Village of Bay City, WI Prefers Theft of Land to a Negotiated Trade

The village of Bay City has voted to put in a walking trail along the Missippi River. There is just one small problem, however. The land belongs to Bay City resident David Meixner. Evidently, that's not a serious problem if you think that the village has the ability to take what it likes whenever it likes. Mr. Meixner doesn't agree, and neither would anyone who has worked and saved to build their life's dream on their own property.

According to an article in the Peirce County Herald:

The proposed nature trail would split Meixner’s land into three separate chunks, which he said “makes everything I’ve tried to put together worthless.”

Meixner began acquiring parcels of land there about 15 years ago, in hopes of creating a nature photography sanctuary. However, he said, people walking through his land on a trail would scare away the birds and animals he hopes to attract, therefore destroying his livelihood.

Meixner is proposing to give the village a 650-by-15-foot swath of his land along the back side of his property, along what is platted (although unused) as Eighth Street. The path would then meet up with Market Street, swing around a 130-by-60-foot parking area for the ball field (which Meixner is also proposing to give to the village), and head over the berm on a permanent easement (again, given by Meixner) to the unclaimed island.

“In an effort to try and resolve the issue, I would be willing to give you the land,” Meixner said of his proposal. “The designated parking area, I’ll give it to you. You can have it. If you get the island, I would give a permanent easement to cross the berm around the pond.”

In exchange, Meixner wants a 150-by-50-foot tract of woods and wetland, owned by the village on the northwestern side of his property.

“It’s about the same amount of land I’d give you for the parking lot,” Meixner said. “I would also ask the village to stop any and all claims against my property. It would save the village a ton of money.”

But why would anyone even consider negotiating a fair trade when they have the potential ability to simply take the land for themselves? If the good people of America and Wisconsin don't stand together to protect the property rights of others, then no one will stand with them when the government decides that they would like to have their land, too.

It is the duty and commission of government to protect the natural, God-given rights of the people of their community, among which are life, liberty and property. When governments fail to provide these basic functions, it is the right and the duty for the people to amend or abolish said governments. Hey, that sounds somewhat familiar...

We must stand together or we will all eventually stand alone against the bullies who think that might  makes right and that they can get what they want under threat of force. We have to show them that they are sadly mistaken.