EDITORIAL: ‘Domain’ should be a steep climb
“There are times when, for the good of the majority, government should have recourse to coercion to acquire a specific parcel of land. Let’s say a major highway is being routed across the state or nation. The government has acquired all the land with the exception of a single property. The land-owner is either refusing to work with the government, or pursuing an opportunity to hold up taxpayers with an exorbitant price. The best interests of society may be served through a legal process allowing government to proceed with the project in a fair and reasonable manner.
With the exception of those who think government is always wrong, we’re confident most Americans can see the usefulness of the eminent domain process in certain limited circumstances.
Unfortunately, that still leaves plenty of room for abuse.
IN THAT SENSE, the Truckenbrod case has been relatively typical of eminent domain proceedings. If the government wants land, the only real issue is price. Very little if any weight is required to the relative necessity — or lack of necessity — to seize the land from its owners.
In a country for which ownership of private property is a fundamental building block of freedom and enterprise, that’s troubling.”
Beloit Daily News 16 October 2013.