Not that Tegerdine wasn’t a Republican, but he was certainly cut from the libertarian mold similar to a Ron Paul- and someone like Hampton. And while it would be impossible to pigeon hole which direction his 11,000 or so voters will go a fair statement would say a good many of those votes are up for grabs. And the same goes with the Tea Party and 912 groups in South Mississippi who endorsed Tegerdine. I don’t know of any groups affiliated with the Tea Party movement supporting a third-party candidate over a credible Republican, but it could certainly happen. Same goes with some of Tegerdine’s most ardent supporters and campaign volunteers. (…more from majorityinms.com)

Adding even a small portion of the Tea Party and 912 grassroots support to Tim Hampton’s campaign would change the dynamics of the MS-4 race going into November. It would send a strong message to the cozy political establishment of both parties that their ideas have failed – miserably – and politics as usual just won’t cut it anymore.

It should be noted as well that the Libertarian Party is the fastest growing 3rd political party in America. And according to Danny Bedwell (Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Mississippi), from April 2009 through April 2010 the Libertarian Party of Mississippi grew 38.4% – making Mississippi the 2nd fastest growing Libertarian Party of any other state – the exception being Arkansas which grew by 39.1%.

No doubt the Libertarian Party candidate, Tim Hampton, will gain support from Democrats, Republicans, and Independents that are fed up with the ever-reaching personal and economic intrusions by our federal government. Peaceful, voluntary interaction brings neighbors and communities together instead of dividing them along the two major political parties whose only goal seems to be to grow in power over one another – despite what’s best for your family or the country.

We all basically want the same things in life – to keep what we earn without having to worry that our money and private property will be devalued or taken by the government; to live peacefully with our neighbors; and to keep our personal choices personal – so long as we don’t harm or defraud others. The freedom to learn from our own decisions (good or bad) and the God-given right to simply live and let live is something that reasonable people from all “sides” can agree on.

The question is… how much of your personal and economic relationship with others should be regulated, manipulated, and forced on you by our federal government and how much should be voluntary and left up to the individuals involved? The answer to that question and the courage to vote accordingly in November will determine the winner of the race to represent Mississippi’s 4th congressional district.

In the end, South Mississippi voters decided they were satisfied with what they’ve always had and elected Steven Palazzo over Joe Tegerdine, 57% – 43%.

Congratulations to Steven Palazzo for his victory. He won the opportunity to face Gene Taylor (Democrat), Tim Hampton (Libertarian), and Anna Jewel Revies (Reform) on November 2nd.

Now the question must be asked – is Gene Taylor the problem or is he simply part of the much larger problem – that is the political establishment? If he’s only part of the problem, how will electing another establishment candidate solve the problem? If the overall problem is that we keep electing ambitious politicians to Washington DC, how and when do we begin to solve that problem?

So for the Tegerdine camp – the question becomes, which candidate (if any) will they support throughout the rest of the election season? His grassroots supporters made it clear that they were sick and tired of the status quo on both sides – that they’re fed up with the establishment Republicans and establishment Democrats running Washington DC the way that’s in Washington DC’s best interest.

Do the grassroots concede the victory to the establishment of “either-or”? Do they quietly fall back in line and support the status quo they rallied together and fought against for the last 18 months? Or do they continue to reject the establishment and decide to support one of the two 3rd party candidates – Anna Jewel Revies of the Reform Party or Tim Hampton of the Libertarian Party?

The political establishment hasn’t skipped a beat. The MSGOP is alive and well today. But one way or the other politics in South Mississippi changed last night. The energy and activities of the grassroots will either take their place in the GOP tent – just as the MSGOP intended and expected, or they’ll stay relevant in the fight for constitutional governance and true representation in Washington DC.

As Joe Tegerdine has said so many times over the past year, if Americans want to see a change in the way Washington DC works – we have to change the way we elect our leaders. We have to continue to reject the status quo.

