A moment of silence...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8331097/

Let us have a moment of silence for the death of private property rights. They have been on life support for a while now. Yesterday, the Supreme Court took them out behind the barn and finished them off.

I just read a story in my local paper about the cost of land in my area. There are people who bought land in the 50's and 60's for $100 an acre. That land is now selling to developers for $50,000 - $75,000 an acre. Now, the local government could just declare that building a neighborhood is better for the public good than having a farm or wooded area. The developers would no longer have to pay 50K per acre because they can just bribe an elected official (yes, that happens) and get it on the cheap.

This is just further evidence of our "government knows best" nanny state. The Constitution was written to protect the rights of individuals and to limit government. Where is the protection for the individual in this situation?