Property Owners Get Dunked On

Another victory for the powerful over property rights.

Editorial - November 28th, 2009 - Wall Street Journal

New York judges served up what basketball fans call a facial on Tuesday, when an appellate court ruled that the state may seize homes and small businesses in Brooklyn for the benefit of a private developer and the New Jersey Nets. The decision represents a backward step for the effort to protect property rights at the state level since the Supreme Court's 2005 decision in Kelo v. New London.

The case, Goldstein v. New York State Urban Development Corporation, dealt with plans by developer Forest City Ratner to build a new arena for the Nets as well as snazzy apartments and offices on land currently occupied by homes and businesses. To make way for the sports complex, the state declared the property "blighted" and used its power of eminent domain to hand it to the developer.

Such unabashed takings have an unfortunate history in New York state, where the political class has a habit of using its powers on behalf of well-connected private interests. Caught under the wheels are average citizens whose only recourse is to try to defend their property rights in court.

There is of course no expectation they will defend citizen rights by the tyranny dominated totalitarian scum who hold positions of power as federal judges. Both left wing activist judges and right wing conrservative judges intentionally allow these judicial abuses to continue. The reason is simple. The power of the judiciary is enhanced by its ability to involve itself with these cases. Judges care nothing about the law. They only care about power and taking property is all about power. The rule of law has become the rule of judges... and the judges like it that way.

There is no justice in America. The courts are corrupt.