Americans have pride in the fact that they live in a free country. Though it’s a sentiment that’s been dying a slow death, most people still think that our country is a great bastion of capitalism, private property, and freedom of speech. But the truth is much darker. We merely have the facade of freedom. When you dig beneath the surface of that facade, you’ll find that that our markets aren’t all that free, there are certain things you can’t say, and perhaps what’s most shocking, is that we don’t truly own anything. Not in the purest sense.
Through eminent domain laws, the government can take your land for the “public good” and pay you a pittance in return. Through civil forfeiture laws, the government can take your cash, house, car, or pretty much anything else, and they can do it without due process. Do you really own anything, if the government can take it all away for the greater good, or even for no justifiable reason?
In both cases, there is really only one way to keep your property from being taken. You have to spend a lot of money in legal fees if you want to keep your stuff. Only the rich can afford to stand up to the government, and they often do just that.
In Texas for instance, a ranch owner named Monty Bennett has been fighting the Tarrant Regional Water District for seven years, and has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep them from confiscating part of his property to build a water line. Because of this case, Dallas City Councilwoman Sandy Grayson recently complained about the nature of eminent domain laws. Not because they give the government the ability to steal land from anyone, but because people like Bennett have enough money to take the government to court, and win.
“Now, other, ordinary people” she said “regular people like you and I, who can’t afford to fight the City of Dallas over an eminent domain case for years and years, I mean, we wind up getting our property taken.”
“It’s just infuriating, that if you are rich enough, you can hold the city hostage for years, and then get what you want,” she added. “There’s something really wrong with that.”
What’s truly sick about her statement, is that she acts all sad about “ordinary people” who can’t afford to fight the city, and wind up losing their land. And in the same breath, she has the gall to paint Bennett as the bad guy, just because he happens to be wealthy and savvy enough to challenge the likes of her.
Throughout the video, you can see her trying to crawl her way up to the moral high ground, but she just keeps slipping. She’s angry that the rich can avoid eminent domain, but she’s the one who’s advocating for the theft of privately owned land. If she had even a shred of decency, she would vote against every eminent domain case, regardless of how rich or poor the landowners are.
And despite her power over the livelihoods of every landowner in her city, she somehow still believes that she is “ordinary people.” How adorable is that? Until she has had her land confiscated by a heartless government, she’ll never know what it means to be like us.
Read More:
IRS In the “Civil Asset Forfeiture Game Too”: Seized $17 Million From Legal Business Owners
Gov’t Officially Steals More Than Thieves: “Civil Asset Forfeitures Exceed All Burglaries In 2014”
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Off Topic but put here for all my fellow preppers to think about. Just news that came out today in the electric industry.
Researchers: Russian hackers have developed malware that can disrupt power grids. The Washington Post (6/12, Nakashima, 11.43M) reports that according to new research published Monday, “hackers allied with the Russian government have devised a cyberweapon that has the potential to be the most disruptive yet against electric systems that Americans depend on for daily life.” The malware, which researchers have dubbed CrashOverride, is already known to have disrupted Ukraine’s energy system in December. But cybersecurity researchers with the firm Dragos warned that “with modifications, it could be deployed against U.S. electric transmission and distribution systems to devastating effect.”
USA Today (6/12, Weise, 5.28M) reports the malware is “capable of directly controlling electricity substation switches and circuit breakers and could potentially be used to turn off power distribution or to physically damage equipment used in the electricity distribution grid.” U.S. power providers are “properly alarmed,” said Sue Kelly, president and CEO of the American Public Power Association.
The AP (6/12, Satter) reports, “The malicious software has the ability to remotely sabotage circuit breakers, switches and protection relays, the reports say, a nightmare scenario for those charged with keeping the lights on.”
Reuters (6/12, Finkle) reports, “News of the discovery prompted the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to advise all critical infrastructure operators to make sure they were following recommended security practices.” DHS spokesman Scott McConnell is cited saying the department is working on the issue and will help companies identify vulnerabilities and respond to suspected breaches as the need arises. ZDNet (6/12, 151K) and the Christian Science Monitor (6/12, 387K) report similarly.
I would take that information as if Alex Jones or Dave Hodges made that report. Take it for what it is, but look at that information as bullshit first, before believing in it.
Reuters has become the new CNN on web information.
Wouldn’t put much trust into it.