This big red billboard, homemade out of a sheet of 4′x8′ plywood, recently popped up on Hwy 45 in Wayne County, just south of Quitman, Ms…

“REP. GENE TAYLOR: YOU VOTED FOR NANCY PELOSI TWICE! NEVER AGAIN!”

Well stated! If you spot a billboard on the side of a road – send it in and I’ll post it for everyone to see!

I don’t know what Gene Taylor could possibly be thinking to go on WLOX after returning from a fly-over Saturday and flip-flop like this. On Friday, April 30th – just the day before his appearance on WLOX News – Gene Taylor called the oil spill “…a crisis threatening the Gulf Coast.”

Just as a side-note to the “chocolate milk” incident in the gulf… After a $4 jump in Tidewater Inc’s stock since the oil spill, Gene Taylor’s brother and CEO of Tidewater Inc, Dean Taylor, sold-off 15,000 shares of his company’s stock (TDW) at $54.95/share (15,000 x $54.95 = $824,250) on Friday April 30th before the stock dropped back down to $51/share (15,000 x $51 = $765,000) ($824,250 – $765,000 = $59,250) at the time of this writing.

Tidewater, Inc has provided services to the offshore drilling industry for decades, but the company only donated to Gene Taylor for the first time in 2002 – the same year Dean Taylor became President and CEO of the company – and has donated $5,000 to Gene Taylor in 4 out of the 5 election cycles since then.

But all of this is really just a lot of side-notes. Really.

Now I add Tim Hampton to that short list of candidates I respect and admire for having the courage to do what is right over what the political establishment in Washington DC wants. From what I can tell, Tim Hampton is the 2nd congressional candidate in America and, as a candidate for the Libertarian Party, he’s the first 3rd Party candidate in America to sign the Patriot Pledge.

It takes a certain amount of courage to pledge to your constituents that, if elected, you’ll stop doing things in Washington the way Washington wants them to be done. A pledge such as this becomes a part of the public record. It provides another tool in which voters can hold their elected officials accountable. And, since accountability is something that’s been lacking in Mississippi’s 4th District and throughout America’s political system for quite some time – any candidate that steps forward and asks us to hold him or her accountable has my support.

I recorded the video, but since there’s not really much to see and it’s a pretty large file size I figured I’d post the full audio instead. You’ll notice a few places where the audio cuts out for a split-second. The content of the audio is completely unedited. The cuts in audio simply makes it easier on me in working with the file.

Listen to the 2-part audio below or click here to download the full audio (1 hr 13 min) – and a very special thanks to Anna Vasquez for providing a quick transcription on such short notice. Anna is a self-described “live and let live” American Patriot and a fighter for individual liberty and our founding libertarian principles.

Be sure to click here to share your comments (opens in new window so the audio will continue to play). Tell us what you think about what the candidates have to say.

Part 1 of 2 Steven Palazzo and Joe Tegerdine (34:18)

Part 2 of 2 Steven Palazzo and Joe Tegerdine (38:30)

Listed below are the questions asked of each candidate and a brief overview of their answers. Personally, I was glad to see the issue of the Auditing the Federal Reserve come up first.

