Joe Powell has some information and comments about a proposal under consideration in the Tennessee Legislature to address eminent domain abuse. Click here for Joe's blog and look at the last of his May 9 posts.
Instead of eliminating the possible abuse of eminent domain and preventing a Kelo-like situation in Tennessee, Tennessee's state senators and representatives appear to be giving consideration to legalizing the abuse (as long as the price is right)!
Joe quotes from the bill where it states that land acquired by the government through eminent domain may be sold, leased, or transferred to another government or to a private individual as long as a fair price is received.
Can't you just imagine developers with clout ($$$)---who want a choice piece of real estate but who can't strike a deal with the pesky private owner of the property---calling up and lobbying government officials (at private parties and meetings, of course) in order to get the government to step in and take the property and then sell it to the developer?
It looks like the government may become a real estate acquisition middleman. If the rich and powerful can't work out a private sale, then let the government "take" the property and sell it to you!
The Tennessee legislature seems to be saying that abuse of the power of eminent domain (taking one person's private property and then transferring it to another private person) is not really abuse at all---as long as the government gets a good price in the process.
That's really thinking outside the box---way outside.
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