Eminent Domain

In June of 2005 our Supreme Court ruled (in Kelo vs. city of New London) that local and state governments can legally take your home and property so that wealthy land developers can knock down your house and build other structures that will produce more tax revenue for that government.

Obviously there is a big clamor from the American Taxpayers over this landmark decision - especially those who are being affected by the sudden land grab. The old laws allowed the taking of land for public use such as highways and public schools.

Most everyone was content with the old laws because we all realize that the land for public projects has to come from somewhere as our society grows and expands. But now the government can take your property for non-public uses! With the new eminent domain law will come more disgruntled American Taxpayers and more suspicion of our federal government. Is it any wonder that the American Taxpayers are becoming so cynical? How can this happen in America?

This eminent domain issue is a perfect example of how out of touch the federal government is with the American Taxpayers. In this case the culprit is not our elected legislators but the Supreme Court, who are appointed for life. Somehow when these decisions are made in Washington they seem perfectly all right with the decision makers. However, when decisions like this make their way to the people it becomes apparent to everyone in the country that those who made the decisions are completely unaware of what the will of the people is. Either they are unaware or they simply don't care what the people want.

The Supreme Court decision on this issue makes it very clear to the American Taxpayers that our leaders are not looking out for our good but for the good of the government. This decision should raise a red flag for all patriotic Americans to see! Though there are some raising a stink over this, it is getting little attention by the media.

I have yet to find one person that agrees with this decision by the Supreme Court. In this case these judges are appointed for life (which is not a good idea if you ask me). They can't be fired! The American Taxpayers have to submit to their decisions. Or do they? We have been forced to submit to decisions like these in the past because there is no one in Washington passionate enough about how the people feel to do anything about them. There is usually plenty of talk, but the decisions remain as the law of the land.

That will change when I take the White House in 2008 because I understand that the American Taxpayers always hold the trump card in forcing the government into doing what is right. The trump card that we always hold is numbers. In this case it is 300,000,000 American Taxpayers against 9 Supreme Court justices. It's just a matter of organizing and mobilizing the masses to prove to our leaders that this decision will be reversed. I will indeed mobilize the masses if it comes to that.

If you will take the time to read about the "Meet and Vote" program (see Index 1 - Agenda) you will see for yourself that I am willing to put my own opinions and convictions aside during my presidency, acting as a neutral party who will allow the American Taxpayers the opportunity to vote on the issues that they would like a say so in. However, it will be hard to do in this case because I feel so strongly that this is the perfect example of a government that needs to be "checked" since it is getting out of control.

I will keep my word as I have promised and let the people vote, but in this case it's only because I feel that the American Taxpayers overwhelmingly agree with me. I plan on using this issue as an example to our nation's leaders that an out of control government will no longer be tolerated by the American Taxpayers.

This is the issue that will wake them all up to the fact that Washington decision making will now be changing. We will use the shock factor described below to prove to them that the people are taking the government back since it has gotten out of control and gotten too used to pushing the people around, knowing that they have little recourse (and knowing that once the complaining is over everyone will eventually comply). Real change is coming in 2008.

If there is one thing that an American Taxpayer should never have to worry about, it's the confiscation of his private property by any level of government - city, state, or federal. I can understand the old form of eminent domain which allows the taking of land (with reimbursement) for a highway or a public school. We don't really have a choice since our country is constantly growing and improving. These public projects have to go somewhere. However, the new eminent domain law has gone too far and I really can't believe that our Supreme Court didn't know what they were doing when they ruled against the people.

If this decision has not been reversed by 2008 I will bring it up as an issue to be voted on (as I mentioned above) by the American Taxpayers via the "Meet and Vote" program. I'm quite sure that the American Taxpayers will vote to overturn this decision since no one wants to have their house and land taken from them by any government. When the Supreme Court sees the results of the voting they will then clearly understand the will of the American Taxpayers. We will then give the Supreme Court one week to reverse their decision (retroactive to June of 2005).

Because they are such fine judges and want to be fair to their fellow Americans, I'm sure that they will comply with the will of the people and apologize to those who were inconvenienced by this mistake and all will be forgiven. We will then move on to another issue that the American Taxpayers want settled and forget about the past. This is how easy these issues will be settled and the decisions made against the American Taxpayers reversed.

I can already hear people asking, "What are we going to do if the Supreme Court refuses to reverse their decision on eminent domain?" I'm sure they won't because they are our fellow Americans and want to do right. However, we must always have a plan "B" for getting the will of the people reestablished in Washington just in case the government forgets that the people are actually the government.

"Pulling rank" on the American Taxpayers will not be allowed since our leaders have proven to us that they are the ones responsible for the condition of our country and the betrayal that the American Taxpayers are feeling. Below is plan "B".