Part 1 of 2 Steven Palazzo and Joe Tegerdine

• Opening Statements
  • Tegerdine on his family, deciding to run for Congress, changing the way we elect people, exporting jobs to China, free trade
  • Palazzo on separation of Church and State, firing Nancy Pelosi, his family, taxes and spending
• Audit the Federal Reserve and eliminate central banking (12:30)
  • Palazzo: yes, Federal Reserve is unconstitutional
  • Tegerdine: yes, people want to know how money is being spent and how the monetary system works, will co-sponsor the “Audit the Fed” bill
• Primary responsibility of every member of Congress (15:20)
  • Tegerdine: to uphold  and defend the Constitution
  • Palazzo: to protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies both domestic and foreign
• Whats the difference between a right and a privilege (16:40)
  • Palazzo: Not really sure, a right is given to you by God – privilege is something you earn
  • Tegerdine: Rights are given by God – not man, privilege is earned and given by man. Governments are setup to protect God-given rights
• Do you support Gene Taylor’s Multi-Peril Insurance (18:40)
  • Tegerdine: no, at insurance symposium Wicker and Taylor ignored free market solutions, let’s consider free market solutions, Texas Seed Act did not get a bailout
  • Palazzo: no, can’t support flood insurance plan – does not want to encourage people to build homes in flood plains, goes against free market principles, Gene Taylor is fear-mongering after a natural disaster
• Congressional Term Limits (23:45)
  • Palazzo: previously did not but does now because Congress members are entrenched in Lobbyists, supports 6 terms in House/2 terms as Senator
  • Tegerdine: fully supports term limits, self-imposed term limit to 4 terms, will sponsor term limit legislation that will add amendment to US Constitution
• 3 Federal programs you would like to abolish or defund (28:00)
  • Tegerdine: IRS, Department of Education, EPA, Healthcare, 624 government programs duplicate the same thing costing Americans $20 Billion per year, budget is on unsustainable fiscal path, reduce federal budget from 30% to well under 20%
  • Palazzo: keep promises made to seniors and veterans, everything is on the table, Department of Education has to go, EPA over-regulates business and individuals, abolish IRS for the Fair Tax

Part 2 of 2 Steven Palazzo and Joe Tegerdine

• How will candidates handle negative press – Will you cave into pressure from the press or people you represent? General comments on the state of the Media
  • Palazzo: local media should try to print conservative statements, media should print good news, traditional media is dying out and Internet is growing,
  • Tegerdine: if the people of South Mississippi send a person to Congress then he isn’t obligated to answer to the big money that sent you there, God bless the Internet, media gives spin – not always facts.
  • Palazzo: has thick skin, doesn’t answer to bloggers
• How your Religion impacts your political philosophy (7:40)
  • Tegerdine: been a Christian all his life, served a Mormon mission in Taiwan for 2 years preaching Jesus Christ to people that had no concept of Jesus Christ, his Christian faith made him who he is, made commitments as a young man to live by the teachings of Jesus Christ
  • Palazzo: faith is something you live and pray and not boast or brag about, chose the Catholic faith – wife is Southern Baptist, served overseas and in the Airborne division – couldn’t have done it without his faith in Jesus Christ
• Eminent Domain being used more frequently by Government taking private property for the use of private industry (11:00)
  • Palazzo: Eminent Domain is not as simple as not wanting government to take property, 100% in favor of private property, E.D. has been used in America for 200 years and in MS for 175 years, a clear public use is the only time government should take private property – but you take it by giving them fair and reasonable compensation, voted against Eminent Domain bill in MS House last year because it was unconstitutional, bad public policy, and was pure politics, Mississippi has the toughest Eminent Domain laws, Eminent Domain has never been used to take private property to be turned over to private industry and never will happen
  • Tegerdine: 5th Amendment of the US Constitution, Government should pay Just compensation to victim of eminent domain – not reasonable compensation, 118 bipartisan said last year’s Eminent Domain bill was Constitutional, Mississippi has some of the weakest eminent domain laws, eminent domain has been used to take private property and given to private corporations – Nissan and Toyota, eminent domain is a big issues federally in our district, Gene Taylor refuses to meet with eminent domain victim in his own district, look at Palazzo’s record and make up your own mind
• Will you participate in or decline Congressional healthcare and retirement systems (19:50)
  • Tegerdine: I will decline
  • Palazzo: ditto – no brainer
• Palazzo’s wife is President of Harrison County Republicans club – allegations she is using her position, against rules of the party, to promote Palazzo’s campaign. (20:17)
  • Proud of his wife, wife supports him, not gentlemanly to bring wife into things, for the record his wife has stepped down
• Tegerdine was raised in northwest, relocated to Florida, then Mississippi in 2007, voted in Florida elections in 2007. How do you connect with South Mississippi residents on their social, political, moral beliefs? (22:00)
  • voted in Florida in 2007 in order to vote on marriage amendment he had helped to move forward, experienced liberalism in other states, Mississippi represents his Christian families values that transcend geographic boundaries, hopes people adopt him as he has adopted them
• Closing statements (26:54)
  • Palazzo: we have to fire Gene Taylor so we can fire Nancy Pelosi, Gene Taylor is a good guy just ineffective – not a fighter, Gene Taylor “votes and runs”, healthcare bill is unconstitutional, healthcare needs free market reform, stop radical Socialist agenda, trying to foster high-paying jobs and reduce spending in Mississippi, live free or die brave!
  • Tegerdine: wants term limits, one-subject law for legislation – hate crimes and military spending so we know where our Representative stands on each issue, balanced budget amendment, abolish IRS for a FairTax – illegal immigrants, welfare recipients, and the wealthy would have to start paying taxes, China and India prospering with free market solutions, committed to “Patriot Pledge”.

