The Kelo Calamity

Paul Craig Roberts says Kelo is worse than you thought:

The Kelo decision created fundamentally new inroads into private property. Prior to Kelo, zoning authorities could restrict what could be built in specific locations, but they had no power to assemble or disassemble land parcels. Thus has Kelo greatly enhanced the reach of government planning.

The Kelo decision also further corrupts government by creating another avenue of payoffs to public officials in exchange for their power to alter property ownership in behalf of private interests.

Libertarians are correct that the source of the mischief comes from the government’s power to take private property for public use. "Public use" is an elastic concept. Originally, public use meant roads and bridges. With time and technology the concept expanded to electric power companies serving public purpose.

Lew Rockwell.com