Eminent Domain

Ok, I just had to say my opinion on the recent Supreme Court ruling regarding Eminent Domain. I think it was wrong. The ruling allows a city to acquire an area of land owned privately by homeowners and sell it to a corporation to build a hotel and convention center. It is a declining area and the property values may be on the fall but does that give the city the right to claim someone's privately owned land?
According to the Supreme Court it does. I could understand if it were for a governmentally owned and needed community project but to turn around and sell it to a corporation for constructing a hotel and convention center is just wrong. They have to pay the homeowners "just compensation" but just how much is your home worth? If it were one of the Justices homes, I wonder if the ruling would have been the same. Land and Home ownership is one of the most basic rights under the Constitution and should be protected. I find it hard to believe that the city and homeowners couldn't come up with a better solution to making a deal work. Basically it means that after time passes, no ones homes are safe from being claimed by the government. During a press conference the city openly stated that they needed money from the tax revenues this project will bring. I say let the homeowners share in those revenues then. Also, how did the city get so far in the hole that it needs to confiscate peoples homes? Perhaps the city council should have offered up their houses to be torn down and the land sold to a corporation? I sure hope the "just compensation" includes a prime price for the people who's lives they've just sold.

Children in Congress

It's seems we have elected children into Congress. Each side claiming the other have made statements that are "inappropriate" and demanding apologies. It all escalated with Sen. Trent Lott at a birthday party. Now it's escalated to just about every week someone saying something and the opposite side taking offense. Taken out of context almost anything can be made into an inflammatory remark. The United States has become a country who's politicians are hyper-sensitive to any remarks that may be construed as unpatriotic, anti-military, pro-Bush, anti-Bush, liberal, conservative, racist, anti-speech, pro-taxes, anti-government, yo mama said, etc etc. So where did the first amendment go? If we don't like what our Congressmen and Congresswomen say we vote them out of office. It seems though that the Democrats and Republicans are in a war of their own and the ammo is verbal. Each side trying to catch the other making a statement that they can use to extort an apology. It reminds me of small children calling each other names and then crying to Mommy saying he called me this or she called me that. Get over it! Grow up! Get to work! You would think they have better ways to spend their time than to be holding press conferences and making press releases to try and force the other side to capitulate and apologize.
It's making me think maybe we need a large change in DC. Start with the party leaders and move on down until you find someone who has the integrity to recognize that there are important issues to be tackled. Of course this is politics, and that means it'll probably get worse. If these children had a job like the rest of us they would have been fired a long time ago. What other job can you, in a years time, create distrust between departments, take trips that are ethically questionable, hinder progress on projects without contributing a solution, divert funds to your own department while the company is in the red, complain incessantly about what others say, and then claim every small project completion as your own victory? I know I certainly don't feel like they represent me anymore. Nor do I think they care. Do you?