Batten Down the Hatches! Assault on Property Rights Continues
Dec 14, 2009
Quin Hillyer highlights in today’s Washington Times six areas where property rights have come under attack. Among these is the Clean Water Restoration Act which would result in an unprecedented expansion of the regulatory authority of the federal government. This piece of legislation leaves all property owners vulnerable granting the federal government the power to regulate all interstate and intrastate waters, including non-navigable waters.
He also mentions several state Supreme Court decisions, including the recent decision by the New York State of Appeals against property owners, ruling the state may use the power of eminent domain for private gain, namely a new arena for the New Jersey Nets.
Unfortunately, the erosion on property rights doesn’t stop at these six, with the passage earlier this year of the omnibus public lands bill containing more than 100 different land grab bills, not to mention efforts to designate huge swaths of the West as wilderness areas and government regulation of the internet through network neutrality coming down the pike.