Property Rights Abuses

It’s time to take a look at the erosion of property rights in the US.  The US constitution states that ‘owners should be paid “fair value” for all land seized by government’ and ‘the federal government was barred from owning any land, except land needed to conduct their business’. These are constitutional requirements codified to protect the private property of citizens from the abuses of government. These rights need to be reclaimed and government needs to rethink the unconstitutional laws they have passed.

The federal lands need to be returned to the States to restore compliance with the constitutional restrictions on federal land use.

Government “taking” of private property without “just compensation” should end.  Laws granting easements for utilities and local governments need to be amended to allow for “just compensation”.

Utilities and governments claim “easements” that prevent property owners from exercising the full use of their property. These utilities and governments need to pay property owners “fair value” for all takings. This would include easements granted by developers to allow for road widening and property taking for sidewalk installation.

Legislatures should not pass laws that allow government or utilities to take land without paying for it.

Railroads should own their own track and not steal this land from private property owners.  Airlines should own their own airports.  Oil and gas companies should buy the land that would be used for their pipelines.  Cities and counties should be made to buy land they want.  The criteria for condemning property should be very tight.  Property taking for failure to pay taxes must by loosened to allow owners time to sell their property and pay their taxes. 

The actual cost of doing business must be charged to return us to true market conditions.  If a government or business can steal from property owners, the cost of their activities is much higher than they own up to.

Governments who act for “the greater good” are in violation of constitutional principles and are adopting socialist, Marxist concepts. Governments need their “enumerated powers” to be defined at every level to be established in a referendum of the voters.  Government needs to know what the voters decide is “not their business”.

Special interests have purchased laws to suit their own needs.  Environmental groups have been able to talk legislatures into buying land with taxpayer money to establish wildlife preserves.  These groups need to buy their own land for their own purposes and get out of the taxpayers’ pockets.

Industries have purchased laws to secure taxpayer funding for their own pursuits on the basis that “it would be good for the city”.  Legislators need to be polite, but not give them any laws that steal from taxpayer funds.

Government employees were once the underpaid saints of the Republic, but now the cost of government has gone beyond the price/demand curve and less expensive alternatives are needed.

Government has completely ruined US education and health care.  Now these industries need to figure out how to pay their own way without taxpayer support.

Public transit has become too expensive for taxpayers to subsidize and should be paid for totally from revenue from customers.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader