Second that emotion, Brother Michael!

Anyone who believes that local and state governments are reluctant to take advantage of the Supreme Court's Kelo decision -- the case that says government can take your property away from you and give it to someone else as long as they promise to pay more taxes -- is a fool, and apparently Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry is among the foolish.

Or is it just an act as he tries to be all things to all people?

But don't take our word for it because we hadn't been paying attention until we read today's offering from Michael Bates over at BatesLine in which he dissects the governor's comments printed in the metro's daily disappointment (aka the Tulsa World).
The operative paragraph:

Henry does not think there is any danger of state or local government relying on the decision to take property for private development.

Michael's response:

Our Governor needs to open his eyes. Oklahoma cities have been using eminent domain for private development for a long time. This week's Urban Tulsa Weekly features a current example. The University of Tulsa wants a grand entrance on 11th Street. With the Tulsa Development Authority poised to condemn the property, the owner of the building that houses Starship Records and Tapes has sold it to the University of Tulsa. Holding on to the land was not an option. If the owner refused to sell, the city would have condemned the property and sold it to TU at cost. Condemnation, or the threat of condemnation, has been used to clear homes and businesses to make way for TU's Reynolds Center and the athletic complex between Columbia and Delaware Avenues.

We believe Henry knows good and well what is going on, and it serves his purposes. He'll straddle the fence as long as he can because that serves his purpose -- re-election -- as well. We share the BatesLines outrage, when he says:

Starship Records isn't blighted. Neither is Wendy's or Metro Diner. Nor were the homes east of Skelly Stadium. There's no public purpose at work here -- just a private institution that wants to use its political clout to expand at the expense of those who lack that clout.

Amen, brother Michael. If the governor and the legislature aren't going to act to protect the basic right to property -- a right we all thought was enshrined in the U.S. Constitution -- then we have no recourse but to go the initiative petition route.

And quickly.