As for the Article: City Council Member Outraged Because She Can’t Steal Land For Public Works: “This Guy’s Rich Enough To Fight Us For Years”
All I gotta say is … why is this guy paying off legal fees to defend on what is legal?
All I hear is that Texans don’t put up with bullshit and they are better than the rest of America … what’s going on? Why aren’t fellow Texans helping this dude out?
Texas … without a doubt is becoming a “blue state” … and most Texans don’t even see it coming … whatta shame!
I’m glad the guy is fighting them. Obviously it’s a principled objective for him. It pisses me off to no end, and that crow faced bitch proved it, that the gubmint doesn’t give a rats ass about taxpayers other than the money they confiscate. It’s just criminal. It’s painful to look at my paystubs every week seeing how much they steal. Then waste it by giving free shit to lazy pot smoking video addicted worthless fucking losers and everything else they waste it on. Both my brother and my oldest son are accountants and they know a lot about this shit, and what they tell me how the government uses all that money is fucking ridiculous. Unfucking real. And there ain’t a damn thing that anyone can do.
The PROBLEM is our public school system which has been hijacked by the LEFT. It has failed to emphasize Individual Rights, the US Constitution and Bill of Rights, while glorifying BIG government and substituting socialist values for American Values.
Patriots must push American Values while there is a patriot on the Oval Office. America is at an inflection point in its life cycle as a free nation.
Get involved where you live.
If you don’t, the LEFT will. The future direction of America is in your hands. Pursue it or lose it. Magnify your voice in a a group. Multiply your power in an organization of Patriots where you live.
Network with like minded individuals at the local level. 🙂
ENGAGE !!! 🙂
Major Texas cities are all Democrat controlled. The Ft Worth mayor is the only one I know that is a Republican. Dallas is slowly going the way of Austin, Houston and San Antonio. The pension system for the DPD and DFD is underfunded by billions of dollars. Police officers are leaving in droves for the suburbs where pay is higher. Crime is up. Police response time is up. The 911 call center is understaffed. Streets are in bad shape. Property taxes are some of the highest in the state. Board members are term limited. Two just won re-election after sitting out 2 years, so it’s business as usual. Just another typical Democrat city.
Electrical equipments protective devices or interlocks are hard wired. Shutting down parts of the system is one thing, destroying in in the process quite another.
Of course every threat is allied with Russia and the US intelligence agencies and operatives have no such capacity expressed or implied.
I don’t trust the hardware or software for the grid. I think I’ve been lied to about everything when it comes to “the man.”
Any physical contact that can chatter can produce an arc with enough (K)VA in the system, capacitance and or inductance.
Every day I worked with high voltage (10KV-20KV- 60Hz to 30KHz / mucho stored KVA and fun stuff.
One 60 cycle transformer ran at 3-3.5A draw (average) so a 20A breaker for control and transformer more than sufficed. The transformer would draw 50A for the first half cycle on power up and quickly taper off. If the transformer needed to be cycled, you couldn’t get past 4 to 5 Hz on the cycling of the transformer because the average current draw would exceed 20A and trip the breaker.
If the latching circuit were not allowed to operate on your clothes dryer, you could hold the start button until your clothes were done and probably no ill affects other than a sore finger. If you rapidly kept pushing and releasing the start button very quickly, you might trip the breaker (average current draw goes up like on the transformer ( transformers and motors are inductors )) or start to see some smoke after a minute or two from burning contacts from increased average current coupled with increased voltage (like when you unplug a running fan from the wall and see that spark jump )
Lots of damage can be done if control of a contact can be made to chatter. Solid state relays can be damaged even though no physical contacts exist.
If a work arc is drawn (where the circuit – most likely inductive and does not want its connections broken ) a high voltage tendril will attempt to bypass and jump the contacts you are opening. It can be destructive and lethal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXiOQCRiSp0
Stealing electricity is never a good idea, ask this Guy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80sRc9jPo_M
“Electrical equipments protective devices or interlocks are hard wired. Shutting down parts of the system is one thing, destroying in in the process quite another.”
Not at all. Its entirely possible to damage/destroy physical equipment via software, or even trip circuit breakers, effectively causing a physical switch to flip ‘off’. All you have to do is get the equipment to operate outside its safe parameters. Stuxnet was doing this six years ago by targeting PLC’s on Siemans equipment which is used widely.
