G'ville News Op/Ed: Property rights need stronger protection

Is YOUR Home Safe?

Op/Ed in Greenville News: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050721/OPINION/507210306/1010

Whether you've got a three-story mansion or a 30-year-old doublewide, it is your home. You work hard to pay your taxes and your bills. You try your best to keep your gutters clean and your grass mowed. You look out for your neighbors, and they look out for you. Your home is the very best that you can provide for your family. Your home has been your castle -- until now. Your constitutional rights just took a serious blow. The U.S. Supreme Court stunned us with a redefinition of eminent domain.

The town of New London, Conn., approved a private development plan designed to revitalize its ailing economy and then purchased most of the property from willing sellers. When a few homeowners refused, the city condemned their homes. The homeowners sued, claiming that seizing their properties violates the Fifth Amendment's Takings Clause. On June 23 the Supreme Court ruled in favor of New London. Consequently, any government entity can lawfully seize private property and hand it over to private developers.

I, along with other members of the S.C. Senate, am in the process of strengthening our state's eminent domain laws. In the wake of this shocking ruling, we are committed to addressing property rights legislation without delay. We will not rest until the New London scenario becomes absolutely impossible in South Carolina!

If you have an opinion on this or any other matter, feel free to post it!

Property Rights: I agree with the State Newspaper (it may be a first)

Un-American land seizure
By EVELYN CLARYGuest columnist

...Why, then, in a country that professes to be a “sweet land of liberty,” can not only the government but any interest with enough money and influential friends seize land from individual property owners? The Supreme Court ruling allowing the city of New London, Conn., to use eminent domain to demolish homes to make way for private development is a crime against freedom...

for the full article click below:
http://www.thestate.com/mld/state/news/opinion/12071493.htm

Register by party (by Rick Beltram Spartanburg Co. GOP Chairman

Rick Beltram,, Chairman, Spartanburg County Republican Party
The Spartanburg County Republican Party and S.C. Republican Party fully endorse legislation to require registration by party. Here in Spartanburg, we have overwhelmingly passed resolutions since 2001 to support this legislation.
With the present system, too many times we find that Democrats are voting in Republican primaries. The Herald-Journal is correct in its assessment that "Primaries are ... the method for members of a particular party to choose their candidate in the general election."
We would urge the Legislature to pass this legislation in the new term to begin in January 2006.
Clearly, the GOP Presidential Preference Primary in 2008 must be a primary for Republicans only. We will see various candidates visiting our state over the next two years. We need to assure these fine folks that they will get nominating votes from Republicans only.

Another Blow to Property Rights!

Cities may bulldoze people's homes to make way for shopping malls or other private development, a divided Supreme Court ruled last Thursday, giving local governments broad power to seize private property to generate tax revenue. In a scathing dissent, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor said the decision bowed to the rich and powerful at the expense of middle-class Americans. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,160479,00.html

It appears that Judge Souter's home may be up for grabs.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/06/29/souter.property.ap/index.html

I can't think of a better place to start!

I-85 Lane Closure

SCDOT has informed me that on July 11 @ 6PM through July 12 @ 3PM a lane will be closed on the Northbound I-85 near mile marker 12