As you can see in the photos there was a nice turn-out at both events – I’d estimate 2,500-3,000 at the two events combined. These TEA Party events took place throughout Mississippi’s 4th district. Looks like folks are fed up with Congressman Gene Taylor’s support for Nancy Pelosi’s agenda and his love for big, bloated government.

This photo was taken at the TEA Party in Gulfport, only a few miles from Gene Taylor’s home. Nope, that wasn’t thunder Gene. That was the roar of the voters in your district ready to vote you out of office!

If you have photos you’d like to share – be sure to send them in!

Anyone seen Gene Taylor lately? He hasn’t held a Townhall meeting since he was in Ellisville on March 1st – nearly 2 months ago!

Maybe it’s because he’s spent the last several months – even up to the final days of the healthcare debate – assuring his constituents in South Mississippi that the healthcare legislation would NOT become law… but it did.

Gene Taylor spent the first few minutes in Ellisville, on March 1st, discussing his theory on why the healthcare legislation would NOT become law. But the fact is – Gene Taylor voted for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House and Pelosi passes what Pelosi wants to pass.

Maybe if Gene Taylor had spent more time doing his job representing us and attending congressional healthcare discussions instead of shaking a leg at rock concerts, he might have had a better understanding of what was going on in Congress and he wouldn’t have mislead his constituents.

Over the past several decades many things have been allowed to creep into America’s political and economic system that are contrary to a person’s God-given right to individual liberty.

The power-hungry Democrat establishment and the power-hungry Republican establishment has worked diligently to install tools, create departments, and develop regulations that rob each of us of our property and our rights – and much of this shift in power from the people to the government has passed through the hands of our own Congressman, Gene Taylor.

Some of these instruments of power are seen, but most of them are intangible. Some are tangible, but most have been hidden from us. If we are to truly restore America’s principles to those of our founding fathers, at some point we must be willing to elect people of strong character that are willing to help us pull the curtains back so that we can put our hands on the problem.

I’ll admit that I’ve never heard of the Patriot Pledge until today. But once I read the pledge, I immediately recognized that this simple pledge addresses many of the problems that America faces. If we could fill Congress with men and women of strong character who have signed the Patriot Pledge, we could begin dismantling the corruption that has created a moral vacuum within our government.

One of America’s greatest problem is that shady, unprincipled people have made a career out of governing over us according to the “big money” lobbyists they’ve secretly surrounded themselves with. Crooked career politicians and manipulative lobbyists have gathered in Washington DC and become a beast that feeds itself on the money and power it takes from you and I.

From the very beginning of Joe Tegerdine’s Congressional campaign some of the primary issues he has run on is the people’s right to hold their elected officials accountable; to make Mississippi’s 4th District representation more transparent; and to take the incentives out of turning elected office into a career.