Mike in VA,
Thank you for sharing this information!
Take care!
KY Mom
its complete non-news, shit-stirring but yeah, thanks for sharing it.
This stuff has been around for decades, starting with the HP jet direct cards infected with malware we used to shut the power off in the first gulf war. Last time I’ve seen something similar was stuxnet killing the Iranian centrifuges in 2012.
Everyone has this stuff these days. this is another “Russian Boogeyman” bs article
Well well here’s some breaking news for ya peeps. I cracked that code to eliviate any hacking into my electric power grid 28 months ago. Wanna know the secret code?
Answer: “Get off their Fckin Grid all together.” Now get busy and get your own solar power plant set up and then you got one less huge problem to worry about. Got it? Good!!
Any Constitutional Scholars here? Let me fill in a few points. A lot of this is covered under the US Constitution and the 5th Amendment, #7 Taking Clause and Just Compensation.
Via Wikipedia:
The Supreme Court has held that the federal government and each state has the power of eminent domain—the power to take private property for “public use”. The Takings Clause, the last clause of the Fifth Amendment, limits the power of eminent domain by requiring that “just compensation” be paid if private property is taken for public use.
“Just Compensation”
The last two words of the amendment promise “Just Compensation” for takings by the government. In United States v. 50 Acres of Land (1984), the Supreme Court wrote that “The Court has repeatedly held that just compensation normally, is to be measured by “the market value of the property at the time of the taking contemporaneously paid in money.” Olson v. United States, 292 U.S. 246 (1934) … Deviation from this measure of just compensation has been required only “when market value has been too difficult to find, or when its application would result in manifest injustice to owner or public.” United States v. Commodities Trading Corp., 339 U.S. 121, 123 (1950).
**Another words, they have a right to take your property for public use, but that they need to Justifiably Compensate you for the full property value, Plus some to “MAKE YOU WHOLE AGAIN”. Meaning what is it you will loose NOW and in the FUTURE, for projected values as well.
Now what these land theft clowns like to do, is create, “Inverse Condemnation,” meaning they will try to destroy your property values over time to destroy your property value, so they won’t have to pay you very much when it goes to court, like Planes flying over your house over years, to make it so unbearable to live in, that your property values decrease, then later when it goes to court, they come in and steal your property for pennies on the dollar. However, the Values can be determined by marking the Time and Date of the original Taking to compensate you, not later on after your property value has been diminished.
Case in Tampa, FL in 2004, there was a Strip Joint Owner Joe Redner, who owned this crappy Strip joint building on a causeway strip of land between Tampa and Clearwater FL. (Great Lap Dances btw/) at the Tanga Lounge. The County wanted all that land to expand their roadway for increased traffic. Most business next to his building sold out right away, the Strip joint Owner (Millionaire) Hired a Super Atty to fight this land taking. The County only wanted to pay him $1.3 Million for his property. Well he had a great case and said the value is worth Millions more, so he sued the County, and won, and in the end the State paid him something like $5 Million dollars for some $750K building, because he projected the amount of revenue from his strip joint in the next 20 to 30 years, or some figure would amount to that much. He won his case and pocketed a pile of cash. He bought another building and rents it out to the IRS in Tampa on Boy Scout Road. Another Mafia, “wink wink” deal working with the Government for I bet, some sweetheart deal or exchange for back taxes.
If You got money, you can fight this. If you are stupid and don’t know the US Constitution and your rights, you get fleeced. Its that simple.
ht tp://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2004/08/09/story1.html
I heard about this on the regular news today too. From a reputable source. Makes perfect sense that they have the capability to knock out systems.
This may News to most people, actually the ability to hack into grids has existed for several years. The only people surprised by the information in the hacking article must be people of low technical background. I haven’t read the article but it sounds like this information has been sensationalized. Europeans developed software to land a probe on a comet moving at fantastic speed from 300 millions miles away, compared to that hacking grids is merely child’s play. There is no doubt the ability to hack into all kinds of systems not only exists but has been used. It is widely believed USA and Israel hacked into Iran’s nuclear production system. I’m not making a judgement of what’s right or wrong, only that the technology has been around for awhile.
The US Government has that hack too also called “Stuxnet”
lets not forget the compromised HP jet direct cards we sold to the Iraqis 20 years ago.
