William F. Smith: “Mr. Chairman, today is Texas Independence Day, a fitting occasion for us to consider the Private Property Protection Act…”

“Mr. Chairman, today is Texas Independence Day, a fitting occasion for us to consider the Private Property Protection Act of 1995. This bill stands for government accountability, freedom, and fairness, essential virtues for which our forebearers gave their lives. As we consider this bill, it's worth remembering what this legislation does not do. It does not harm our ability to protect the environment. If someone thinks that preservation of the bald eagle, protection of the spotted owl, and conservation of certain wetlands are important, they ought to be important enough to pay for. What is not fair is to ride roughshod over certain people's rights in order to obtain environmental benefits at zero cost. It's not right to ask individual landowners who own the property where the golden cheeked warbler may wish to, for example, to shoulder the entire costs of protecting the bird. Private property rights are not about harming the environment. They are about fundamental fairness--asking the government to share the costs of public benefits.”