Kelo Ruling Has Unexpected Effect - It Stalls Projects

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

In the fight to save her home from a bulldozer, Kathy Tripp suffered what looked like a major blow in June.

In a landmark decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that cities can condemn people's houses for private development. It seemed that a shopping center soon would replace Tripp's Sunset Hills home.

Her loss was supposed to be a gain in Florissant. There, a plan to revive some less-than-holy property near the historic St. Ferdinand Shrine hinged on some extra government muscle to buy land. It got some from the Supreme Court.

But in just two months, the tables quickly have turned. Fueled by a backlash, the Florissant plan was killed - at least for now. Tripp, meanwhile, says her battle has found new life.

Across St. Louis and the nation, the court's controversial June 23 decision initially was viewed as a win for developers and cities - and a crushing blow for small property owners. So far, it hasn't worked out that way.

Instead of running rampant, the use of condemnation has stalled. Two such projects in the St. Louis area have failed. In Sunset Hills and other places, opponents of eminent domain are finding new ammunition and support.

"The Supreme Court did us a tremendous favor," said Tripp, who has lived 22 years in Sunset Hills. "Before the (court) ruling, this kind of thing went on, but nobody knew about it. Now, people are starting to listen to us, thanks to the Supreme Court."

[Full story]

My Comments:
"The Supreme Court did us a tremendous favor ..."

So the Kelo majority of Stevens, Kennedy, Souter, Breyer, and Ginsburg are now actually "heroes" of the property rights movement?