Not really.

Recent developments in New London, Conn. have actually proven how idiotic the judges in the majority were when they ruled that New London could exercise Eminent Domain to take away private property and then give it to a developer in an attempt to increase tax revenues.

In the Kelo decision, the 5 panel majority basically rewrote the Constitution.  Instead of the Government only being able to take property for public use, the Court held that the Government could take property for the “public good”.  And more tax revenues equaled “public good”.  The decision completely undermined the idea of private property rights, and the majority of States responded by insuring that their State Constitution clearly set out that Eminent Domain could only be used when they property was going to be used for some kind of public function (like parks or a government building).

After that digression, back to the latest development.

The development plan that resulted in the Supreme Court decision was created in an attempt to attract Pfizer to New London.  Pfizer has just pulled out of New London.  Not only has Pfizer pulled out, but the land where all the homes were previous located, was never developed.

Now, instead of having home owners that pay property taxes, New London is sitting on a vacant field that produces no tax revenues at all.   And it cost the city $80 million.

So much for the belief of the New London politicians that they could put the land to better use than the individuals that owned it.

And so much for the five judges on the Supreme Court that bought into that belief.

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