MINNESOTA PROPERTY RIGHTS WATCH

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A Very Good Question

March 17, 2009 Last night's public hearing at Ravenna Town Hall was illuminating. During the portion of the hearing where attendees were encouraged to ask questions, one gentleman in the back stood up and asked, "Is the government going to come and take away my land?" Present in the audience when this question was asked were Joe Harris, the chair of the Joint Powers Organization that holds the power to withhold approval of the townships' ordinance, and the Watershed Director, along with the man who drafted the ordinance that was the subject of the public hearing.  Not one of those men stood up and assured the audience member that he needn't worry about the government taking his land.  Not one of those men answered the question.  Not one of those men denied that the government would readily take his land under the Ordinance in question.  The silence was deafening. Instead, the man who drafted the Ordinance told the man that he should ask the question during the "public comment" period instead.  No answer would be forthcoming.