Free Talk Live

The Honduras Supreme Court has struck down a proposal for a number of so-called private cities with their own tax and justice systems. Wealthy landowners had pushed the plan, drawing opposition from human rights groups. But Honduran justices ruled the establishment of private jurisdictions outside of Honduran law would violate the constitution.

Four judges of the Honduran Supreme Court voted in favor of an interposed appeal against the decree to reform articles 304 and 329, giving the green light to the creation of the “Private Cities” / Model Cities / REDs

Honduras “private cites”, “model cities”, “REDS”, “Charter Cities”!!! How many names can they be given? One thing is for sure, they are at the risk of dying before they get started. Especially since Paul Romer, the architect behind the project engineered to attract foreign investments, has withdrawn due to what he claims is a lack of transparency. But then again, the investment group “MKG”, (or is it really “MGK” now that they actually had to scramble and change their name after being wrongly associated with fraud, due to a case of mistaken identity?) also dropped the ball.

Private Cities with their own legal and tax structures in Honduras.

The constitutional chamber of Honduras' Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that privately run cities in the Central American country would be unconstitutional, threatening a project to build "model cities" with their own police, laws, government and tax systems. The five-judge panel voted 4-to-1 in a ruling that goes against the Honduran government and the country's elite. Because the decision was not unanimous, the case now goes to the full 15-member Supreme Court, which is expected to take it up within 10 days.

After years of whittling staff and cutting back on services, towns and cities are now outsourcing some of the most basic functions of local government, from policing to trash collection. Services that cities can no longer afford to provide are being contracted to private vendors, counties or even neighboring towns.

In Auburn, New York, the city is threatening to invoke eminent domain to seize private property for a private hotel conference center, saying the public good outweighs the private property rights of some citizens.

In L.A. County, 49 cities and all unincorporated areas ban fireworks. Thirty-nine cities permit safe-and-sane devices -- those that do not explode or fly. THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL DETERMINES WHICH FIREWORKS ARE CONSIDERED "SAFE-AND-SANE," and they are labeled with a state seal.
Several cities throughout Southern California are hosting fireworks displays this July 4 weekend as authorities remind residents about Los Angeles County's "safe-and-sane" fireworks ban.

"Red-light cameras would be banned from being used to generate money for cities under a bill moving through the state Legislature. If the legislation is adopted, San Francisco and cities in San Mateo County would be forced to prove that an intersection is dangerous before installing a camera there. Cities would be forbidden from considering the potential profitability of a red-light camera when deciding whether to proceed with a proposed installation."