Plan "B" is where the 300,000,000 against 9 mentioned in paragraph seven (above) comes in, only we'll make it 50,000,000 to make it more even. I, as your president, will call for a nationwide work stoppage if the Supreme Court chooses to stiffen it's neck against the will of the people. We all need a vacation anyway. I will then call for at least one million American Taxpayers from each of the 50 states to come to Washington D. C. to peacefully protest in front of the Supreme Court building until the decision on eminent domain is reversed by our beloved Supreme Court.

But 50 million American Taxpayers won't fit in front of the Supreme Court building will they? How about that! My mistake. I guess that means that all of Washington D. C. will be filled to capacity with American Taxpayers while the American workforce has ground to a halt. I suppose that there will be so many American Taxpayers camping in the streets and in and around every federal building that our leaders won't be able to get in and out of their buildings. And I guess that I will have to call out the National Guard just to feed the people.

Talk about organized chaos! The police would be awfully busy if this was to happen. And those Washington public bathrooms sure would get dirty in a scenario like this. Can you imagine 50 million Democratic American Taxpayers and Republican American Taxpayers working together to show our government that it's time for change. Something like this sure could be discomforting for our leaders!

Our leaders have never seen anything like this before nor would they want to see it again. I can guarantee that they will only need to see it once. With the president rallying the people in such a manner, our leaders will see first hand how serious the American Taxpayers are about forcing the federal government into the position where they will make decisions that favor the American Taxpayers.

This kind of action may be required to show our elected representatives that decisions favoring big business and government over the will of the people will no longer be tolerated. Also, the shameless lobbyists would surely get the message if they saw such an exhibit by the American Taxpayers, concluding that their reign is over. Negating the influence of lobbyists is desirable and is just icing on the cake.

Let me make something clear. There are many good people in Washington and many of our elected leaders are struggling to do their job amidst the power struggles, gridlock, corruption, and the bad influence that Washington has on them. No one doubts that. And I'm sure that our Supreme Court does an excellent job most of the time. However, when the average American Taxpayer looks at the federal government as a whole, he or she is not impressed and as a rule has become disgruntled, suspicious and discouraged because of the bad decisions coming out of Washington, the twisted thinking that our leaders have concerning our hard earned tax dollars and the general (wrong) course that our nation has taken.

These national problems can only be laid at the feet of our leaders. That's why we need such drastic change. Voting for the American Taxpayer party is how we will get it in 2008. Putting another Democrat or Republican in the White House will not bring about the changes that we want and need. We've been doing that for ever and it hasn't worked - in fact things have gotten worse. Putting an average American Taxpayer in the White House (that would be me, "President Tony") who has not been influenced by and will not be influenced by Washington politics will be key in the effort to return the government to the people and bring about the real change that we all want.

By the way, I do think that the old eminent domain laws should stay on the books. What other choice do we have since there is the continual need for new roads and schools? As I said above - the land for these public projects needs to come from somewhere. It looks like we will have to live with that type of eminent domain. However, it is a big deal for the government to take someone's property even if it is to be used for public projects.

It is my personal opinion that the city and state governments (and even the federal government) who think that they need someone's property should be forced by law to financially over compensate the "victim" of eminent domain since it is quite traumatic to be kicked out of your home that you have bought with your hard earned money.

As a homeowner I would respectfully submit the following "Compensation Chart" for your approval. This is not set in stone. It is just an example of how much compensation should be given to "victims" of eminent domain. The chart is based on the average of three fair and independent appraisals chosen by the homeowner and paid for by the government.

The American Taxpayers deserve the opportunity to vote on such a proposal and change the compensation as they see fit. Setting high compensation levels for eminent domain "victims" will serve to keep city and state governments in check and cause them to make sure that they really need that person's land before taking it.

Eminent Domain Compensation Chart

[This chart does not include relocation expenses, which also need to be paid by the offending government.]

YEARS HOMEOWNER OWNED PROPERTY	COMPENSATION
FROM 0-3 YEARS	250% OF APPRAISED VALUE
FROM 3-7 YEARS	400% OF APPRAISED VALUE
FROM 7-12 YEARS	500% OF APPRAISED VALUE
OVER 12 YEARS	750% of APPRAISED VALUE

[Double the figures if the homeowner's business is taken by eminent domain. Compensation is 2/3 if it is rental property.]

Ouch! That should make local and state governments do their homework before taking someone's home. As usual, the American Taxpayers will be given the opportunity to make the final decision concerning eminent domain via the "Meet and Vote" program.

INDEX 1 - AGENDA

INDEX 2 - ISSUES