Thomas Mott Osborne: “I rise in support of H.R. 4128, the Private Property Rights Protection Act. The Supreme Court decision of Kelo v. City…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 4128, the Private Property Rights Protection Act. The Supreme Court decision of Kelo v. City of New London is one of the most unpopular decisions ever rendered. I believe more than 90 percent of United States citizens oppose this ruling, and it may be that the other 10 percent do not fully understand it. So it has been certainly roundly denounced. The Court states that ``any property may now be taken for the benefit of another private property.'' So if one party has a project that will yield more tax revenue than is currently provided by a piece of property, that property may be taken. This gives local governments broad powers. This creates great concern in the Agriculture Committee, as has already been noticed. Farm and ranch land can be taken very easily because a golf course, a shopping mall, an amusement park can easily be classified as being more important as far as economic development than agricultural land. Nonprofits, such as churches, Salvation Army, Goodwill Industries, shelters, are very vulnerable. They generate little or no tax revenue. So almost any project can supersede them in this regard. Small businesses are very vulnerable. I had a farmer athlete who played for me who had worked very hard to develop a small business in an old building, a restaurant, and a new hotel was coming into the area.…”