EMINENT DOMAIN REVISITED - Midwest Book Review

I am very grateful that the benchmark publication for small presses has reviewed my book and found it worthy. Their end statement is that the book "is highly recommended for any biography collection and for anyone who wants a look at the shadier practices of the government against it's own citizens."

This was echoed in the intro given by Amazon when it appeared there on the review site for the book. It also moved the book to the first page when one searches for 'eminent domain' on Amazon.

You can read the full review on my site http://www.jeanboggio.com/, on Amazon, or on the site of Midwest Book Review www.midwestbookreview.com then click on their Small Press heading.

The fact that this prestigious review source as well as others have focused on the eminent domain aspect of STOLEN FIELDS, has given me a mandate to become involved. I intend to do so. I'm not sure where this will lead at present, but it will surely lead to another book in time.

I have resisted involvement in the past because I owe a debt of gratitude to eminent domain as I would not be here if my grandfather had not lost the Neville Island farm. My mother would never have met my father. So much of our existence is chance.

But that doesn't negate the wrongness of this practice when it's invoked for the gain of big business.

I understand that there are times when the government might need certain properties to create some entity that will benefit the many, in which case they should give just remuneration to the property owner. That seemed to be the case when the Neville Island farms were taken ostensibly to build a munitions factory. But why then, when the war ended, couldn't the farmers just get their land back in exchange for the pittance they had been paid? The Hamilton family was more than willing to lend their land to the government -- that offer was rejected. Because other interests were at work. Big business was the big winner.

I was reading a little today about the details of the Kelo case in New London, CT. The developers will be able to lease the land obtained from Kelo through eminent domain, for $1.00 per year for 99 years. The city will own the land, while the developer builds and sells houses and commercial buildings on it. The new owners will never own the land. That means the city can step in and take those houses to build something else that strikes their fancy! Amazing! And people stand for this!

Please write your comments, contact me, whatever it takes. The people of this country need to understand that this has been going on since our country was founded and it is no different today -- except that the terms become more outlandish! Contact me. I will get back to you.