Road Closed

Last week, an important victory for freedom loving Americans was recorded.

Certainly, given the majority of the mainstream media has fallen to nothing short of a propaganda arm for the Obama administration, few are likely aware of a significant win of a central tenant to the founding of this nation; private property rights.

A slow creep against property rights, perhaps from back as far as ideas expressed by Stuart Chase in "The Road We Are Traveling", hit a major road block as The Supreme Court ruled in favor for the good guys in a property rights case from Orange County, Florida, which is the greater Orlando market.

We chronicled the case in a blog post earlier this year, noting the results of the case, defended by The Pacific Legal Foundation, would have significant ramifications.

The Pacific Legal Foundation gives an overview of this meaningful victory and its relation to the rights of private property owners across the fruited plain. Take a listen:



Through excessive taxation and regulation, including environmental fees, the government, while not wishing to own your property outright, increasingly controls what you can do with your property with respect to improvements. 

A recent study by the American Legislative Exchange Council reported that that the EPA has imposed “at least $13 billion in annual regulatory costs” through the “sue-and-settle” method.  As reported by The Washington Times, That approach involves environmental groups suing the EPA  for failing to meet deadlines for actions related to the Clean Air or Clean Water act, and the agency negotiating settlements on how to address the issues. The technique effectively removes states and other stakeholders from any involvement in federal environmental policy.

As we noted in a previous essay, if an ever increasing oppressive government, who already has tremendous power through code enforcement and the permitting process, can shakedown owners seeking permits to develop their owned property through imposing arbitrary fees, penalties and or taxes as a condition of obtaining permits is an extension of extraction that is unethical and unconstitutional.

A violation of the Constitution indeed!

Sadly, however, the rule of law is not always enough.  Recently, the EPA, bypassing legislation by Congress relying on executive orders, has implemented plans to increase the already unprecedented power of the scandalous agency.

While the greater majority of these actions are presented as needed effort to limit man made damage to Global Climate Change, the reality is it is a vehicle for the transfer of wealth and control over the citizenry, with particular emphasis on energy and envormnental protection, both of which affect property owners.  These are tenants involved in Agenda 21, as we previously noted.

In his writings, Stuart Chase never engaged global warming, but did discuss transforming the free enterprise system into something referred to as "X", joining the Fabian socialists into molding a society to their hearts content in the aftermath of a collapsed free market economy Cloward and Piven style.

The decision in favor of limiting the tentacles of an oppressive government from encroaching upon private property rights places a significant road block on the road the progressives are traveling.  That, of course, assumes the rule of law if adhered to, which sadly is a reach these days.

We will take any victory we can, and thanks to the strong work of The Pacific Legal Foundation, we have reason to celebrate.  Oppressionists never sleep, so tomorrow is another day.