And so it begins...

From Texas Insider:

Acie Frizzell owns a couple of vacant lots in the City of Freeport. The city attorney has told her that if she won’t sell her lots as part of a planned economic development project, the city will condemn her land at the price of $100 per lot. The lots might then be turned over to a private developer.

On the other side of town, Wright Gore is the owner of Western Seafood Company. The city also wants to condemn part of his property — 330 feet along the old Brazos River — and turn it over to his next door neighbor to build a marina. Gore says the condemnation threatens the viability of his $40 million-a-year business.

Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has issued its decision in the Kelo case, the city says it will move “aggressively” to condemn this and other property necessary for the development. (full story)

The land grabs have begun.

Unfortunately (but not unexpectedly) Justice O'Connor's prophecy that "the specter of condemnation hangs over all property" is coming true. Are economic development projects tax coffers really worth sacrificing a person's home? A successful, private business? We know the Supremes and the greedy municipal governments of the world think so.

I fear this is just a hint of what's to come...