Ken Salazar ('s office) on Eminent Domain

I sent an email to Ken Salazar, one of Colorado's Senators, regarding eminent domain. I actually wrote to all of them and CC'd the prez, but Ken was the only one who's written me back. It was a good reply, so I thought it'd be worth posting here:
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Dear [me]:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the Supreme Court's decision in Kelo et al v. City of New London. I appreciate hearing from you.

As you know, the Supreme Court recently ruled that the government of the City of New London, CT has the right to take control of property for use in private development, affirming the concept that fostering economic development is an appropriate use of the government's power of eminent domain. Earlier decisions by the federal courts had limited such condemnations to properties in blighted neighborhoods. I have serious concerns about the potential impact of this ruling. At the same time, I respect the Court's authority in rendering its decision.

Fortunately, however, the Court's ruling preserved the right of state and local governments to limit the use of eminent domain. The "fix" to this ruling is simply to prohibit, by local ordinance, statute or state constitutional provision the exercise of eminent domain by government that the New London ruling allows. In fact, many local and state laws already restrict the exercise of eminent domain and the Court's ruling has no effect on those laws. For example, Colorado law restricts the government condemnation of property for redevelopment by private businesses to cases involving economic blight. Colorado state government remains free to limit its exercise of eminent domain even further, if it, or Colorado's citizens by ballot initiative, choose to do so.

Again, thank you for contacting me.


Sincerely,

Ken Salazar
United States Senator

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Note that as a state issue, while Congress can do something about it nationally, Ken has no control beyond that over what happens here in Colorado. Maybe it's more worthwhile for us to contact our local city officials and ask them to push some state legislation restricting eminent domain?

We're back from the vacation today. Here's a picture of me driving a boat. Something's really wrong with my neck here, because I totally thought I was sitting straight up.