Eminent Domain Awareness: A Proposal

[Flyboy]

I'm looking for volunteers.

I got an idea today (I think I hit my head) that I think will push Kelo back into the limelight. I don't want to go into too much detail yet (mostly because I'm still working out a lot of the details), but, as of now, I'm accepting essays and news items for a new site about eminent domain abuse. This is going to be coupled with public distribution of flyers (which will be published so that anybody else can use them as well), and I'm discussing a few other ideas as well. I'll be posting details here in the next day or two as things shape up, but, as of now, I can tell you all that I need:

Essays--Economic analysis, legal analysis, human interest, whatever. If you can write, go for it. Copyright will, of course, stay with you. pax, think you can find that pen again?
News--Know of eminent domain abuse? Tell me about it. Even if the taking is reasonable, but the payment is fishy, I can probably use it.
Sample letters--Writing your elected representatives? Send me a copy of the letter and I'll post it as a sample.
Money--Of course. We're probably going to use Pair Networks' Advanced hosting plan, which will run about $18/mo, plus a $30 setup fee.
Research--If you know of something and can give me details, great. If you have access to good sources that you can use to research cases I'm given, also great.
Warm bodies--The flyers won't distribute themselves!

Everything will be made freely available for anybody else who wants to use the materials.

If you're interested in helping, or just want more info, PM me, or e-mail me at eminentdomain@barefootclown.net (no, I'm not going to host this on my personal domain). Feel free to repost this elsewhere, send it in e-mail, and give out my contact info.

We (several friends and I) are working under a little bit of a time crunch here (will explain soon), so if you're interested, please act quickly.

Okies, particularly central Oklahoma: I need you guys most of all!

Watch this space for the next couple of days for more details as we flesh things out. If this works, it has the potential to be very cool.

[fjolnirsson]

I'll pass out flyers. I'll hand them out at the wife's dance studio, as well. Let me know.

[Database]

I've cross posted this over at freerepublic.com. There are a lot of threads on the eminent domain issue as well as others affecting property rights. The proposal is on this thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1432854/posts

Database

[Flyboy]

OK, here's where we stand so far:

The website is tentatively called eminentdisaster.org (we're still open to suggestions, and still debating .com/.org; might just do both). We intend to post

1. Articles detailing why this is a bad idea--economic analysis, legal analysis, and human-interest stories, like that of Wilhemina Dery--and anything else we can do to explain the problems
2. Examples of abuse, both of abuse of authority (shouldn't be taken at all), and abuse of implementation (lowballing values, etc.)
3. Personal stories. The more sympathetic, the better.
4. List of abusers--Wal*Mart, NYT, Pfizer, and friends will be featured prominently here. Pfizer will probably get their more common products listed as well (didn't realize Benadryl, Listerine, Neosporin, Rolaids, and Sudafed are all theirs; time to switch to another brand)
5. Contact info for corporate abusers and politicians. Right now, I'm shooting for OK, but if others want to provide their own state/local info, we'll be glad to include it
6. Sample letters to politicians
7. Links to groups and lawyers fighting eminent domain abuse, particularly lawers who specialize in it
8. Anything else we can think of that seems relevant

Of course, a website means nothing. We have to get people to come visit to do any good; that's where the flyer campaign comes in. We're coming up with flyers right now that will look like eviction notices, at least on the front. As a general concept, we're discussing something like this:

City of Anytown, USA
NOTICE OF CONDEMNATION AND EVICTION
You are hereby ordered to vacate these premises. This property has been given to a developer; your home will be bulldozed to make way for a new
[ ] Office complex
[ ] Health club
[x] Wal*Mart
[ ] Luxury condominium
[ ] BMW dealer
[ ] Marina

The Supreme Court recently ruled in Kelo v. New London that your home can be confiscated and given to developers as long as they promise to pay more taxes than you do. If you have any questions, visit http://www.eminentdisaster.org

That's just a concept, but it'll be similar to that. The flyers will be in the public domain, and the site will (ideally) be nationwide in its coverage. The copyright to anything submitted will, of course, remain with the submitter, as will the rights to use it elsewhere.

The plan is to have everybody in the city wake up to one of these "eviction notices" on his home or business door on the Fourth of July.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Submissions? Donations? Y'all know how to find me.

[Flyboy]

Suggestions I've had for the domain name:
eminentdisaster (mine)
eminentdanger
edfight (easier to remember and spell)

Others?

[TrybalRage]

Just let me know what I can do to help.

[tyme]

I think eminentdanger is a bad idea. It's too close to imminent danger, which is a much more common phrase.

[Flyboy]

I think eminentdanger is a bad idea. It's too close to imminent danger, which is a much more common phrase.

...which is precisely the association I was trying to make.

Current progress:
Much research done, much left to do. Got a list of Pfizer products; I'm now compiling a list of alternatives for each from non-ED-abusing companies.
One article written, a few more in progress.
One sample letter written, a few more in progress.
Webhosting purchased, software being installed.
About a dozen volunteers for flyer distribution; flyer should be done by the end of the day.

To do:
More research.
More letters. Federal and state officials, letters to the editor, letters to Pfizer (et al.) explaining why you will never buy their products again.
More articles. If anybody here knows economics better than me (almost definitely), and wants to write an article on the economic impact of this decision (are banks going to want to make mortgage loans if the property can be seized for a fraction of the loan value?), I really need one (or more). And anything else you want to write.
Personal stories. If you know anybody who's had his home seized, especially for questionable reasons, I can use it. Ditto for below-value stories. Bonus points if the city ended up not developing the land after they took it.

This really is going to happen, folks; I encourage all of you to get involved.

[DRZinn]

I'm in. I don't have a lot of free time, but I'll do what I can. Email me.

[dasmi]

I am also in. I'll do what I can. davemsmith@gmail.com

[Igloodude]

You might check out http://www.castlecoalition.org/ as they've been dealing with this fight for a while.

[Flyboy]

OK, the rough draft of the flyer is done (PDF format); have a look and tell me what you think. It'll be printed front and back, probably on pink paper.

[Flyboy]

I'm familiar with the Castle Coalition, and the Institute for Justice. I've drawn heavily from their research, and I'll be linking prominently to both of them, as well as some stuff they haven't done (so far as I've seen, anyway).

[ravinraven]

I haven't read all the posts in detail so this may have been covered. I think that any "Property Piracy" action notices should be accompanied with a full dossier [sp?] on each thiefing bastid who is participating in the operation. Their address, phone no's, hobbies, where their kids go to school, where they vacation. Everything should be there.

Give theiving bastids and their supporters the creeps. Maybe they can be "scared straight."

rr

[erikm]

Flyboy,
How about an A2 or maybe A1 sized poster of a door section with a notice tacked to it? The notice would be more or less like the one you proposed:

City of Anytown, USA
NOTICE OF CONDEMNATION AND EVICTION
You are hereby ordered to vacate these premises. This property has been given to a developer and will be bulldozed to make way for a new
[ ] Office complex
[ ] Health club
[ ] Mall
[ ] Gas station
[ ] Luxury condominium
[ ] BMW dealer
[ ] Marina

Signed: City manager

The 'purpose' would be indicated with a large red checkmark.

A footer would give the extra explanation and URL. Be sure to give the poster a white border.

To this outsider, it appears that the 'land of the free and home of the brave' is rapidly becoming 'the land of the fee and home of the slave'.


Cheers and good luck,
ErikM