“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one. ”
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Elbert Hubbard--
Editorial
Here’s the Scoop
It’s been a long while since I’ve seen people become as riled as the latest Supreme Court ruling on eminent domain that allows government bodies to purchase land for a variety of reasons. A lot of folks were tempted drive to the White House steps in protest of the ruling.
But considering the glaring price of gas at the pumps at $2.49 in Oklahoma this morning, most of my neighbors were too busy fretting about how they will be able to afford the commute to work in the coming months.
The masses weren’t born with a silver spoon in their mouths and a hefty trust fund, thus it takes the bulk of a lifetime to pay for a roof over our heads. To imagine that after all the effort that is required to own a family home and whoosh, in an instant those plans and dreams can be whisked away at the whim of a mayor or city council that have visions of shopping malls dancing in their heads.
Imagine the countless architecture that will soon be lost. All one has to do is take a glimpse into yesteryear to see the repercussions. Consider the hand hewn oak barns, stately structures that survived the test of time—most have been replaced with metal buildings.
About five years back, in an effort to modernize an Oklahoma courthouse built as a WPA project, all the marble countertops and windowsills were gutted and replaced by laminate covered particle board (which incidentally, already is showing signs of wear and needs replacing). The county couldn’t get a bid on the marble as it wasn’t popular at the time, so a local flea market owner took it for merely what it cost him to remove the material.
We live in a throw-away society of people that need instant gratification and entertainment. And our local governments are catering to just those—tearing down and tossing out the old to provide flashy modern temporary tourist traps. Eminent domain paves the way for all of that to happen in an instantaneous fashion without the benefit of haggling with property owners or waiting until the owner is ready to sell out.
Treasure hunters, if you’ve ever considered turning the hobby into something profitable, I predict eminent domain could very well turn the world of salvage materials into a money-maker.
Once the site is being cleared, don’t forget to ask permission to metal detect. Any area that has been frequented by people for many years, most surely will have old coins and relics beneath the concrete foundation.
When the cost of fuel halts treasure hunting trips, are any of our treasure hunters seeking alternative methods of travel. Short of hitching up a team of horses for the trip, have any considered the new fuel methods?
I’d love to hear tips from our readers on how we can economically pursue the hobby in pressing economic times. By sticking together, we can produce lemonade tomorrow with the lemons thrown at us today.
Janet Warford-Perry
Managing Editor - Lost Treasure
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