Letters To Elected Officials - A Response

In previous posts I have reacted to the Supreme Court decision regarding seizure of private property for the benefit of other private parties. I wrote to all of my U.S. and State of NC Senators and Representatives requesting that legislation would be introduced and passed into law to protect peoples homes and small businesses.

U.S. Representative Charles Taylor responded to my letter as follows:

"Thank you for contacting me to express your opposition to the United States Supreme Court ruling regarding property rights. I always appreciate hearing from constituents and greatly benefit from knowing their views.

As you are certainly aware, the United States Supreme Court ruled on June 23, 2005 that local municipalities may force private property owners to sell their land to make way for private economic development when officials decide it would benefit the public. The Court was closely divided on a 5-4 vote. I am extremely disappointed in the actions of the Supreme Court and question the wisdom of this ruling. Throughout my time in Congress, I have been an ardent supporter of private property rights. The ruling of the Court is another example of an excessive government which seeks to seize property which people have earned through years of hard work and wise investment for some false "common good." Please be assured that if legislation is introduced to express Congress' displeasure with this ruling, I will certainly cast my vote in strong support of such a bill.

This emphasizes more and more why we need to get conservative judges into our court system. The original framers of the Constitution allowed, through the Fifth Amendment, for the government to acquire with full compensation such property that might be necessary in emergency situations. It was never the intent of the framers to take someone’s home or property to give it to another private individual or company to enhance their investment."

I have always received a response from Rep. Taylor speaking to whatever issue I wrote to him about. I receive a general letter thanking me for sharing my view from Senator Dole. I never got a single response from letters to John Edwards when he was Senator from NC.

Please consider writing to your legislators concerning the need to protect private property. Think of how many old churches now sit on what is prime land for developers as well as the modest homes and business properties that could generate a greater tax base if confiscated and turned into huge commercial centers or luxury
condos.