Thursday, June 30, 2005

What's yours is ours.

Four letters to the editor ran in the Trib that were critical of the Supreme Court's
Kelo v. New London ruling. One was from fellow Libertarian, Mark Crowley.
Supreme abuse II, Letter to editor

"Promoting economic development is a traditional and long accepted function of government."

With those reckless words, five Supreme Court justices implemented a far-reaching expansion of government power serving well-connected special interests at the expense of property owners. "Public use" might as well be called "public used," as property rights are traded for corporate welfare and tax revenue.

To be clear about this, substitute the word "medical" for "economic" in the above quote. Consider what "public use" now means. Your body could be a tissue farm ripe for harvesting by pharmaceutical interests and research labs.

What now prohibits tax-hungry bureaucrats from considering a forced organ transplant from a low-wage worker to an injured high-wage ballplayer, actor or industrialist just for higher wage, entertainment or sales tax revenues?

Government is closer to taking an arm and a leg than ever before.

Mark Crowley, Plum

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