Welcome to the Future!
Land ownership is to Texans like blue is to the sky. Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) needs to move water around to meet supply demands. The project is expected to cost $2.3 Billion in tax revenues.
Two big flags in this fact pattern:
The land TRWD needs is owned by private citizens who want to…
The Railroad Commission is in the midst of controversial rule making about which entities qualify as common carriers, because of last session’s HB 2748.
Texas needs to move its rich oil and gas resources around the state and country. Moving oil and gas to and fro requires traversing land. Land is owned by private individuals who love their private property rights, which makes getting access to build pipelines complicated. In 2013, a bill tried to address this issue. But,many privat…
A few weeks ago a fire marshall shut down this crowd because the crowd was too big. Time passed. A new venue was located. Time does not heal all wounds. For this crowd, time stoked the flames of anger. The crowd yelled names at officials & offered near unanimous opposition to eminent domain and toll roads.
Posted inactivism, infrastructure building, private property rights, roads
Want to build something for the public good? The odds are higher that Scotland will leave the UK than you building your public project without using privately owned land. 84% of Texas land is privately owned. Texans love their property rights & love to defend their property with their guns. [Texas Land Trends] Imagine if Texas Legislators had to authorize eminent domain for a project to move forward? California hasn’t gone that far to make the Legislature approve eminent domain, but the California Public Works Board is voting to condemn a feed store, a vacant lot, and other Fresno properties to build the San Francisco-Los Angeles high speed rail line.
Posted ininfrastructure building, legislation trend, railways
In 2012 the Commonwealth amended its constitution to allow a landowner to petition for up to 3 years worth of profits from a project that used eminent domain. Imagine the revenue impact for profit sharing on electric transmission or oil and gas pipelines in Texas. [The National Law Revie… The North Central Texas Council of Government did the right thing by hosting a public meeting on a planned toll road linking Bush Turnpike with Greenville. Unexpectedly the meeting drew a crowd. A really big crowd. A crowd too big for the school cafeteria. People were there to voice opinions about eminent domain. The big crowd caused a quick end to the meeting. There is nothing that pleases people who are upset more than being denied a forum to voice their opinions. Tempers are sure to fla… High Speed Rail is progressing in California. Billion Dollar construction contracts have been awarded. But, there’s a hitch. Eminent Domain and right of way negotiations aren’t moving. Hard to build when land disputes exist. [Fresno Bee]Texas is #1 in everything, including the amount of privately owned land
California High Speed Rail requires Approval of Eminent Domain from Sacramento
Profit Sharing in Eminent Domain
RRC proposed rules sound good, if you like more paperwork
The Cattlewoman’s Column posits that the proposed Railroad Commission rules on common carriers add more paperwork, but do nothing to solve the problems of land owners.
Greenville Crowd Silenced from Discussing Eminent Domain
Boll Weevils Eradicate Rail Yard, not Cotton Farms
Cotton farmers in Mumford want to unleash their enemy, the boll weevil, on a neighboring rail yard. In reality, the cotton farmers want to stop a Rail Yard from acquiring their farm land by eminent domain. Farmers are concerned about the harm of industrialization on the farming industry and the environment. [Texas Tribune]
Posted incompensation, infrastructure building, private property rights, railways
High Speed Rail in California, What does it mean for Texas?