Cyberwar has been going on for decades. Saying “the scary Russians have malware” is about as worrisome as saying they have guns. so does everyone else and we’ve had them for ages.
Not in this forum, but The news,I forget whether it wa 60 minutes or some other program about 10 years or more ran a report of what you posted in demonstrating the cyber capability to have power generators to run at high speed causing their motors to overheat and blow up or just lock up.
I think the program ran in conjunction with the reported poisoning of the water in a Minnesota city at a power station.
The AP (6/12, Satter) reports, “The malicious software has the ability to remotely sabotage circuit breakers, switches and protection relays, the reports say, a nightmare scenario for those charged with keeping the lights on.”
It is new to the writer and perhaps many here.
But, a great post Mike from VA
How an upstate NY town was given over to refugees – Utica, NY
“My Hometown is Gone”
http://thermidormag.com/my-hometown-is-gone/
“nor shall private property be taken for public use, without JUST compensation.”
OC
Will somebody please tell this council-lady that she is anti-American and heading toward being a communist. We work our tails off, scrimp & save, to buy a house or some property; then government fools like this think they can steal our property for the greater good. Read the Constitution and the Federalist Papers council-lady. DALLAS: you have a problem and you need to get rid of fools like this. It looks like there’s a little swamp in Dallas too.
Folks in govt. like Sandy need to be dealt with.I mean,there must be some kind of way to end tyranny like this bitches,there must be a answer…….,a way to solve the issue of people like her……,some kind of……. solution perhaps?
THE TIME HAS COME
TO ADJUST THE GOVERNMENTS SHITTY ATTITUDE
Any politician or government official who sees private property as a land trust for government uses and whims should be replaced at the first possible electoral opportunity.
I despise “elected officials” at all levels who think they are all powerful.
I watched , Black Pidgeon, Women are destroying us. A Little complicated ? But obvious? Also the Jewish question. Pretty obvious to?
“…and because they’re just an ordinary person, we take their property.”
My brain is numb. She admits the system is a jack booted thug and still sees herself as a saint. Amazing.
Queued up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13ttP7sk1eI&t=1m25s
She said that they were settling because, “in the end he would probably win”
Dallas is liberal. This is the typical liberal thugs using the power of city hall to beat down the little guy.
Why do you think City Hall is always locked down like fort knox?
If you go to pay your water bill the clerk is behind three layers of bullet proof glass. All the city offices are locked with camera looking out side. You have to get “buzzed” in.
The know they have screwed over the citizens so much that they are at risk of retaliation, and rightfully so.
But, people take their jobs home. The risk does not stop at 5:00pm.
Dallas and Austin are liberal.
Conservatively speaking-If Texas goes full libtard, we all are doomed.
IKR? Like baseball practice?
Somebody needed to remind that elected Official Lady Clown, that She took an OATH to protect and defend the US Constitution. And if she recalls that OATH taking procedure she took? If not, then remove her from office. Or Move to impeach her, because she is in violation of her oath.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Fuck these people.
Ultimate we the people are to blame. We voted these assholes into office.
What else do you expect from s politician, they are all the same,,
You can’t block TVA damn with 1000 MW of electricity because a small town is in the way. This gets particularly unjust when private property is taken by the courts because your home is blocking a private employer. The reality is that the homeowner is holding out for the lands new value and the purchaser is not accommodating that price.
dam not damn
Yes, the supreme court ruled that private property could be taken through eminent domain for “economic development”
So if a Walmart wants to build on your land, you most likely get run off.
….without ‘just compensation”?
No Sandy Grayson. There is something wrong with you.
I love this tape. It is a perfect example of the psychopathic attitude that informs these bureaucrats logic. I would like to reach into the iPhone and strangle her until she stops feeling outraged and started feeling fear, the fear that ordinary people feel when some witch with government backup causes to the poor people being driven off their property with less than fair compensation.
I am not entirely opposed to eminent domain laws. If I had the power to make law and get it enacted, I would allow it under rare occasions. But homeowners would receive double the value of their property. I think that is fair.
__
What is funny about this video is that the woman is the City Attorney and she is putting forth a “motion” for a vote.
She is not an elected official, she doesn’t get to vote or put forward motions.
Weird.
JS, that official sounds like a perfect candidate for an ‘accident’. Karma can and will be a bigger bitch than the official.
