Eminent Domain Reform Referendum Wins Big in Virginia

Great election news out of the Old Dominion last night, where Question 1, the eminent domain reform referendum that sought to amend the Virginia state constitution to prevent Kelo-style land seizures where "the primary use is for private gain, private benefit, private enterprise, increasing jobs, increasing tax revenue, or economic development," won an overwhelming victory. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Question 1 prevailed with an impressive 74.64 percent of the vote. That's great news for property owners and a nice rebuke to overreaching state officials and their crony capitalist allies.

Comments

[SugarFree]

I'm baffled that it was that low. there can't be that many people who have the pull to get that level of rent-seeking. I guess people that don't own any property don't care if it gets stolen from someone who does. Of course, that same idea was so much more popular on the national level...

[John]

I am very surprised that it did that well. I figured most people love the idea of the government tearing things down to build new delvelopment or whatever.

[Pound. Head. On. Desk.]

I think the idea that big government would grab property and give it to big business brings knee-jerks from both the Dems and GOP types.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Most people don't understand what the hell the referendum means anyway.

Seriously, the victory quotes coming from the young and deluded this morning are making me sick because they are so f'ing stupid. Not just mis-informed, they're really stupid. I'm surprised the referendum passed at all.

[Raston Bot]

The referendum passed w/ so much opposition b/c the sample ballots provided to Dems did not list anything about it. It just read, "Question 1: NO" and that was it. My wife said she would've voted against it if I had not splained eminent domain to her. And this even after the pumpkin patch operator had a stack of "YES on #1" pamphlets at his table a few weeks ago.

Our electorate is lazy, coddled, weak.

[HazelMeade]

Some more good news:
http://www.mercurynews.com/new.....t-gmo-food

No labelling on GMO foods in California.
Also the union-backs constitutional amendment to make public sector unions sacrosanct failed in Michigan.

So on the ballot-initiative front, it was a pretty good night for libertarians.
Gay marriage, marijuana legalization, gmos, unions, eminent domain. We won them all.

[nicole]

Bad news in IL: with the failure of a constitutional amendment to require a three-fifths majority for increases to public pensions and benefits means...election results were once again the inverse of my ballot.

Also, this state is so fucked.

[John]

Beyond fucked. But the country is soon to follow. So there is that.

[Pound. Head. On. Desk.]

I can't believe I'm agreeing with the long-term survivalist types. (Not that I thought Romney would stop them from crashing the currency, btw. There's not enough political will in DC to acknowledge where they're heading, much less to stop it.)
Will somebody tell me what's going to keep them from creating hyperinflation?

[Raston Bot]

old people on fixed incomes? i know- i laughed too.

[Gray Ghost]

Will somebody tell me what's going to keep them from creating hyperinflation?

Continuing to pay banks interest on reserves, in order to incentivize the banks to not make loans and thereby release these new dollars into the money supply? Seems to have worked fine so far. That, and we get to see Europe crash first, and they've yet to do so.

[sarcasmic]

election results were once again the inverse of my ballot.

I know how that goes. I'm seriously considering going to the Town Hall and unregistering. This voting shit is an exercise in futility.

[SugarFree]

It's also a reaction to cases of special benefits being provided to well-connected people, such as two union lobbyists who qualified for teachers' pensions after spending just one day as substitute teachers.

Nothing to see here. Move along.

[nicole]

"I do have some friends that are teachers (and) my mom was a teacher," Miner said. "Anything that's going to affect their pensions -- that's a big deal to me."

Hey, it's a big deal to me too! That's why I wanted the amendment...oh wait.

[John Thacker]

It looks like it will have over 50% support, but it needed 60% itself to pass.

[SugarFree]

Kentucky overwhelmingly supported making hunting and fishing a constitutional right.

Our normally reddish-purple state races went hard-red for the most part.

[Kaptious Kristen]

That question was the one and only reason I voted yesterday.