LETTER: Eminent domain likened to broken treaties
It was 155 years ago when the United States signed the Black Hills Treaty of 1868 with the Sioux, indigenous Americans living in the Black Hills since times immemorial. But, backed by the U.S. Army, or hired guns, the land was taken, the treaty broken and the land stolen. U.S. history is littered with treaties with the indigenous peoples of this continent, often with tricky text and clauses that facilitated "legal" acquisition of their lands by the U.S.
Now, with a 21st century twist, "legal" land acquisition is happening in South Dakota once again.
In an effort to build a pipeline and funnel cash into their pockets, corporations are using CO2 pipelines and eminent domain to steal private land. And it’s not for the public good, which is the fundamental principle behind eminent domain, but for private corporate gain. Aided by tricky laws and guarded by hired guns, they call “security,” they and their teams of lawyers with unlimited money are bulldozing landowners into “agreements” and plowing ahead.
Stop eminent domain for private gain.
Jeff Barth
Sioux Falls
In my opinion, this is NOT about so-called climate change, it's about PROPERTY RIGHTS. I am not a member of any party because there are Republicans who represent this new "robber baron" company and Democrats who don't understand that plants, trees, etc need CO2 to live. If everyone would focus on what's more important and truly work to fix it, our $31 trillion deficit, our country will be better off. According to a 2019 report from Columbia University, not a well-known bastion of conservatism, Earth's atmosphere contains 0.04% of CO2...pretty miniscule considering all the CO2 emanating from the exhalations of John Kerry, AOC, Chuck Schumer and that world-reknown and apparently revered by many, little Greta Thunberg.
Well Lincoln county commissioners have on the agenda for Tuesday to use eminent domain to take land from a Lincoln county citizen for a driveway to the new court house that was never voted on by Lincoln county residents!!! The commissioners believe that because four commissioners want a new courthouse, they just can take citizens land by eminent domain, after all if the pipeline people can do it …. Why not our own commissioners. Who’s next?