George Soros’ plan to kill American and the American church
About 15 min., if you have the time. Very good https://youtu.be/MeM_l5mkyYc?t=844
Nice video Test, but the Church is just as corrupt at the Government and those trying to destroy America, with the Church’s 501c3 charity status which will not allow them to be political. Political is what’s destroying this country. So if the church wants to make change, then Dump the 501c3 Charity status and get active in politic to make a difference. otherwise the church is just another pawn of the Government sitting in silence and counting their ill gotten loot.
Just watched a video of life in North Korea . President Trump please butcher all North Korean government employees.
After TSHTF, nobody will have to worry about eminent domain or even civil asset forfeiture. LE and even attorneys and judges will go home to look after their families and nothing will be enforced. The only ones to worry about trying to take your property in that scenario will be NONPREPPERS; gangs, strangers passing through from another area. etc. So we’ll be WROL. It will be vigilantism, no holds barred, anything goes. The great culling will begin. IT’LL BE TIME TO CLEAN HOUSE.
DB,
I’m not to sure society will go down that hard. We have too much technology, weapons, and tools. Clean house may occur, but it will be guys like you and me leading it. Prepare, take care of family, neighbors, and “know your enemy, as well as you know yourself”.
(paraphrase of Sun Tzu)
Pillar of the community? Public servant? Whatever MASK she wears. it fell off.
Skull buster can I build a solar system that does not tie into the grid myself and how much would it cost me. All solar companies want to hook your system into the grid. they said my electric bill would be reduced by 60 percent would be no$ down. So the $ I save on my electric bill would go to the cost of the system. I don’t see how this saves me $ and when I need to replace the roof they gotta take the panels down and reinstall after the roof is replaced. It would take 15 years paying on the system and if I sell the house before that I lose the so called free electric. I need a powerful system that can run a dryer a range a waterheater and central air. If I’m gonna do it it’s gotta be capable of all that plus a hot tub. No grid connection. I’m not interested in selling the leftover energy to the grid. Just want self reliance.
I’ve said it before and I will say it again. You will be taxed and or regulated into condemnation right off your property.
Many state legislators also make it illegal to get off grid because once elected they represent energy corporations and forgot about constituents.
Americans who do care about freedom and love this country are under a heightened attack. From DC shenanigans via Russian BS. To paid agitators trying to pick a fight. To constant fake news and everything is o:k propaganda go shop to keep up with the joneses. Indoctrination of youth. Corruption of elected representatives at local levels.
NGO’s, IGO’s, invaders training on US grounds which is known and approved of; just name it and the crooks are doing it!!!
When the SHTF it will be worse than stated on this site. The collapse will not be controlled as many groups think by any measure it will be a fest of rage and very very bloody.
The Fifth Amendment to the United States constitution says, in part, “…nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.” Most state eminent domain laws read similarly. So the real question is, exactly what constitutes “just compensation?” Courts seem to define it as “whatever the government says is just,” meaning, “we pay you pennies on the dollar and you ain’t got s* to say about it.” The article doesn’t say but I suspect the problem is what the city wanted to pay Bennett for the land, probably a hell of a lot less than it was worth.
Perhaps there should be a “Negotiation Board” catering to neither side.
Still think you are free, still think the Constitution is law of the land….? Keep drinking the kool aid…The brain washing is thorough and effective….Change REQUIRES conviction and personal responsibility and sacrifice, Americans no longer have that and don’t care either. They are content with their insanity, comfortable as slaves in cognitive dissonance. They can lie to themselves and be comfortable living like that. Ho hum. Its the stuff they say that is sickening..pushing their illusions on others.
Eminent Domain should be a “last ditch” effort that is used only if the Government can’t reach an agreement with the owner over a purchase price. The courts are the only resort for the property owner. Whether the Government wins or loses the case, it should reimburse the property owner for his time and legal costs.
May 9, 2017 Stealing from the Citizenry: How Government Goons Use Civil Asset Forfeiture to Rob Us Blind
In jolly old England, Robin Hood stole from the rich to give to the poor. In modern-day America, greedy government goons steal from the innocent to give to the corrupt under court- and legislature-sanctioned schemes called civil asset forfeiture.
https://youtu.be/EbF5cPaQeQk
When you watch these people, in action, there is a war of attrition, in which they steal, more and more, little by little.
I think, the landowner, should be compensated for his time and money.
The thief should be formally dispossessed and deemed legally incompetent.