I applaud Joe Tegerdine for recognizing these problems early on; being the first person in our district to step up and put his life on hold; and for being the very first Congressional candidate in the US that has pledged to run these disgusting practices out of Washington DC.

The Patriot Pledge was co-founded by Jeff Rice (CEO of Healthcare Blue Book) & Rodney Rice (founder and co-Chairman of ServiceMagic). It’s an oath demanded by the people of all candidates running for elected office within the Congressional branch of the federal government. Each candidate that signs the Patriot Pledge commits him or her to the following:

1. I will not serve within the Congressional branch of the federal government for more than 12 years.
2. I will have a complete understanding of every provision of a bill prior to casting a vote in favor of it.
3. I will spend the government’s money as prudently as I would spend my own money, recognizing that each dollar the government spends was taken from a working citizen or borrowed against our future.
4. I will not accept any health or retirement benefits after departing Congress provided to me as a member and will work to pass legislation ensuring Congress is part of the same social security and health benefits system provided to common working class Americans.
5. I will record and post transcripts or videos on the internet of all meetings I or my staff hold with any lobbyist (or former congressmen) while serving in the Congress and I vow not to become a lobbyist following my tenure in Congress.

“Gene Taylor’s ongoing support for his party’s reckless leadership has paved the way for high unemployment, government-run healthcare, and an exploding deficit that has buried Southeast Mississippi families under a mountain of big government and massive debt. Now, Taylor’s own party is on the attack against his support for policies they say will send jobs overseas. While we might disagree on the details, it looks like Republicans and Democrats have reached a bipartisan consensus on at least one thing: Gene Taylor is a proven job killer,” said NRCC spokesman Greg Blair.

Chock full of  ’water’ related causes with a dash of defense industry interests. Here’s a taste to get you started…

AMERICAN COMMERCIAL LINES INC. EFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT FUND

BLESSEY MARINE

AMERICAN WATERWAYS OPERATORS-PAC

GREAT LAKES DREDGE

HALTER MARINE GROUP INC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (HALPAC)

NRA POLITICAL VICTORY FUND

AMERICAN MARITIME OFFICERS VOLUNTARY POLITICAL ACTION FUND

CROWLEY MARITIME CORPORATION FEDERAL PAC

MARINE ENGINEERS BENEFICIAL ASSOCIATION RETIREES GROUP FUND AKA (MEBA RETIREES GROUP FUND)

Plus many, many, many more…

Are you starting to understand why Gene Taylor votes yes to Federal Hate Crimes Legislation when it’s included in a Defense Spending Bill that includes various ship contracts for Mississippi ship yards?

In the Fourth District, Democrat Gene Taylor is in his tenth term, and cruised with 75 percent of the vote in 2008, even while McCain was winning 67 percent of the vote. He’ll face either State Rep. Steven Palazzo or executive Joe Tegerdine.

For obvious reasons, the first district seat looks most competitive, but Taylor also seems like the type who has to be careful about appearing out of step with his district; he was th first Democrat to call on Charlie Rangel to step down as chair of the Ways and Means Committee. He’s only raised $238,949 so far, which seems a little low for a longtime incumbent.

By the way – I wonder why Gene Taylor was so quick to call for the removal of Charlie Rangel this time around? Maybe he feels the heat. From an earlier article on FGT:

Note: HR 1460 was a bill introduced in September 2008 that would’ve investigated Charlie Rangel and remove him as Chairman of the House Ways and Means committee. Before they voted on HR 1460 itself, in a  roll call vote (#609), Gene Taylor voted to “table” the bill, which ends the debate and kills the bill  permanently. So, when given the opportunity to take government corruption head on, Gene Taylor joined  every other Democrat Congress member to bypass the democratic process and let Charlie Rangel get off on obvious and blatant tax evasion.

