The liberal bloc on the Supreme Court (joined, regrettably, by swing vote Kennedy), ruled the government is entitled to seize and bulldoze your home or business without your consent, in exchange for whatever it feels is a reasonable price, if well-connected private interests who covet your property can convince the government to issue the order (can you say "ka-ching").
Commented dissenter Sandra Day O'Connor: "Under the banner of economic development, all private property is now vulnerable to being taken and transferred to another private owner."
There are plenty of nightmare cases of homes and businesses being seized for ill-thought out corporate-welfare boondoggles. But as in the recent medical marijuana case, the liberal justices (joined then by big-government conservatives) would rather see consequences they disapprove of than risk suggesting that government power is subject to limits (because, hey, eventually they'll be back in power and calling the shots).
For some time now, Justice O'Connor (who was right on limiting the government's overreach and violation of personal rights when it came to prohibiting sodomy, overriding state medical use of marijuana laws, and now on property seizures) is the only High Court member who consistently recognizes that the constitution puts limits on how far government can go.
As Americans, we should be concerned about protecting all of our rights, in addition to "gay rights."
Update: As columnist George Will
notes:
Liberalism triumphed yesterday. Government became radically unlimited in seizing the very kinds of private property that should guarantee individuals a sphere of autonomy against government.... Those on the receiving end of the life-shattering power that the court has validated will almost always be individuals of modest means. So this liberal decision...favors muscular economic battalions at the expense of society's little platoons, such as homeowners and the neighborhoods they comprise.
And in the comments zone, IGF contributing author Rick Rosendall reminds us that in Washington, D.C., this very type of government seizure is being used to wipe out the one area zoned for gay adult-entertainment clubs, which will now be bulldozed for a new taxpayer-subsidized stadium.