How can the people of NOLA best protect themselves from a landgrab?

[genius]

If, as most observant people seem to feel, the Bush Administration delayed response to grab the land and that is the reason it wants people out, what should the residents do? They don't want to endanger themselves. However, the longer they are out, the more likely that they will lose their their rights to their land. Even if they don't want to live there again, they have the right to the reasonable value ( pre or post recovery, depending on whether they are going for the insurance or want to sell it). If the Bush gang manages to fill in the area, how will they be able to prove who owns what - especially if the records have been destroyed?

This would be a good place to divise a plan to help them protect themselves from the expected landgrab. There are undoubtedly some people here with some good ideas on the subject.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. Pass legislation that protects themselves

[Carolab]

2. That's an EXCELLENT response. Under the new eminent domain law.

Doesn't that allow state legislatures to make these determinations as to what's in the public interests? Isn't that the "catch"?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

7. That's not a "new" eminent domain law...it's been used on the poor

for decades under the name urban blight. The reason the Keho decision has everyone's panties in a bunch is that it was used on middle class this time.

At any rate, the courts did say that local government knew better than feds and that legislation could be passed locally to better DEFINE the public interest

[ladylibertee]

3. Good Idea,Please forward to local government.

[aquart]

4. Hopefully this is where Oprah will put her $10,000.

[Erika]

5. Dupe

who are just waiting to shark land owned by the middle income and poor. They are all backed by W. He'll help them every step of the way. God, this is sickening.

[Erika]

6. NO has a bunch of old family white landowners

who are just waiting to shark land owned by the middle income and poor. They are all backed by W. He'll help them every step of the way. God, this is sickening.

[Catrina]

8. It's already begun

Anderson Cooper had a realtor on last night, whose cell phone was so busy with calls that she hardly had time to talk to him. She was going from house to house, told him that people will buy, sight unseen, because NO can't go down anmore, the only way it can go is up.

I couldn't tell if the homes she was telling buyers about belonged to anyone or if they had said they wanted to sell them.

But SHE said that it was 'going to very difficult to determine who owned them as all the records were destroyed, and that people had nothing now to prove ownership.

That sounded pretty ominous to me ~ and as someone else said, the longer they are out of there, the less chance they will have of proving ownership. I'm sure that Bush's 'contractors' will get rid of anything that might prove ownership from the most desirable property (that would be the property they want, for whatever reason).

They are vultures, I couldn't believe a realtor was already taking offers before the people even returned. What a disgusting, vulturous society this is. I don't think it can be fixed.

Maybe all decent people should just leave it. Let the vultures prey on each other.

[Erika]

9. Yes, the poor owned tiny lots with tiny houses

W and his friends will swoop in like a bunch of vultures. It's the Republican way.

[jody]

10. Louisiana law is adequate if state and local politicians aggressively

apply that law.

"All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)

:hi: