This video is inspiring and a sign that out of the ashes of tyrannical theft and pillage can emerge a real movement towards greater freedom.

You can read all about the progress made in the 5 years since the Kelo case at the Institute for Justice. When I saw in the video that my home state of New Jersey was not listed in the 43 states which changed their laws in response to the outrage, I was disappointed but not surprised. New Jersey is second only to New York in being a fascistic nightmare for liberty and property. But then read this in the report:

Moreover, the New Jersey Supreme Court implicitly rejected Kelo while also curtailing the use of redevelopment and blight as an excuse for private development. New Jersey has historically been one of the worst states in the country—its municipalities seem to all be addicted to eminent domain for private projects.  But the New Jersey Supreme Court decision in Gallenthin ruled that local governments could not declare areas blighted simply because they are “stagnant or not fully productive,” which was essentially the argument for taking the land in Kelo in the hope of improving the local economy.  Gallenthin, along with appeals court decisions emphasizing the importance of real evidence and procedural due process in challenging redevelopment designations, have totally changed the eminent domain landscape for home and small business owners in New Jersey.

If New Jersey can move in the direction of liberty, any government can. Well, any government other than the bankrupt goons in New York. I think it’s time for my workplace neighbors in the Empire State to put on some real pressure…

…but what the hell do I know?