TransCanada Is Seizing People’s Land To Build Keystone, But Conservatives Have Been Dead Silent

[deminks]

For Julia Trigg Crawford, watching TransCanada construct the southern leg of the Keystone XL pipeline on a corner of her 600-acre farm was “gut-wrenching.”

Crawford, who lives in Direct, Texas, had been trying since 2011 to keep the pipeline company off her property. But she ultimately lost, the portion of her land needed for the pipeline condemned through eminent domain — a process by which government can force citizens to sell their property for “public use,” such as the building of roads, railroads, and power lines. Crawford can’t wrap her head around why TransCanada, a foreign company, was granted the right of eminent domain to build a pipeline that wouldn’t be carrying Texas oil through the state of Texas.

That question — how eminent domain can be used in a case like Keystone — has some anti-Keystone groups stumped too. But the groups that usually are vocal proponents of property rights, including the Institute for Justice, have been silent when it comes to the controversial pipeline.

“I have not seen a single group that would normally rail against eminent domain speak up on behalf of farmers or ranchers on the Keystone XL route,” said Jane Kleeb, founder of the anti-Keystone group Bold Nebraska.

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/03/01/3625804/keystone-kelo-eminent-domain-property/

Cons are hypocrites? Who knew? /sarcasm off.

[marym625]

1. I have mentioned this in every response to keystone

It's such a horrendous thing. Americans losing their land so a company from another country can make more money. Horrendous!

[Plucketeer]

11. Not to menton...

the added ugly facet of possible GROSS and irreversible pollution. And it's no stretch of the imagination that the adjoining properties would be responsible for the attempt to clean up the mess. Sounds crazy to even think that as I type it out, but with the way the wealthy are barging right through our rights, our sovereignty, our very lives - it's not really a stretch to envision anything but a royal screwing!

[marym625]

12. exactly.

Frankly, I think it is over. The country we once loved is gone. For christ's sake we can't even have a decent discussion with ANYONE in the GOP anymore. At least back in the day, that was possible. You could agree to disagree, you could discuss with the possibility of one or both bending to the other's thoughts (to an extent) and the bottom line of what we all wanted was for improvement to our country.

Now, forget about it. The oligarchs have convinced people that the only way is their way, that the unbelievable, astronomical wealth they have should only be increased while the average workers should just be grateful for a job and STFU about benefits or a living wage, that privacy is not something anyone should expect, that monopolies are acceptable, that torture is righteous, that war is our god given right, that killing people on the street, especially black people, saves the country, that everyone that isn't a white, Christian is bad, that women have no right to control their body and that sexual assault is a woman's fault. Etc etc etc ad nauseum.

[Plucketeer]

14. The really SAD thing is that WE let things get like this.

We did so thru determined apathy and indifference. Not that's it's an excuse, but I wasn't even interested in what we got from our government(s) until I was in my 50s. I wish I had cared decades earlier. Now - with the elephant full grown - it's a daunting challenge to think I/we might provoke it to get off of us!

[marym625]

15. I said that in post once,

That we're all to blame, even though I have been protesting, writing letters, calling, going to meetings, since before I was a teenager. Man did I catch shit.

The apathy and ass kissing of the people in office since Reagan are to blame. And we are for re electing them.

[JEB]

2. Property rights studs all got limp dicks on this one.

[V0ltairesGh0st]

3. what?

So they continue with their plans even though it's been vetoed ? Are they waiting for the overide to be successful , becuase it won't be. What then ..... seize the land anyway to be hateful bastards .... yeah... i can see that.

[CanonRay]

4. No, actually they have been cheerleading

So much for individual rights. They have no principles when the $$$$ is concerned.

[Enthusiast]

5. I have another word for eminent domain for a foreign corporation. Fascism.

It is not sort of Fascism. It is precisely Fascism. How do you like it? Just wait.

You will all get your chance to see it up close if they manage to force the TTP and TTIP on us.

[Plucketeer]

10. you said it!

Keystone XL will look like puppy's play if those looming trade agreements are forced down our throats!

[hifiguy]

6. Your rights end when they conflict with a corporation's desire for profit

begins. It's a reichwing article of faith.

[Grins]

7. Kelo v. City of New London

I'm so old I remember Kelo v. City of New London (CT) before the Supremes where Kelo sued the city because they allowed a 'taking' of private property in favor of a private developer. The city won and Reich-wings heads all over the screech-o-sphere EXPLODED! For weeks.

But, hey. This is oil we're talkin' about.

[annabanana]

13. yep

Isn't this the one where it was suggested that the home town of one of the offending justices be "eminent domained" just to let him know the real-life consequences of their ruling?

[lark]

8. Repugs don't care about our laws or our citizens.

They only care about makign the 1% even richer, which Keystone XL accomplishes. Kochs alone were predicted to get $400,000 per year from this, so of course all Koch whores don't care that Canada takes Americans lands and pretend to be ignorant of this issue.


Totally typical.

[El Shaman]

9. We, in Tejas, have a history:

http://www.libertysblog.com/2006/04/trans-texas-corridor-land-grab-comming.html

[jwirr]

16. The railroads did the same thing but the difference is that the farmers got something out of the

railroad deal - transportation. We get nothing out of the keystone pipeline deal.