I like talk radio. I can't help it. It is the only way to keep up with the obscure news stories that the national media doesn't report on. This morning, as I sipped my too-sweet Dunkin Donuts coffee, I flipped the radio dial to Neal Bortz. Now, I'll be honest. Sometimes he annoys the crap out of me and I can only spend 45 seconds listening to him before I begin shouting my dissent at the radio. Yes, I look like a raving lunatic doing so, but hey, its my car.
Imagine my suprise this morning when I found myself nodding along in agreement with him. He was discussing the supreme court decision to destroy our property rights. He brought up a little town called Freeport, Texas. Here is the background Mr. Bortz gave. Freeport is a small town that doesn't have very much commercial draw. Most of its inhabitants travel to surrounding towns to do their shopping and leisure activities. The Mayor of Freeport is unhappy with this system and wants his citizens spending their money in town. His solution? A marina, which he hopes will draw tourism, hotels, shopping, etc. to the area. However, the mayor wants the marina built on a prime piece of real estate that is currently inhabited by several privately owned seafood companies.
On Thursday, this mayors dream came true. By Friday he had his team of lawyers drawing up the necessary paperwork to seize this property from these private companies to be turned around for private use. Sure, it is only one small town with one corrupt mayor. It could never happen in our town. People need to wake up. We are so concerned with Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes and who the next American Idol is going to be that we are having our rights taken away from us right under our noses and nobody is putting up a fight! Some people are up in arms about this decision right now, but when election time rolls around, are they going to be at their local debates, asking the important questions of their elected officials? Are they going to be at the polls? Nope, they'll be at home watching the Jenna Jameson version of "The Apprentice" (on Fox of course).
It is just a matter of time. Before long, those contractors and companies that have donated big to campaigns are going to be knocking on the mayoral office door demanding that their backs be scratched too. The American public needs to get out to the polls and vote. It is the only way to guarantee that our backs are more important than the corporations.
Link to Freeport,TX information: http://www.scandalinfreeport.com/ (apparently there have been problems with Eminent Domain in this town for a while)
Link to Neal Bortz website: http://boortz.com/nuze/index.html
