New Mexico governor's property ripe for eminent domain?
Mar 16 2006 03:43 AM
By KurtWeber
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After the infamous 2005 Kelo v. City of New London decision, Logan
Darrow Clements started an eminent domain campaign against US Supreme
Court Justice Souter's New Hampshire home. The point: Build Lost
Liberty Hotel in its place, which would provide greater economic
benefits to the community. Clements was justified: The Court's slim
5-4 decision cited economic development as justification for
essentially taking one's property and delivering it to another
private party. Darrow should go after any property New Mexico Gov.
Richardson owns in "The Land of Enchantment". Why? On March 8,
Richardson became the first governor since Kelo to veto legislation
that would have helped protect property owners against condemnation.
The Rio Grande Foundation (RGF), a New Mexico think tank, distributed a
media release deriding Richardson's property rights snub. RGF quoted
Supreme Court Justice O'Connor, who wrote in her Kelo minority
dissent, "Any property may now be taken for the benefit of another
private party, but the fallout from this decision will not be random.
The beneficiaries are likely to be those citizens with disproportionate
influence and power in the political process, including large
corporations and development firms." Rio Grande Foundation president
Paul Gessing commented, "It is surprising that Governor Richardson,
someone who preaches concern for poor and working class New Mexicans,
has taken the side of the rich and influential developers on this
issue." If Richardson doesn't support property rights, he should
reap what he vetoes.
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