I had my issues with Sandra Day O’Connor, but “her scathing dissent in Kelo v New London” was admirable. The passing of the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States got me thinking about a book review I wrote way back in early 2009, when my column ran in several Connecticut newspapers.
Enjoy!
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Liberty-lovers have a difficult time finding dogs to back in today’s public-policy fights.
Raise taxes, or print money? This ineffective reform of government schools, or that ineffective reform of government schools? A corporate-welfare giveaway, or a perk for Big Labor?
It’s not often that libertarians are presented with a struggle that pits noble freedom-fighters against a gang of sleazy, selfish, spiteful bullies.
Jeff Benedict’s Little Pink House describes one such battle — and it took place in Connecticut.
Benedict’s 396-page tome, just released by Grand Central Publishing, chronicles the Fort Trumbull neighborhood’s struggle against the New London Development Corporation (NLDC). It’s a straightforward narrative that devotes little attention to constitutional and economic issues. Benedict sticks to the personal stories of the participants. Many will find his approach superficial. But Little Pink House reminds readers that beneath the demonstrations, hearings, lawsuits, and press coverage, human lives are impacted — and often destroyed — by public-sector “visionaries.”
Susette Kelo’s home, a two-bedroom with a fabulous view of New London Harbor she bought in 1997, had the unfortunate fate of being located in the heart of one of Connecticut’s most ambitious “redevelopment” schemes. Launched by future federal jailbirds John Rowland and Peter Ellef, the project was a “partnership” with drug manufacturer Pfizer: The corporation would build its new research and development headquarters in the city, in exchange for the state ponying up tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to “facilitate” the development of a hotel, conference center, health club, and housing units. (Despite the company’s denials, Pfizer was to be the primary beneficiary of the new amenities.)
The NLDC, a dormant entity the Rowland administration revived to oversee the development, wasn’t going to let the fact that hundreds of privately owned properties already existed at Fort Trumbull stand in the way. It bought off the residents willing to leave, and eventually condemned holdouts’ properties under the state’s overly broad eminent-domain law. Millions of Americans know the rest — Kelo v. City of New London eventually went before the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2005, five justices sided with the corporacrats, and ruled it was constitutionally permissible to seize private property if it was to be given to someone or something that could generate more tax revenue.
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