Peak of the Week

A look back to the past and a peek forward is a fore warning of things to come...........

Amendment V to the Constitution of the United States of America
in part........................ “nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.”

Kelo v. City of New London
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kelo v. City of New London, 545 U.S. 469 (2005)[1] was a case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States involving the use of eminent domain:

to transfer land from one private owner to another to further economic development.

The case arose from the condemnation by New London, Connecticut, of privately owned real property so that it could be used as part of a comprehensive redevelopment plan which promised 3,169 new jobs and $1.2 million a year in tax revenues. The Court held in a 5–4 decision that the general benefits a community enjoyed from economic growth qualified such redevelopment plans as a permissible "public use" under the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment.

My comments:
In a previous post, I outlined the need for local governments to compete for jobs by enticing companies to expand or start-up businesses in their community. Their intent is to generate jobs, increase tax revenues and have their community survive.

Their bag of carrots will include tax incentives and possibly “free” land!

You will see more and more local governments exercise eminent domain taking private land for private development. This approach will be used more and more to control development patterns and limit infrastructure improvements.

It is all in the LAND.