As usual, Gene Taylor dances around for a minute, and never really gives a direct answer to the lady’s direct question.

In last week’s email to his supporters Palazzo made the following statement: “I pledge to you that I will work day and night as your Congressman to ensure that the Bill of Rights and the principles espoused by our Founding Fathers are restored.” I am very curious how Palazzo plans to reconcile that statement with his desire to ensure that big developers and corporations have more rights to your property than you do.

Let this article stand as adequate proof that Palazzo, as a Mississippi State legislator, believes the state government has the right to use eminent domain to move property owners off their land, against their will, in order to give the land to private developers. Keep this in mind as we take note of who moves to endorse Palazzo and from where his financial contributions come.

Many in Mississippi were not aware that such abuses have occurred in this state –  but they have and these abuses will continue. Palazzo has done his part to ensure that the State of Mississippi maintains the right to confiscate land (via eminent domain) for MMEIA projects such as the Nissan and Toyota plants.

Below is Palazzo’s vote at the Mississippi State Legislature website on eminent domain reform in 2009. Palazzo sided with Haley Barbour (former RNC Chairman) in stating that the right of the State of Mississippi to seize privately owned land, via eminent domain, for use in private development projects such as the Nissan plant in Canton and the Toyota plant in Blue Springs near Tupelo shall not be infringed. This means that when it comes to the rights of large corporations and the rights of your State Government, the Corporation and the State have all the rights to your private property and you have none. You have the right to get off your land if it gets in the cross-hairs of a private development project in which the State is interested.

In 2009 Palazzo voted against Eminent Domain Reform.

Here’s the text of bill

http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2009/pdf/HB/0800-0899/HB0803IN.pdf

Here’s the history of the bill as it passed through the legislature

http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2009/pdf/history/HB/HB0803.xml

On February 2, 2009 Palazzo voted against the Eminent Domain Reform bill. The vote was 3 NO votes to 119 Yes votes.

Palazzo was 1 of 3 legislators to vote against the bill. 119 other legislators voted in favor of protecting your property rights. What a bi-partisan effort!

http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2009/pdf/votes/house/0300050.pdf

On March 11, 2009 Palazzo again votes against the bill.

Palazzo once again was 1 of 3 legislators in the House to vote against the bill, with 119 voting in favor of the legislation protecting your property rights. The other two reps who voted ‘NO’ with Palazzo were not the same two that voted ‘NO’ the first time on February 2nd. This means Palazzo was the ONLY LEGISLATOR in the house to vote ‘NO’ for Eminent Domain Reform BOTH TIMES it came up for a vote prior to Haley Barbour’s veto of the bill.

Palazzo was in the 2% minority which stood up for the rights of the State Government to force you off your land, via eminent domain, for private development. Does that sound like something a conservative statesman with respect for the U.S. Constitution, private property, and our Founding Fathers would do? Does this sound like something a man would do if he was attempting to “ensure that the Bill of Rights and the principles espoused by our Founding Fathers are restored?”

http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2009/pdf/votes/house/0650015.pdf

Will Palazzo now become the Golden Boy for the RNC in District 4? In voting against Eminent Domain Reform, was Palazzo demonstrating his firm belief that ‘job creation’ trumps property rights – and if so, what does that mean for property owners in Mississippi? Or was he showing his unwavering devotion to the former RNC Chairman Haley Barbour in order to climb the political ladder?

I wonder how the Founding Fathers would feel about rich people depriving smaller folks of their private land via eminent domain abuse? Does anyone actually believe that the Founders ever intended to let corporations (those with money and influence) work with government to force private land owners off their land via eminent domain for private development? If so, that would mean the Founders believed that the government had the right to seize land for any project – public or private. Apparently that is Palazzo’s interpretation of our constitutional rights when it comes to land seizure via eminent domain.

