Private Property KO'd by The Supremes

Sigh. It is a story that has not gained a lot of national attention, but over here in CT the town of New London has been trying to seize the homes of several landowners in order to build a new office building. The town's officers are using the right of "Emmient Domain" which traditionally was only used to seize property for roads, bridges, and the like. Well, the Supremes have agreed and now some CT homeowners are suddenly homeless.

At issue was the scope of the Fifth Amendment, which allows governments to take private property through eminent domain if the land is for "public use." Susette Kelo and several other homeowners in a working-class neighborhood in New London, Connecticut, filed suit after city officials announced plans to raze their homes for a riverfront hotel, health club and offices. New London officials countered that the private development plans served a public purpose of boosting economic growth that outweighed the homeowners' property rights, even if the area wasn't blighted.

Okay, maybe I overstated that last sentence. Traditionally in eminent domain cases, the property owners are reimbursed the fair market value.