Land Rip-offs???

**highlands** · #21 03/14/10, 04:42 PM

My cousins had eminent domain done to them destroying their dairy farm. Some local real estate developer wanted the land. They didn't want to sell. He managed to get the highway moved 50' east when widening it (it could have gone west into the corn field instead) and a turnout put in for the school to "make it safer". Such an unfortunate thing that the turnout had to be situated right where my cousins' house and barn was. [SARCASM OFF] This destroyed their farm and they had to sell the land. He bought the land and put in an industrial complex making millions of dollars. In essence he used the town council to force a sale he wanted. Dastardly and evil.

Eminent domain should only be able to be pulled on something that is a total national crisis situation and even then the unwilling seller should be paid at least three times the market price. Never should it get used for minor things or private interests.

fatrat · #22 03/14/10, 05:50 PM

Well we the people voted the fools in government into office that take our land. It doesn't matter what party you support or voted for. Both political partys are guilty of it and niether seems to care. It's all about power and wealth for the ruling class. If we don't vote them out of office then they will continue to abuse the law and us.

digApony · #23 03/14/10, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arabian knight

And THE ONLY reason the government wants to buy that much "extra" land, is because it contains a huge amount of oil reserves~!
And that way it can Stop Any company from drilling for our OWN OIL~!
We should be doing more oil drilling more oil wells from our OWN oil on our OWN land.

In NL Michigan along the W shore, oil was discovered and natural gas. At first some private land owners got rich. (In that area the state owns a lot of land, and forests.) However, the state soon began to figure out how to drill the oil right out from underneath the private land owners. It's almost impossible to get mineral rights when you buy now. Previous owners won't pass them on. Also, I have a close friend who had several oil wells on his property, he made a fair amount of money, but the government socked it to him with taxes and after 25 years he's still paying.

It's a crime. digApony

salmonslayer · #24 03/14/10, 06:49 PM

Quote:

That means it's open for hunting, hiking and is managed for tree production. I'm glad to see my taxes spent on something useful.

Not federal forests or range/grazing land anymore. Most of Alaska is now locked up even for citizen access.

fatrat · #25 03/14/10, 06:54 PM

Now days I no longer vote for anyone who is in office. If they are in I vote them out. Even the few good politicians don't seem to have much backbone. Vote them all out of office. If they have ever held a public office before don't ever vote for them again. Purge the halls of Congress, your state legislature and local city or town hall. That is the only way these fools in government will ever be stopped. Vote all of them out forever. Never let them hold office again anywhere ever.

Old Vet · #26 03/14/10, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishhead

I've never seen where state or federal government has bought land and then prevented the public from accessing it unless it's a military facility or something like that. I'm glad to see land remain in public ownership. That's one thing that sets the US apart from most of the world. Regular citizens can access large areas of relatively undisturbed land.

Our state buys land is set to buy more but nearly all of it is kept in working forest status. That means it's open for hunting, hiking and is managed for tree production. I'm glad to see my taxes spent on something useful.

You need to come to Arkansas and go to the upper National Buffalo River where the only persons allowed are the park rangers and scientist with a guide.

Old Vet · #27 03/14/10, 10:00 PM

When it became necessary to build Camp Robinson near North Little Rock the owners let the government have the land on the condition that if any part of it was used for anything else it would return to them. this all came up when the Hi-way would cross the Camp and it was decided not to allow it. Should have keep my mouth shut so I would inherit some of it.

digApony · #28 03/15/10, 05:51 AM

I've never seen where state or federal government has bought land and then prevented the public from accessing it

The Platte River in Michigan. Many home owners along the river are severely restricted as to what they can build on their property and do to their homes. If a tree falls across the river it stays there; for example. So forget about getting that canoe out and spending a nice day on the river. And if the river re-routes as a result and decides to do it on your land the state owns "your" river.

fishhead · #29 03/15/10, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by salmonslayer

Not federal forests or range/grazing land anymore. Most of Alaska is now locked up even for citizen access.

When I lived in AK virtually everywhere I went was open to citizen access.

fishhead · #30 03/15/10, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by digApony

I've never seen where state or federal government has bought land and then prevented the public from accessing it

The Platte River in Michigan. Many home owners along the river are severely restricted as to what they can build on their property and do to their homes. If a tree falls across the river it stays there; for example. So forget about getting that canoe out and spending a nice day on the river. And if the river re-routes as a result and decides to do it on your land the state owns "your" river.

That's not the same as saying the the public can't access public lands. There's a lot of misconception about public lands and what is allowed. I've seen very few places where the public wasn't allowed to walk on public land.

digApony · #31 03/15/10, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishhead

That's not the same as saying the the public can't access public lands. There's a lot of misconception about public lands and what is allowed. I've seen very few places where the public wasn't allowed to walk on public land.

Only the River is public and the banks. The entire River shore is privately owned. So ya, I could jump off the bridge and walk or canoe down it; if I can dodge the trees, but the fish are protected because COHO Salmon make their up stream run and the state has a good business going with Salmon egg sales. And if you were a private land owner would you want me invading your privacy by walking through the state's river that just happens to run across your front yard? Wet lands, lakes and rivers are mostly owned by the state. Using buckshot is to be banned because of the lead leaching into the water, by those nasty duck hunters. Deer hunting in state or county forests costs you a fortune... including hunting or fishing on public lands.

So I don't see how any of that allows someone to freely access public land. The DNR has pretty much choked it off. Moreover, I have land that has now become a part of a Dune Conservetory... without "asking" me as the owner of that land. What's next with that??? Is the state going to take that as well and make it a big "tree - hugger" tourist attraction? ...While they allowed a private golf course to be built on the southern dune... which did by removing a thin layer of top-soil and small growth that held the dune, caused a very large dune to partially slide into Lake Michigan. The state never made the golf course clean up that mess either. Oh well. That sounds right. The golfers can golf all day and take a nice hike across my dune and MY land and take lots of pretty pictures. The state doesn't mind at all telling private land owners what they can or can't do... nor do they mind siezing YOUR land.

I think it is a big concern. And I think the person who started this thread is presenting a good point and bringing attention to an important issue.

digApony