The Real Sporer has learned that former Rep. Ed Fallon (D), an unsuccessful candidate for Governor last year and current Republican Representatives Jeff Kaufmann (Wilton) and Jodi Tymeson (Winterset) are holding a public press conference, that sounds more like a rally with reporters invited, tomorrow, September 18 on the West steps of the Statehouse. I hear the event kicks off at 1:30 in the afternoon.
The eminent domain debate certainly created strange alliances and tomorrow’s has to be among the strangest. However, strange as it may seem to find Jeff Kaufmann on the same side as Ed Fallon, their pairing, along with the ever-congenial Jodi Tymeson, evidences the widespread rejection of the overreaching eminent domain powers for which Gov. Culver and the Democrat legislative leadership are always in search.
Outside of a few large corporate oligarchs and overweening government commissars, few Iowans support the Democrats unlimited eminent domain power in the hands of government is a good idea. The idea that a man’s (or woman’s or transgender’s or whatever other mutations of language and biology the 21st Century brings) is their castle is as much a part of our concept of ordered liberty as is the idea of free speech.
The eminent domain powers of the sovereign (King George III in this instance) were a very sore spot for the Founding Fathers. While all rational thinkers acknowledge that the small “s” state must sometime take private property for public use (that’s how roads are built) it is quite a different proposition for the state to take property because it thinks that some other private citizen may make a better use of the same property. However, one’s perspective might change if you are among the small number of people who personally and directly benefit from the government’s ability to obtain and provide desired property.
The Iowa House rejected the Vilsack eminent domain overreach by a vote of 91-8 back in July of 06. Polk County Democrat Jo Oldson, whose husband is, and I know this will floor you with surprise; a lobbyist, supports taking your house and giving it to her husband’s fast growing suburban clients like Coralville and West Des Moines. More surprisingly, Walt Tomenga voted to sustain the veto. I am told Walt is retiring this year so that leaves Jo Oldson as the only Polk County representative to support unlimited eminent domain.
Another interesting vote in favor of government taking private property and giving it to other, “better”, private citizens is Jack Hatch. Hatch is one of only eight Senators to vote to unleash the full eminent domain appetite of government. Jack is kind of the anti-Fallon in the public integrity department. Not surprisingly, Jack has become a real estate developer, who finds himself the direct or ultimate recipient of significant government largess. Just think of what Jack could do if his cronies on the Democrat City Council and the Democrat Board of Supervisors could quite literally take property from anyone and give it to Jack for a housing development. That kind of power is like John Mauro and the rest of the CIETC gang on confiscatory steroids.
Please drop by the Golden Dome tomorrow and defend your castle. Public service and democracy working properly are rare visitors in that neighborhood these days and we should see them when we can.
The eminent domain debate certainly created strange alliances and tomorrow’s has to be among the strangest. However, strange as it may seem to find Jeff Kaufmann on the same side as Ed Fallon, their pairing, along with the ever-congenial Jodi Tymeson, evidences the widespread rejection of the overreaching eminent domain powers for which Gov. Culver and the Democrat legislative leadership are always in search.
Outside of a few large corporate oligarchs and overweening government commissars, few Iowans support the Democrats unlimited eminent domain power in the hands of government is a good idea. The idea that a man’s (or woman’s or transgender’s or whatever other mutations of language and biology the 21st Century brings) is their castle is as much a part of our concept of ordered liberty as is the idea of free speech.
The eminent domain powers of the sovereign (King George III in this instance) were a very sore spot for the Founding Fathers. While all rational thinkers acknowledge that the small “s” state must sometime take private property for public use (that’s how roads are built) it is quite a different proposition for the state to take property because it thinks that some other private citizen may make a better use of the same property. However, one’s perspective might change if you are among the small number of people who personally and directly benefit from the government’s ability to obtain and provide desired property.
The Iowa House rejected the Vilsack eminent domain overreach by a vote of 91-8 back in July of 06. Polk County Democrat Jo Oldson, whose husband is, and I know this will floor you with surprise; a lobbyist, supports taking your house and giving it to her husband’s fast growing suburban clients like Coralville and West Des Moines. More surprisingly, Walt Tomenga voted to sustain the veto. I am told Walt is retiring this year so that leaves Jo Oldson as the only Polk County representative to support unlimited eminent domain.
Another interesting vote in favor of government taking private property and giving it to other, “better”, private citizens is Jack Hatch. Hatch is one of only eight Senators to vote to unleash the full eminent domain appetite of government. Jack is kind of the anti-Fallon in the public integrity department. Not surprisingly, Jack has become a real estate developer, who finds himself the direct or ultimate recipient of significant government largess. Just think of what Jack could do if his cronies on the Democrat City Council and the Democrat Board of Supervisors could quite literally take property from anyone and give it to Jack for a housing development. That kind of power is like John Mauro and the rest of the CIETC gang on confiscatory steroids.
Please drop by the Golden Dome tomorrow and defend your castle. Public service and democracy working properly are rare visitors in that neighborhood these days and we should see them when we can.
2 comments:
This has the potential to realign the parties. This isn't a D or R issue, as we found out. Even D's don't like robbing poor peter to pay rich paul. How do you suppose Gov Chetty plans to spend his $100 million pot o' gold? Who's property is going to get taken in the name of "energy"?
Let's drill in ANWR before we steal Grandma's farm for an ethanol plant.
funny how no mainstream media talk about oldson/hatch connections and how they stand to PROFIT from being in a postion of power.
let the polk county corruption continue....
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