Join us for Movie Night: Showing: Little Pink House – Friday, Aug. 30, 2019 at 6 PM

Location: Peace and Justice Center, 1364 Fremont Blvd., Seaside at 6:00 PM. We will provide pizza and popcorn. Please RSVP

This award-winning feature film is about taking from the poor and giving to the rich. Little Pink House tells the true story of Susette Kelo, who bought and fixed up a rundown cottage in New London, Connecticut.  In 1998, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer wanted to build offices for their nearby plant, and the City decided it would be a better use of the land than as a blue-collar neighborhood. The City handed over its power of eminent domain to the New London Development Corporation (NLDC), a private body, to take the entire neighborhood, justifying it with the nebulous claim of “economic development.”

Susette Kelo refused to give up her home and sued, all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2005, the Court, in a 5–4 decision, ruled in favor of the City of New London. The principal dissent was issued by Justice O’Connor, joined by Chief Justice Rehnquist and Justices Scalia and Thomas. The dissenting opinion suggested that the use of this reverse Robin Hood practice — take from the poor, give to the rich — would become the norm. They wrote: “Any property may now be taken for the benefit of another private party, but the fallout from this decision will not be random. The beneficiaries are likely to be those citizens with disproportionate influence and power in the political process, including large corporations and development firms.” As the neighbors of Kelo’s Little Pink House found out, when private entities wield government’s awesome power of eminent domain, all homeowners are in trouble.

RSVP to Lawrence Samuels at lawsamz@gmail.com

Sponsored by Libertarians for Peace of Monterey County, co-sponsored by Libertarian Party of Monterey County. More information:  Brandon Kelsey at bkelsey.6692@gmail.com or 831-760-0073