Essay On Eminent Domain

452 Words2 Pages

The government often uses eminent domain to seize private property to serve public goods such as building highways and universities with paying fair compensation to the owners. However, whether the government has the right to use eminent domain for non-government purposes, for example, to build up a new pharmaceutical factory, is controversial. Some people consider a new large company as an opportunity to increase taxes and revenues. Nonetheless, in my view, the government should not use eminent domain for non-government use because this action will ruin the private business of the owners, and also lead to inappropriate seizure of private property by powerful politicians and capitalists. The direct damage caused by eminent domain for non-government …show more content…

Once a large corporate is allowed to use eminent domain to condemn private houses, more companies will appeal to the court to use the same law to expand their business. As the Justice Sandra Day O’Connor warns, one can foresee the inappropriate replacement of private houses with shopping mall, hotels or factories. This conduct does not lead to the increase of the gross asset of the whole society, but simply a transfer of private property from disadvantaged people to influential interest groups. The opposition claims that larger companies provide increased tax revenues. However, the increased tax revenues may not serve the goods of the local people. When a new company is established, the company likely recruits most employees from outside of the local areas. The individuals earn higher salary within the new company are not the local residents. Consequently, the purpose of establishing new business through eminent domain is not to serve the public goods.
Occasionally, the government use eminent domain to seize private property for non-government purposes. However, the seizure can ruin private business and lead to inappropriate snatches of personal asset, which will result in increased unjustness in the society. Therefore, the courts should restrict eminent domain from non-government