Sell Your Land Or We'll Take It!

Private developers and local governments, using the power of eminent domain, are increasingly joining together to force property owners from their land, coercing the transfer of property from one private owner to another.... Eminent domain is the power granted to local, state and federal government agencies to force property owners to sell their land to the government for public use. But critics say eminent domain power is no longer being used for the greater good of the community -- such as for roads, bridges or utilities -- but rather for the benefit of companies who are looking for good deals on prime inner-city property.... "We have reached the point that 'public use' is defined to mean anything they think is better than what's there now," he [Doug Reed, senior research fellow, Allegheny Institute for Public Policy] said. "I find it hard to believe that James Madison had an 18-screen movie theater in mind when he wrote the takings clause of the Constitution."

"If private property can be condemned and given to another private individual for private profit, is there any limit to the exercise of government power?" she asks. She noted that in many cases, the threat of a protracted and costly legal battle is enough to get property owners to comply with the government's demands to turn over property. "In order to fight it, you have to put out so much," Berliner said. "For the most part, the people are forced to give up." WorldNetDaily

While eminent domain is Constitutional, it was intended to be used sparingly as a position of last resort for public projects such as roads and parks. The property owner rarely receives its real value and has almost no ability to fight against well financed city, county, state or federal governments. The fact that the technique is being used by governments to condemn land for another private use that is deemed "better than what is there now," is extremely alarming. That means that anyone who has more power than you in city hall can get city hall to condemn your land so they can buy it--often at a discounted price. The process totally violates the concept of private property and puts it into the realm of might makes right.

It is only a matter of time before this new technique is totally corrupted and ruthless developers or corporations can cozy up to bureaucrats to get them to do what they want in a game of favoritism. It brings to mind Daniel 11:39 which states that the emerging ruler (Christians call him the Antichrist) will use land as a reward for doing the bidding of the king: "and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain."