In his book, The Road to Serfdom, Hayek warned "the system of private property is the most important guaranty of freedom, not only for those who own property, but scarcely less for those who do not."

Reflecting on that idea, let me post a link to a website that is detailing the number of eminent domain cases in my home state of Florida: http://www.castlecoalition.com/report/reportstates/florida.shtml

And these are cases in which the use of eminent domain is displacing citizens from their own property for others private use. In these cases, eminent domain is being used as a political tool, for government officials to reward private contractors, corporations and other wealthy developers (lobbyists) to take over the weak and the powerless by force.

Is this a slap in the face to the long cherished tradition of private property rights?

Very insightful, thank you for the link. Also, anyone interested in exploring this further, i.e. writing about it, go to http://www.pacificlegal.org/aboutWriting.asp
first place gets 5k.