In 2009 Palazzo voted against eminent domain reform which would have prevented the State of Mississippi from seizing privately owned land for private companies. During this same year Palazzo helped author the State Sovereignty Bill which would help protect our rights under the 10th Amendment. The same state legislator who pens such a bill on states rights is the same man who wants the State to have the power to push land owners off their land for private development? Does this make sense to anyone? Did Palazzo write the State Sovereignty Bill solely for the purpose of getting his name known to tea party activists?

Gene Taylor recently voted in favor of federal hate crimes legislation because the bill included ship building contracts for our shipyards (job creation). Steven Palazzo voted against eminent domain reform because it might get in the way of private development projects like the Toyota plant (job creation). Is this the type of change conservatives in District 4 are seeking? Are these the types of legislators we want… those who slowly erode our rights in the name of job creation?

Pallazo is going to be PUTTING MISSISSIPPI FIRST so long as you aren’t a land owner standing in the way of a private development project with the MMEIA.

Such a land owner was Lonzo Archie of Canton, who fought the State of Mississippi and won… he’s one of the few. Had it not been for all the negative publicity surrounding the case, Lonzo would have lost his land too and it would have been given to a private company by the State of Mississippi. Below is part of the article describing Lonzo’s fight against eminent domain abuse in the state of Mississippi in 2001.

http://www.ij.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1028&Itemid=165

Lonzo Archie, a Mississippi property owner of modest means, eloquently sums up the feelings of many Americans: “You can buy a house, but you cannot buy a home.” The Archie family has made its home on 24 acres of land in Madison County, Mississippi, for decades. But if the State of Mississippi had its way, the Archies would have been forced to move elsewhere to accommodate the demands of a private company.

In November 2000, the Mississippi legislature struck a deal with Nissan Motor Company to build a new auto plant in Canton, Mississippi. The State also granted the company more than $290 million in subsidies and tax breaks and approximately 1,300 acres of land. But apparently that wasn’t enough for Nissan. In February 2001, the State exercised its awesome power of eminent domain—quietly granted by the Nissan legislation—to forcibly take the property of the Archies and transfer it to Nissan.

The State’s use of eminent domain is part of an unfortunate trend where land is taken not for a public use—such as a bridge, post office, or public school–but at the behest of a private company for its private use. The Institute for Justice, along with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, helped Madison County property owners buck this trend.

***It should be noted that State Senator Chris McDaniel voted in favor of Eminent Domain Reform in 2009 and did one hell of a job speaking out for private property owners from the floor. I would like to say thanks to Chris for having done so!

FACT: The U.S. Supreme court changed the traditional definition of ‘eminent domain’ from for ‘public use’ to ‘public purpose’ in Berman v. Parker (1954). This eroded our private property rights and allowed a municipal authority to seize private property for “blighting factors or causes of blight”. In other words they could tear down old nasty buildings and replace them with something new that better benefited the public.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berman_v._Parker

FACT: In 2005 the U.S. Supreme Court further eroded property rights in Kelo v. City of New London. The city of New London (Connecticut) wanted to seize private land for the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. Note** Pfizer pleaded guilty in 2009 to the largest health care fraud in U.S. history and received the largest criminal penalty ever levied for illegal marketing of four of its drugs. Called a repeat offender, this was Pfizer’s fourth such settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice in the previous ten years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelo_v._City_of_New_London

FACT: Despite winning the Kelo case Pfizer left the city of New London in 2009 anyway once their tax breaks expired!

Supreme Court Justice O’Connor wrote the following in Kelo VS City of New London.

Any property may now be taken for the benefit of another private party, but the fallout from this decision will not be random. The beneficiaries are likely to be those citizens with disproportionate influence and power in the political process, including large corporations and development firms. As for the victims, the government now has license to transfer property from those with fewer resources to those with more. The Founders cannot have intended this perverse result. “[T]hat alone is a just government,” wrote James Madison, “which impartially secures to every man, whatever is his own.”

