trespassing-on-her-own-land-to-protest-keystone/">Texas grandmother arrested for trespassing on her own land to protest Keystone



Who’s Eleanor Fairchild? No one you’ve heard of. The important part isn’t who she is, it’s why she was arrested and where she was when it happened. Fairchild was arrested for trespassing. And when it happened, she was standing on her own property.

.."The pipeline being built is the last stretch of a connection from Alberta to the Gulf Coast. After the government signed off on construction, TransCanada moved quickly to secure right-of-way. In the process, it has faced strong resistance from landowners. Even some who signed lease deals with TransCanada believe the company misrepresented its intent. And when landowners wouldn’t sign deals, TransCanada successfully persuaded Texas to seize private land for the project.

That’s exactly what happened to Fairchild. According to TarSandsBlockade.org, Fairchild “never signed a contract with the Canadian pipeline company, who, in turn, proceeded to expropriate her ranch through Texas’ lax eminent domain legal proceedings.” In the eyes of the state of Texas, the land, condemned, isn’t Fairchild’s. Fairchild seems justifiably inclined to disagree.


Please note the company's statement about their arrest. They referred to out-of-state activists who were choosing to break the law.

“It is unfortunate Ms. Hannah and other out-of-state activists have chosen to break the law by illegally trespassing on private property,” David Dodson, a spokesman for TransCanada, said in an email. He also said protesters were “putting their own safety and the safety of others at risk.”


I know this has been written about here before, but I ran across this video of Eleanor Fairchild and her fight to keep her land. She mentions that 87 acres of her land will no longer be accessible to her.

Kudos to her for trying.

There is a good post in the comments section. Seems once again the world is watching.

We read about you in the big national papers in Sweden, Europe, and I think that you are such a brave woman!

Refresh | +2 Recommendations Printer Friendly | Permalink | Reply | Top
Divine Discontent Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jan-10-13 05:01 PM
Response to Original message
1. brave lady, indeed. very aggravating what she's had to endure.
getting arrested for protesting, on your own land, is laughable! more power to her!
Printer Friendly | Permalink | Reply | Top
 
No Elephants Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jan-26-13 04:29 AM
Response to Original message
2. The power of government to take private property by eminent domain is older than the U.S.
Edited on Sat Jan-26-13 04:50 AM by No Elephants
Once it is taken, it belongs to government, not to the former owner.

The concept is that government would not take it for any reason but the common good; and would pay a fair price for it. Neither of those things is still true, if they ever were true in any way other than pure theory.

BTW, the most famous eminent domain case in the U.S., Kelo v. New London (Connecticut) involved a taking for purposes of allowing a pharmaceutical company to take land in a blighted area to build something new there. The property owner challenged on the ground that is not taking land for a public purpose, for which eminent domain is supposed to be used, but a taking for a private purpose. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelo_v._City_of_New_London

The majority opinion was written by one of the most liberal Justices ever to sit on the Supreme Court, Stevens (appointed by a Republican President to whom Stevens was a great disappoint, much as Eisenhower rued nominating Earl Warren). Joining Stevens in the majority were Justices Kennedy, David Souter (another disappointment to a Republican President), Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer.

Not what I would have expected.
Printer Friendly | Permalink | Reply | Top
 
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view 
this author's profile Click to add 
this author to your buddy list Click to add 
this author to your Ignore list Thu Dec 05th 2024, 06:00 AM
Response to Original message
Advertisements [?]
 Top

Home » Discuss » Political Videos Donate to DU

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators


Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.

Home  |  Discussion Forums  |  Journals |  Store  |  Donate

About DU  |  Contact Us  |  Privacy Policy

Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.

© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC