Eminent Domain

Michelle Peccia

Jim Sullivan

English 100

19 May 2006

This Land is My Land

Eminent domain has become problematic in the State of California. Under the Fifth Amendment, it states, "private property shall not be taken for public use, without just compensation." (Thomas Findlaw). Due to these few words under the Constitution, this law enables city government, in the State of California, the power of eminent domain. Eminent domain is taking property from one owner and transferring it to another, if the State determines that it is in the best interest of the general public. Traditionally, (for the interests of the general public) our local government used their eminent domain authority to build airports, highways, hospitals, reservoirs, schools, and other public projects to eliminate blight (Greenhut). (Blight is a description of a piece of property that is obscene or decaying, causing the property value to go down within a community.) Recently, a bill for a new law was introduced to California's State Constitution, which broadened the definition of "public use," giving the government of California a wider range of eminent domain. This new bill has created a lot of turmoil within the State. There are three reasons why this new bill is bad for California. Firstly, eminent domain creates mental anguish. When a person's