ALERT! Bush wants to seize private property!!

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Power Hungry?

Bush to Back Land Grabs For Electrical Lines

W A S H I N G T O N, May 9 — The Bush administration wants to give the federal government the authority to seize private property in order to accelerate the construction of new electrical power lines. "We need more electricity wires carrying product across the country," the president said Tuesday night at a speech to the Electronic Industries Alliance Government Industry in Washington.

One of the ways Bush intends to achieve that goal is by asking Congress to pass legislation that dramatically expands the government's eminent domain authority — the constitutional principle that allows the government to take privately owned lands for public use in exchange for fair compensation.

That power has historically been used for the building of public roads and bridges, but has previously been extended for the construction natural gas pipelines. The administration's proposal would expand the power even further, allowing the government to seize lands and hand them over to power companies so they can build new electrical power lines.

White House officials tell ABCNEWS the administration's Energy Policy Task Force, headed up by Vice President Cheney, will recommend the plan in its report next week.

-- Stop the tyranny! (look@out.com), May 09, 2001

Answers

In feudal times the King regularly snatched what he wanted from the peasants. Nothing's changed.

-- Age (Old@Thievery.com), May 09, 2001.

WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON????

The New York Times said in a cover story Sunday that if we CONSERVED energy instead of WASTING it we wouldn't have to build all these new plants Cheney says we need.

WHY IN HELL DON'T THE CONSERVATIVES CONSERVE instead of screwing the public?

-- Bush & Cheney Laughing on the Way (to@bank.com), May 09, 2001.


LINK abc news:

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/DailyNews/Electricity_Bush0105 09.html

-- Stop the tyranny! (look@out.com), May 09, 2001.


First they stopped the vote, and the counting of the votes.

Then they installed the squatters by judicial fiat.

Then they overturned our 4th amendment rights to be free from police seizure and search.

Now they are building a brand new anti-terrorism program that will "coordinate" all national "security" activities (under Cheney).

And now they want to seize our private property.

Can you spell P O L I C E S T A T E ?

-- Smells like a police state (to@me.com), May 09, 2001.


Doesn't religious prophecy mention the coming of the Antichrist around the year 2000?

He has arrived.

-- (god @ help.us), May 09, 2001.



It's unfair to force Americans to change their way of life by making them conserve energy. However, it's perfectly fair to grab their land and put big ugly power lines on it.

-- (bzzz@bzzzzzz.bzzzzz), May 09, 2001.

dumbya will soon be seizing our sons and daughters to fight in the upcoming war he is secretly planning.

-- lippy sipper (lsipper@slippyslipper.con), May 09, 2001.

I hate to poop the party, but the government's eminent domain powers have been used to take land for power lines since they invented power lines. Hell, eminent domain has been used to take land for shopping center development, and virtually anything else you can think off.

The power of eminent domain is unbelievably broad, and has been for years. Generally the only legal question is how much compensation is "fair compensation." Sort of a "not if, but for how much" type of analysis.

-- E.H.Porter (just.wondering@about.it), May 09, 2001.


EH is right (he doesn't need my endorsement...but) They recently expanded I-295 around Jax, kind of a beltway around the city traffic that hooks I-10 with I-95 south of town (on the way to Orlando...;- ). Those folks in the way, moved. Some got a fair price for their property and some didn't, but they ALL moved.

It ain't nothing new....

Deano

-- Deano (deano@luvthebeach.com), May 09, 2001.


You're wrong folks -- this IS new. This is new eminent domain powers. If we conserved instead of drilled and burned, we wouldn't need this kind of new seizure of private property. From the Sacromento Bee:

"Meanwhile, President Bush's energy task force plans to release its blueprint for dealing with the power situation next week. Among the provisions, administration officials told the Associated Press on Tuesday, will be to propose legislation allowing the seizure of private property to accelerate the construction of electrical power lines.

"The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission already has eminent domain authority over the siting of natural gas pipelines but has no such power over long-distance electricity transmission lines.

"Administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AP that the report would ask Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham to draw up legislation allowing utilities to obtain rights of way for transmission lines."

Brand new eminent domain power to enrich the coffers of our two oil men, that's all this is.

-- Bush and Cheney say Screw (the@public.com), May 10, 2001.



I can't see how this is any different than the expanding of Eminant Domain powers for any of the country's other infrastructure needs in the past (public roads, bridges, natural gas pipelines etc). If it's needed, it's needed.

As to the anons who cry foul saying it's nothing more than a power to "enrich the coffers of our two oil men"... It's my guess these are the same people whos great great grandfathers stood up in the town hall and screamed what a bad idea the "new" Eminent Domain power was. "We've got along just fine so far without bridges. This is nothing more than a power to enrich those damn steel magnates coffers!"

