Kelo v. City of New London effectively turned an explicit constitutional right into a nullity. Though the language of the Fifth Amendment is clear—"nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation"—state and local governments for years had been getting away with using eminent domain to facilitate what amounted to private development. The New London case offered a perfect opportunity to end that abuse by reaffirming that when the Constitution says "public use," it means public use. Instead, it did the opposite, and Americans were appalled.
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