Who’s Property Is It Anyway?

I’m a little confused lately as to whether we actually have private property rights in this country or not. I’ll explain what I mean with two examples: A very dear friend whom I’ve known since the second grade, recently lost his father to cancer. During the short time between his fathers diagnosis and death, Palmyra borough, after having performed "smoke tests" on his parents sewer pipes, determined that their sewer pipes needed to be dug up and replaced. All this at his parents expense, of course, and also while his mother was dealing with her husband’s illness and imminent death. All this despite the fact that his parents had a private plumber come and examine the pipes with a camera attached to a "snake" device that was sent through the pipes with no leaks detected. My friend’s mother even attended a borough council meeting in an attempt to get them to reconsider their plan. But, the borough would not be persuaded to reconsider and the yard was dug up and the pipes replaced.
Next example: we are good friends with a couple who are currently in litigation with the township where they live because the township wants to route sewer pipes through their property and force them to hook up to them. Why? because North Codorus Township, where this couple resides, decided to join with a nearby borough and put in a public sewer system. The couple has done their homework though. Because of conditions in their property, the sewer pipes will become exposed over time and pose both a potential health hazard and detract from the beauty of the property. This couple has gone to township meetings and presented their arguments. Even an engineer who examined the property, concurred with the couple’s assessment. But the township would have none of that and began to threaten to evoke eminent domain in order to proceed with its plans. Another resident of the township who’s property will be effected by the sewer line installation had sent several certified letters to the sewer authority claiming that the sewer lines would be going through a Native American burial ground on his property. His letters were never responded to and seem to have gone into a black hole somewhere. Additionally, Mr. Boyer, the supervisor of the North Codorus Sewer Authority, displayed a complete lack of compassion for residents on a fixed income who may not be able to afford the higher rates as a result of this new system. Mr. Boyer arrogantly stated that those who cannot afford to pay may have to move.
What I don’t understand is the double standard that exists whenever the government deems it "necessary" for some upgrade or improvement to be done to our property. Then it will use whatever coercive tactics at its disposal (pretty much any threat, even imprisonment or seizure of our property) to ensure that we obediently give the green light to their demands while we get out our checkbooks and try to figure out what plans or purchases we are going to have to put on the back burner due to this new financial priority has been dropped in our lap!
Consider when you decide to improve your home or property. Suppose you want to add a deck or put in a swimming pool. By law you need to obtain a permit from your city or township. That’s right, you need to get permission to make improvements or additions to your property. And the very act of having to ask, entails that you could be refused. But this begs the question, if we need to acquire permission to improve our properties or if we can have mandated improvements enforced on us as in the above scenarios, how can we be said to be the property owners? I once asked a retired state legislator the same question, and he could not dispute the logic and confessed that true property ownership is a myth.
Private property is a myth that the government chooses to perpetuate at all costs because it allows them to have their proverbial cake and eat it too. You see, property tax is one of the many effective ways that the government enriches itself while at the same time having unpaid caretakers to maintain and improve the properties. But if we all came to realize the truth that we don’t really own our properties and are therefore not responsible for and refused to pay the property taxes, how many properties will the government seize and how many "tenants" would they imprison until they realized it was futile? I believe not many.
So I believe everyone who reads these words should consider them very carefully. Would you stand for me coming to your house and telling you what you can and cannot do with your property? Could I make threats that I will take your property from you if you don’t do what I say? Could I demand you pay me a certain amount of money based on the value of your property or else I will confiscate it? The answer to all three questions is a resounding "NO!" Why? Because I do not own your property and therefore have no right to make any demands on you regarding your property. So, tell me, how can the government make these demands and continue to get away with it? Why is it only your property when the tax bill comes due? I know, the government needs the tax dollars to operate. But why do their needs supersede our needs? I think that is what angers people the most, the governments arrogant presumptuousness that they come before all else. I mentioned elsewhere that the government operates on what I call the law of savages, which is basically the principle, might makes right. The government takes what it wants because it can. We on the other hand cannot because we do not possess the government’s might.
I think those in power would do well to heed the words of the great statesman and founding father Thomas Jefferson who wrote:
"The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it to be always kept alive. It will often be exercised when wrong, but better so than not to be exercised at all. I like a little rebellion now and then. It is like a storm in the atmosphere."
I believe that we have long passed the risk of wrongful exercise of rebellion and that not to rebel would be an insult to the spirit of this great nation and the memory of its founders.