-- CD (costavike@hotmail.com), May 10, 2001.


CD writes: "If it's needed, it's needed."

With all due respect, what planet are you on?? As people have been pointing out for weeks, new energy plants are NOT needed, except to line the pockets of Bush & Cheney's buddies. From the LA Times:

"As the New York Times reported in its lead story Sunday, "Scientists at the country's national laboratories have projected enormous energy savings if the government takes aggressive steps to encourage energy conservation in homes, factories, offices, appliances, cars and power plants."

"The three-year studies by the five national science laboratories undermine Cheney's shrill insistence that the country must pop for a huge new polluting power plant every week for the next two decades, lest our homes and factories go dark. The studies concluded that a government-led conservation program could cut growth in energy consumption almost in half, using proven technology already tested and in place."

What is it about greed and deception you GOP parrots don't understand?

Buy the bullshit if you want to. GOP dupes will get screwed as much as the people who can see through this wholesale land swindle.

-- Stop the tyranny! (look@out.com), May 11, 2001.


I'm a little confused by this thread. Are we talking about new power PLANTS or more long-distance energy LINES? I guess I'm confused because TXU had one of those tall wooden poles at the end of our block. When they put it there, no one owned the land or the previous owner said it was OK. I really don't know which. A builder bought the land and the pole sat on the land, but nothing was done about it until a house was built on the land and someone bought the house and the land from the builder.

TXU had to move the pole off the property. It took a long time, but last time I looked, the pole was outside the property line of our new neighbor. There's a new housing development going up now where we once had trees at the end of our block. The development extends to the next main road, so our street will now "go through." It seems like every time new construction occurred, either our phone lines or our electricity would go out. This indicated to ME that ALL our land had these lines going through them, just like the gas lines go under our land.

Can someone clear up my confusion?

-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), May 11, 2001.


With all due respect, what planet are you on?? As people have been pointing out for weeks, new bridges are NOT needed, except to line the pockets of the steel barrons. From the Dry Gultch Gazette:

"As the St Louis Dispatch reported in its lead story Sunday, "Scientists at the country's national laboratories have projected enormous savings if the government takes aggressive steps to encourage people to use greater care and planning when attempting to cross swollen streams and deep ravines.

"The three-year studies by the five national science laboratories undermine Taft's shrill insistence that the country must pop for a reliable steel bridge every week for the next two decades, lest our country's growth in commerce screech to a halt. The studies concluded that a government-led pre-planning program could cut the need to unecessarily cross streams and ravines almost in half, using proven techniques already tested and in place. Simple techniques such as avoiding travel during heavy rains/flood seasons and taking better care of pack mules and doubling up on loads in order combine two trips into just one."

What is it about greed and deception you Bull Moose Party parrots don't understand?

Buy the road apples if you want to. Bull Moose dupes will get screwed as much as the people who can see through this wholesale land swindle.

.

--Stop the tyranny's great great grandfather! (look@out.com)

-- CD (costavike@hotmail.com), May 11, 2001.


Anita, I think that has to do with easements for city utilities. Look on your plate and you'll find these lines.

Stop is an idiot. You are given a deed for your property. You never ever own your property. The gov tells you what you can and can't do on that property, whether you can build multiple family dwellings or single family dwellings. The gov can take your property for whatever reason.

We had property next to a water treatment plant. The city said it was moving the plant and putting in a park. Great news to us. But that was how the story ended. The city spent the federal funds for moving the treatment plant on some other initiative and the federal gov gave them additional funds to only expand the current plant. Guess what. The city gave us half of our property value. Nothing we could do. Grow up, ya moron. The gov owns your property, always has and always will.

-- Maria (anon@ymous.com), May 11, 2001.



Maria:

We are the government. If you are that far removed from your government, you should get more involved.

It does bring up a memory. A few years ago, my county government asked for volunteers. The committee was to deal with pollution problems. While not politically active in the area, it turned out that I was an expert in the area of interest. So I said, sure. I met with the county government. They said I wouldn't be good for the position. I knew too much. They wanted the committee to be composed of people from the community who represented the community knowledge of the area of interest.

I took that to mean that they wanted people with no knowledge in the area to be discussed.

As I get older, these things don't bother me; they amuse me. *<)))

Best Wishes,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), May 11, 2001.


Slightly amusing CD, but you still haven't addressed tyranny's point - - that these new power plants are not needed. Bridges may have been needed, but the NY TIMES has shown that these new power plants are NOT needed.

