Letter in the Voice of People Sunday's Sun..

Few concepts have been more important - yet perpetually maligned - for human survival than the concept of private-property rights. Since at least the time of Aristotle, the superiority of private property over collective ownership in generating incentives to use scarce resources effectively has been recognized. It was a core idea of American revolutionaries like Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and George Washington. Our nation arose when ordinary citizens reacted to the overreach of government - in defense of their rights and the simple idea that any government funded by the people should respect its citizenry, act appropriately toward them and protect their freedom, not usurp it.

So must we. We as private-property owners are given a "bundle of rights" - the right to sell, our discretion to mortgage, to rent, to lease, to give life estates to whom we want and much more. However, the path that San Bernardino is leading us on is a path that paves over the dreams, hard work and foresight of those who live here now.

If you ever bought a property, or intended to, in order to leave it to your children, you must be worried about the uses of eminent domain subscribed to by San Bernardino. Developers have been using the "threat of eminent domain" for too long. Never again should it be said, "If you do not sell at this price, we will take it through the city's right of eminent domain." Never again should we, as property owners, be forced to live under the threat of losing something we have spent our whole life to get. Never again should we spend sleepless nights and wonder if we will have a place to leave our children. The erosion of our property rights stops here with Proposition 90. I look forward to the day when we all can walk up to the doors of city hall and post our rights as land owners - rights we have spent most of our lives to achieve.

PAUL CHRISTOPHER ADAMS

San Bernardino


Gramps Says:

It is important for ALL who Live in a City, the Measure being proposed is a protection from the COUNTY from using EMINENT DOMAIN to acquire property. It does not protect your property from a City trying to take your land, or to force you to sell to a particular developer.

The City of Grand Terrace Needs a Restriction on the Use of Eminent Domain equal to that of the County Measure, or to the Measure Provided to the Council by Cindi Bidney. It is time to make Property Rights a Right for All Citizens in Grand Terrace. It is not just to protect Jo Stringfield's Property. It is every property and business owner who should be protected.

Currently, Only Councilman Jim Miller has expressed a desire to Protect Property Rights for All Citizens in Grand Terrace. None of the other Council Members have voiced a desire to change the City Ordinance which allows Eminent Domain to be use. None of the Council Members have Directed the RDA Director/City Manager to NOT use the Threat of Eminent Domain to advance a Private Development.

The women on the council, repeat almost in unison... we didn't take Jo's House. BUT, these women did not change the Ordinance to Prohibit the same actions of the City Manager/RDA Director in the future.

YOUR PROPERTY IS STILL AT RISK IN THE CITY OF GRAND TERRACE

WE NEED COUNCIL MEMBERS TO PROTECT OUR PROPERTY RIGHTS

FOR ALL OF GRAND TERRACE CITIZENS