Yes On California Proposition 98 You Either Own The Property or You Are The Property

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

It comes as no surprise that Governor Schwarzzengroper, a man who makes ex-governor Moonbeam look sensible, opposes a ballot initiative that would prevent local government from seizing your property for the benefit of wealthy, politically well-connected developers and corporations like Costco.

Legal battles came to a head.....when Cypress officials tried to take Cottonwood's land at the corner of Katella Avenue and Walker Street for Costco. Church officials fought back and in 2003 agreed to a land swap selling the city its land and buying a larger neighboring property.

After a three year battle, the city agreed to a compromise and then paid the church 18 million for the land. Costco then bought the land from the city for 12.5 million. Some people call that your tax dollars at work. I call it corporate welfare.

Despite Poletown and Kelo, and despite what Souter and the Supers think, the real Constitution prohibits any taking of private property except for public use and then only after due process and upon payment of a fair price.

No person shall be . . . deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Not to mention the ethical and moral considerations implicit in this question: Whose property is it anyway?

Put another way, you either own the property or you are the property.

As Ever,

TWC