this is just great

The Supreme Court ruled today that a city can claim eminient domain -- and therefore force people to sell their homes and businesses -- for development projects "if they are for the public good". In other words, if the edonomy's down and some major multi-national wants to "bring in jobs" by putting in an office/factory/store -- the city can go and force people to sell at "fair market value" so that the office/factory/store can be built...thereby "helping the community". In still other words, cities can kick you out if they can bring in higher-tax-producing business that's proably already made some huge financial donations to people and institutions in order to grease the wheels -- money that you, I, and most people don't have; money that the Supreme Court has said is a form of free speech.

Life in the handbasket gets hotter every day...