Strengthening Constitutional Self-Government

No Left Turns

Another Silver Lining: ’Kelo’ing David Souter’s House

Logan Darrow Clements, a real estate developer, has filed a request with the code enforcement officer in Weare, New Hampshire to build a new hotel on the site of Justice David Souter’s home.

From the article: "On Monday June 27, Logan Darrow Clements, faxed a request to Chip Meany the code enforcement officer of the Towne of Weare, New Hampshire seeking to start the application process to build a hotel on 34 Cilley Hill Road. This is the present location of Mr. Souter’s home.

Clements, CEO of Freestar Media, LLC, points out that the City of Weare will certainly gain greater tax revenue and economic benefits with a hotel on 34 Cilley Hill Road than allowing Mr. Souter to own the land.

The proposed development, called "The Lost Liberty Hotel" will feature the "Just Desserts Café" and include a museum, open to the public, featuring a permanent exhibit on the loss of freedom in America. Instead of a Gideon’s Bible each guest will receive a free copy of Ayn Rand’s novel "Atlas Shrugged."

Clements indicated that the hotel must be built on this particular piece of land because it is a unique site being the home of someone largely responsible for destroying property rights for all Americans.

"This is not a prank" said Clements, "The Towne of Weare has five people on the Board of Selectmen. If three of them vote to use the power of eminent domain to take this land from Mr. Souter we can begin our hotel development.""

Almost funny.

Discussions - 24 Comments

Perhaps more than "almost funny" if Souter learns from this that legislators must learn to live under the laws they make.

If this happens I will make a yearly pilgrimage to the hotel. I would be thoroughly pleased to see this happen, perhaps then Justice Souter will realize how foolish his ruling really was.

The hotel idea sounds great, and a yearly pilgrimage I might enjoy myself, but I don’t know if I have enough wobbly tables in my house to put the Ayn Rand books to proper use...

This seems like suitable justice for anyone who supports this decision.

So what’s everyone think of the new Batman movie? I’d like to hear some thoughts on the matter...

It’s people like Mr. Clements that make me proud to be a resident of New Hampshire.

$500 a minute to run the bulldozer - the ultimate CATO Institution fundraiser.

I like the way these people think. Now, if some well-heeled lovers of liberty will just step up to the plate ...

Man, the best idea I’ve heard in a while. I love the way these people think, although I wouldn’t go with Ayn Rand. John Locke would be suitably "old fashioned" to replace the Bible, I’d think.

Wow, not a single dissenter in the crowd...

Personally, I think Clements guy is viciously attacking a U.S. Judge. Are our judges safe from such Delayesque "extreme right-wing" attacks? Stay tuned for the edition ofGeraldo Live! from Weare, New Hampshire.

Just kidding. :)


Agree with Dain. Don’t sully this brilliant operation by bringing in a lunatic like Ayn Rand, even in book form.

Just out of curiosity, I wonder if Pfizer - the company that pushed this all the way to the SCOTUS in order to trample all over the average Joe and Jane - is the same "major Pharmaceutical company" that Julie Ponzi’s husband works for. If so, maybe we can get some inside info. on the case??

Reguarding comment 10 from good Mr. Lamb - " Wow, not a single dissenter in the crowd..." - that’s EXACTLY the way we like to see things here at No Left Turns, exactly the way we like it! God Bless!

I thinks its a wonderful idea. I thought that myself, after I read about the ruling in my hometown newspaper. I’m just upset that Clements was able to get to it before I could. I hope it happens and soon.

Actually, Randy Barnett, who is about as hardcore a libertarian and property-rights absolutist as they come, has expressed serious reservations about this:

I had posted this link facetiously but see that some commentors, both pro and con, are taking it more seriously. Retaliating against a judge for the good faith exercise of his duty is not only a bad idea, it violates the holding of Kelo itself, for the intent would be to take from A to give to B, in this case to punish A. I had considered deleting this post altogether--and perhaps this would still be a good idea--but, since other blogs had linked to it, decided instead to add this postscript.

Eh, Libertarians always develop cold feet when the s... hits the fan. They tend to be overly idealist people and, not really living in the real world, shy away from hardball necessities. That’s why so many of them vote for the LP (a wasted vote...but ideological "pure"). I would hate to live in a LP-dominated nation...upon invasion, this "herd of cats" would last about as long as France.

"Gee - Now that a government official might actually have to live by the rules he has set for for the little people, we feel really bad. We are hard core in principle, but lets not have any consequences or actual resistence to tyranny, judicial or otherwise. Stealing Souter’s house so Phizer could profit from it would be within the spirit of the Constitution, but re-allocating his fiscally underperforming bungalow out of spite would be wrong."

Gheesh. Well, go ahead and feel sorry. I don’t. I hope they bulldoze Souter’s house, and while we are at it I can think of four other posh residences which are under-performing tax wise. Furthermore, I have every confidence that were I driving the bulldozer I could so "in a good faith exercise" of my duty. A couple Kelo-inspired land seizures and demolitions might teach the rest of our robed masters in the imperial capital that the populace is not as supine as they hope. Is Randy "hard core" Barnett still wringing his hands about the tea in the water in Boston?

Power is the great evil with which we are contending. We have divided power between three branches of government and erected checks and balances to prevent abuse of power. However, where is the check on the power of the judiciary? If we fail to check the power of the judiciary, I predict that we will eventually live under judicial tyranny. -- Patrick Henry

Retaliating against a judge for the good faith exercise of his duty is not only a bad idea, it violates the holding of Kelo itself, for the intent would be to take from A to give to B, in this case to punish A.

Ah, but that is exactly what the ruling is going to allow. It will just be hidden behind terms like urban planning, community development, etc. All the city needs to do is show that they have a plan and by-golly Souter’s house is the perfect location. What does it matter anyway? He will be compensated right? And the community gets a new business, so it is a win/win.

Let the bulldozing begin!

M.E.S., Just for the record: my husband does not work for Pfizer. Neither does he endorse any of their products. :-)

But this could backfire. What if he wants out of the house and says yeah take it? In any event he would be compensated and undubtedly because of who he is at more than it is worth. Make it worthwhile. Find one of his poor relatives and go after him. If he has a conscience (doubtful) that might hurt a little.

Dain is again right. We cannot shrink from rough tactics. Texas Violinist is absolutely wrong, however. To punish family members is almost the definition of un-American. If we’re talking about literal terrorists, OK. But not otherwise.

If somebody begins funding the proposal, I will certainly buy in. An annual subscription, a time-share--whatever it takes to get those 3 selectment to act. Also, I have to suggest, as gently as I can, that anybody whose intellectual feet get cold while considering the taking away of Mr Souter’s house under Mr Souter’s law is confused. As far as I am concerned the property of all five judges is forfeit: having just proclaimed that secure private ownership of property is no longer a feature of American life, it is incumbent on these (one hopes) senile old people that they get to go first, right after the disposable little people in Connecticut.

This is worth a read - even these socialists agree that Kelo was a horrible decision.

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