‘Spreading the wealth’ with a proposed “growth plan” to confiscate property rights of Bismark’s citizens:
“I have had meetings with several different people who are concerned about it,” said Chairman Jerry Woodcox. “One of them was the policy and goal, protecting the river bluff. That has been eliminated from the plan as a policy. It’s in there in two sites – one under policy and one under goal,” Woodcox said. “The policy has been eliminated from that. It’s still in there as a goal, but not as a policy. The goal is a lot weaker as far as implementing it.”
Woodcox said many people aired concerns over their loss of property rights.“I don’t know if I agree with them. Any kind of a plan, if it’s a good plan and a progressive plan, is going to take some property rights, but that’s part of our job – to channel evolvement, to get a good development, to have it proper and do it right,” Woodcox said.
http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2008/10/21/news/local/167400.txt
Woocox wants to force a plan that would have no effect on him:
Woodcox, who does not own any property that would be affected by the plan, has claimed that he does not see how the Burleigh County Comprehensive Plan infringes on individual property rights. Even though the comprehensive plan contains specific criteria as to how property owners can or cannot develop their land. Interestingly enough, he then claimed that it will take property rights away.
“I think it (the comprehensive plan) will take away some property rights but it will be on a very limited basis,” Woodcox said in a phone interview Tuesday morning. “It’s like taking somebody’s property for a road, but that’s still progress. You’ve got to do it.”
Taking away property rights, even on a limited basis is a dangerous slope to start sliding down. In fact it’s sliding right over a hard line drawn by the state constitution, which county commissioners are sworn to protect. Article I, Sections 1 and 16 both address personal property rights. When asked why is it that some people’s property rights must be given up for the sake of the comprehensive plan, Woodcox merely replied “No comment.”
Wanna bet he’s a Democrat? Somebody better check Woodcox’s financial ties to local developers…..