FACT: In 2000, the Mississippi legislature passed the “Nissan Act,” which authorized the state to pour money and incentives into a proposed future Nissan manufacturing plant. The Nissan Act also gave the Mississippi Major Economic Impact Authority (MMEIA) the power to condemn property (seize via eminent domain) for the new facility.

FACT: After pressuring most of the owners in the area to sell, the MMEIA condemned three homes in 2001 in order to transfer the land to Nissan. One of the homes belonged to Andrew Archie, who was in was late 60s, diabetic, and in poor health. He had lived on the land since he was eight years old. He lived there surrounded by his wife, children and other family members. His children, including Lonzo Archie, who owns one of the other homes being condemned, have never lived anywhere else. The condemnation would have required a total of 15 Archie family members to move. The MMEIA also sought to condemn the home of Percy and Minnie Bouldin, who had lived in their home for more than 40 years and raised their 13 children there. Percy did much of the construction of their house with his own hands. The case drew national attention, including the support of Martin Luther King III and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The Archie family fought this abuse and won. They’ve since remained on their land.

FACT: Steven Palazzo, as a MS legislator, voted against Eminent Domain Reform in 2009 that would have prevented the State of Mississippi from seizing land, via eminent domain, for private development in the name of ‘job creation’. Hence, it would appear Palazzo thinks it’s acceptable, as a conservative politician, to seize private property (land and homes) via eminent domain for private development projects such as the Nissan Plant in Canton and the Toyota Plant in Blue Springs.

FACT: The plant in Blue Springs (near Tupelo) was halted (despite being 90% finished) in its construction and with Toyota’s recent recalls; the plant may never be completed (so much for job creation).

FACT: The MS Eminent Domain Reform Bill (H.B. 803) passed the MS House and Senate with an overwhelming majority in 2009.

FACT: Haley Barbour vetoed H.B. 803

FACT: The MS House overrided the Governor’s veto. Despite the MS Senate unanimously voting in favor of Eminent Domain Reform just weeks earlier… they killed the bill after heavy lobbying by Governor Haley Barbour.

Sources:

http://www.ij.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1028&Itemid=165

http://gwcommonwealth.com/articles/2010/02/03/opinion/editorials/02032010edit01.txt

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/donal_fagan/2009/11/pfizer-leaves-new-london-in-th.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelo_v._City_of_New_London

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berman_v._Parker

http://www.castlecoalition.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=441

http://www.governorbarbour.com/news/2009/mar/Eminentdomainveto.htm

http://reason.com/archives/2009/05/11/sold-down-the-river

State Rep Steven Palazzo went on the Paul Gallo show this morning to officially announce his intentions to win the Republican nomination in the 2010 Elections.

From FrankCorder.com:

“Palazzo must first face Joe Tegerdine in the Republican primary.  Tegerdine has already qualified to run for the seat and has been working to form a grassroots organization while visiting locations throughout the district.

According to his state representative website, Palazzo is a native of the Mississippi Gulf Coast and has lived there his entire life with the exception of temporary work assignments and tours of duty in the US and overseas.  He is committed and dedicated to helping the MS Gulf Coast recover and meet the challenges ahead.  Palazzo touts his experience as a small business owner, CPA, and employee that has provided him with a keen insight and understanding of what it means to hold yourself and others accountable for their actions.  He understands the need for a balanced industry to sustain economic and job development.  Education is important to Palazzo as he sees it as the key to our future and creating a competitive workforce.  As a US Marine veteran of the Persian Gulf War and current Mississippi National Guardsman he understands the importance of promises made and promises kept to our active military, reserves, and retirees.”

More from: http://frankcorder.com

Please note that FireGeneTaylor.com does not endorse any candidate. I understand there’s a lot of legal hoops to jump through in order for people to come together and speak freely about our political candidates. Needless to say, the 4th District has two great candidates to choose from to provide the kind of representation Gene Taylor couldn’t muster over his 20 years in Congress.