More On Kelo

The Washington Post had an interesting discussion on Kelo today.

Here are some highlights

• "This is the worst decsion I've heard from the Supreme Court in my lifetime. I remember the condemnations that destroyed the black neighborhoods in the 50's and 60's. Now we'll have a new wave of condemnations destroying the middle class neighborhoods," said DeGrasse in an interview with washingtonpost.com


• I'll not speculate in what was in the minds of the justices. But I will say that as a result of this decision, if people don't wake up and massively contact their legislators and congressmen we have the same situation as they have in China where they can freely determine who can stay in their home and who has to move at any time.


• Baltimore, Md.: Couldn't Congress in effect overrule this decision through new legislation if there was enough of a public outcry?
  
  How likely is that?
  
  Carol DeGrasse: Let's hope that Congress can and does overrule it and then let's hope that the Supreme Court doesn't make some cockamamy decision at that point that the local legislatures cannot be overturned by the U.S. Congress.
  


• Silver Spring, Md.: It seems to me that the ruling directly goes against the writing of the 5th amendment. Wouldn't this be grounds for impeachment of the justices who wrote/joined the opinion?
  
  Carol DeGrasse: This is a question that was brought to me earlier today. I do not have a good background in impeachment of judges on the basis of their unconstitutional decisions.


• Takoma Park, Md.: In China, there have been serious problems with private developers convincing local government officials to kick farmers or business owners off of their land for it to be developed (as reported by the Washington Post and New York Times). Did the Supreme Court leave any real safeguards in their ruling to prevent the same thing from happening here?
  
  Carol DeGrasse: None whatever. There are no safeguards in the Supreme Court ruling. The only immediate safeguard for the property owner is to be very effective in local politics
  


• In answer to the other aspect of your question, I find it incomprehensible that those who portray themselves as supporters of people's rights and well-being would be comfortable making a decision that will cause such great personal misery.