Every day we see more property rights slip sliding away, and it's clear that this has become a systematic abuse of civil rights. Consider that "Just as slavery was an abomination to natural rights, the seizure of personal property for “public benefit” is an affront to America’s founding principles. Frederick Douglass who was born a slave believed that he owned himself and his labor. When the state takes the fruits of our labor without our consent, either through taxes or diminished property rights, they are taking part of our life that we will never get back. Conceptually, there is very little to distinguish this from slavery." [Attorney and author Timothy Sandefur explains this in great detail in his book, "Cornerstone of Liberty, Property Rights in 21st Century America."]
Here are two important cases that you should know about and follow - one right here in Whatcom County, and another nearby in Idaho - both fought by the Pacific Legal Foundation. In both cases, extreme regulation related to bogus "science" has destroyed folks' lives. Government is supposed to protect our rights, not trash them like this.
If government blocks access to your land, it has committed a taking -- Dunlap v. City of Nooksack
Pacific Legal Foundation
Contact: Brian T. Hodges
Status: Victory! Favorable decision issued October 25, 2010. Motion to publish the opinion denied on December, 2010.
Summary: Kipp and Marilyn Dunlap bought a small vacant residential lot in Nooksack, Washington with the dream of building a home there. But the city had other ideas.
Nooksack slough runs through the middle of the Dunlaps' lot, and the city declared that land adjacent to the stream an environmentally sensitive area. The city imposed mandatory buffers on both sides of the stream, making their property off limits to development without a variance. And the city stated that the only way it would consider granting the Dunlaps a variance would be if they redesigned their home to be triangular in shape, raised on stilts, and have a floor area no more than 480 square feet. The city would not allow the Dunlaps to put in a yard, garden, or even a fence. (more)
YOUR GOVERNMENT AT WORK
EPA to property owner: 'Your land is our land'
$40 million in fines pending over plan to build new home
World Net Daily
September 23, 2011
by Bob Unruh
© 2011 WND
Just imagine. You want to build a home, so you buy a $23,000 piece of land in a residential subdivision in your hometown and get started. The government then tells you to stop, threatens you with $40 million in fines and is not kidding.
That's the case now before the U.S. Supreme Court, with briefs being filed today by the Pacific Legal Foundation on behalf of a Priest Lake, Idaho, family, Chantell and Mike Sackett.
Attorney Damien Schiff, who will be arguing before the high court in the case, said it's simply a case of a government run amok, and it poses a potential threat to perhaps not every landowner across the nation, but untold millions.
"Constitutional Chaos: What Happens When the Government Breaks Its Own Laws"
The Sacketts, Schiff said, "bought property, and the government in effect has ordered them to treat the property like a public park."
"The EPA has not paid them a dime for that privilege," he said. "The regime we have operating now allows the EPA to take property without having to pay for it, or giving the owners the right to their day in court.""
The organization has prepared a video to explain the case. (more)
This struggle to hold on to our civil rights is far from over. If anything, the danger grows greater every day. It will be devastating if Whatcom County "opts-in" to the Ruckelshaus Process or if the "natural resources marketplace" rears its ugly head through actions like this ticking bomb that was just approved by County Council 7-0 on September 13, 2011. What's wrong with that? Read it again closely - real closely -- and you'll see it talks about securing “predictable water supplies and sustainable natural resources.” Who's going to do this "securing"? By whom, and how? Watch out Whatcom!
Here are two important cases that you should know about and follow - one right here in Whatcom County, and another nearby in Idaho - both fought by the Pacific Legal Foundation. In both cases, extreme regulation related to bogus "science" has destroyed folks' lives. Government is supposed to protect our rights, not trash them like this.
If government blocks access to your land, it has committed a taking -- Dunlap v. City of Nooksack
Pacific Legal Foundation
Contact: Brian T. Hodges
Status: Victory! Favorable decision issued October 25, 2010. Motion to publish the opinion denied on December, 2010.
Summary: Kipp and Marilyn Dunlap bought a small vacant residential lot in Nooksack, Washington with the dream of building a home there. But the city had other ideas.
Nooksack slough runs through the middle of the Dunlaps' lot, and the city declared that land adjacent to the stream an environmentally sensitive area. The city imposed mandatory buffers on both sides of the stream, making their property off limits to development without a variance. And the city stated that the only way it would consider granting the Dunlaps a variance would be if they redesigned their home to be triangular in shape, raised on stilts, and have a floor area no more than 480 square feet. The city would not allow the Dunlaps to put in a yard, garden, or even a fence. (more)
YOUR GOVERNMENT AT WORK
EPA to property owner: 'Your land is our land'
$40 million in fines pending over plan to build new home
World Net Daily
September 23, 2011
by Bob Unruh
© 2011 WND
Just imagine. You want to build a home, so you buy a $23,000 piece of land in a residential subdivision in your hometown and get started. The government then tells you to stop, threatens you with $40 million in fines and is not kidding.
That's the case now before the U.S. Supreme Court, with briefs being filed today by the Pacific Legal Foundation on behalf of a Priest Lake, Idaho, family, Chantell and Mike Sackett.
Attorney Damien Schiff, who will be arguing before the high court in the case, said it's simply a case of a government run amok, and it poses a potential threat to perhaps not every landowner across the nation, but untold millions.
"Constitutional Chaos: What Happens When the Government Breaks Its Own Laws"
The Sacketts, Schiff said, "bought property, and the government in effect has ordered them to treat the property like a public park."
"The EPA has not paid them a dime for that privilege," he said. "The regime we have operating now allows the EPA to take property without having to pay for it, or giving the owners the right to their day in court.""
The organization has prepared a video to explain the case. (more)
This struggle to hold on to our civil rights is far from over. If anything, the danger grows greater every day. It will be devastating if Whatcom County "opts-in" to the Ruckelshaus Process or if the "natural resources marketplace" rears its ugly head through actions like this ticking bomb that was just approved by County Council 7-0 on September 13, 2011. What's wrong with that? Read it again closely - real closely -- and you'll see it talks about securing “predictable water supplies and sustainable natural resources.” Who's going to do this "securing"? By whom, and how? Watch out Whatcom!
RSS Feed