Interesting to note that all the people defending this are GOP backers. Guess what? Bush's poll numbers declined 9 points yesterday, all because the public doesn't buy his hot air about building new power plants. They know the truth : conservation is what is needed. Conservation would do away with this ridiculous notion of seizing private land under some brand new expansion of the feds' emminent power of domain.

It's so funny to see all you GOPers backing federal government seizure of private property. Who cares what pittance they pay? You people seem to think it's fine for the feds to take your property. We'll see how that enlightened notion plays out in 2002.

As for Maria, I always chuckle when she accuses someone of being a "moron."

-- GOP Supports Federal Seizure of Private Property for No Good Reason (ironic@isn't.it), May 11, 2001.


I'm STILL confused, and NO one has come forward to explain whether this thread is discussing power PLANTS or power TRANSMISSION. I've seen both intermixed. Perhaps my first example was a bad one. [Bear in mind that I'm a moron who never grew up.]

Here in Texas, we have the Ercot grid. It's estranged from all others, so there's no way we can sell or share power with other states. In 2002, Texas will undergo deregulation of electricity. It's my understanding [keep bearing in mind that I'm the moron who never grew up] that we will then be offered variances in providers of electricity TRANSMISSION. I've seen absolutely NO discussion anywhere of variances in providers of electricity GENERATION.

It's my understanding that TXU will still GENERATE the power and that others will have an open market to "move" that power to my home. I see it much like the different telephone companies that "service" our area, but I don't understand this stuff much [Need I remind you again that I'm the moron who never grew up?]

Somebody, please, tell me what this means. AFAIK, Texas has no intent to build new power plants. The original post didn't even MENTION plants. As I said in my first post, I don't see how land would be GRABBED to provide more lines. We already HAVE lines going through our land. How wide IS a power line? Is the government going to grab an inch of soil from everyone to run a new line? Are they going to run a line through air-space above our homes?

I don't discuss politics on this forum because I'd fall off the left side of your screen, but I WOULD like some clarification on whether this thread is discussing generation or transmission.

-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), May 12, 2001.


Hey CD have you peeled that Bush/Cheney sticker off your pick-up yet?

Man it sure is fun watching all the dimwits rationalize away the daily crap spewed from this Facist Pig WH. Even with the Murdoch Media working 24/7 on spin control, Bushie's approval ratings are melting. Anyone got any figs from Cali handy? Is Bush in single digits yet?

-- Impeach these crooks now (5monthsis@nuffimpeachthesecrooks.com), May 12, 2001.


I'm STILL confused, and NO one has come forward to explain whether this thread is discussing power PLANTS or power TRANSMISSION.

Anita- If I had to guess, I'd say this thread wasn't initiated to discuss either of those things. Looks to me like whoever started this thread merely mentioned power lines and power plants as an excuse to bash Bush. Then, after he discovered nobody else wanted to jump on his bandwagon, he apparently decided to post under a half-dozen other anonymous names and steered his efforts towards trying to insult anyone who didn't see things his way. Judging from his approach, I doubt this thread was initiated to "discuss" anything.

-- CD (costavike@hotmail.com), May 12, 2001.


Anita,

The report is coming out next week. I guess we can see all the details then.

This thread was started to alert Americans about the increasing encroachment of this government upon their personal freedoms. The GOP parrots are unable to see when they're own civil rights are being snatched away from them by greedy oil interests and strange men like Donald Rumsfeld.

Cheney is starting another FEMA organized "national security" group, and it was just announced today that Bush is ordering an overhaul of national security, CIA, etc.

We've already seen this administration wants to pack courts with judges that will seat politicians over the will of the people, as was done in December, and who will demolish our 4th amendment rights, as was done in March.

If you are so blinded by stupidity and greed you cannot see how this adminstration is directly threatening our freedoms, civil rights, privacy and now our private land, then god help you.

You may as well collect your marbles and go home, CD. I understand how disturbing it must be to realize the people you thought were decent are in fact greedy crooks who don't care a fig about energy costs to the public, or about citizens' private property, or even about their privacy and their rights to be free from unreasonable search and seizure. It must be a blow, but it's better to see the light now then to wake up soon in a full-blown police state, which is where we're headed, fast.

-- Wake UP! (police@state.com), May 12, 2001.


It's worse than that! We are already a police state. They are merely consolidataing their power. Their agents are everywhere. Our children are indoctrinated, miniature TV cameras and implanted chips are monitoring our activity, our product consumption is tracked. It's over, it's over!

-- (oh_no_@Mr.Bill), May 12, 2001.

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