The lost liberty hotel : Souter's comeuppance

U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice David H. Souter lives in a $100,000 rustic farmhouse in Weare, N.H. -- population 8,400.

Mr. Justice Souter is said to love the residence and the quiet peace it affords. However, when you take into account a California man's idea for building a hotel on the property, the justice's attachment to his abode fades into the inconsequential.

I live in Weare, NH and something doesn't add up here. I pay over 4,000 in annual property taxes for a 2-bedroom ranch on 6 acres.

I have not checked with the assessor's office yet, but if the reports are true (~2,400 in taxes for a 34 acre lot with a 2-story colonial farm house) then either Souter isn't pay his fair share of taxes and needs to be reassessed, or his property is in current use, probably with the 20% reduction for recreational uses. If this is true, you are all welcome to come up to Weare to fish, hunt, snowshoe and observe nature on Souter's property and no one can stop you!

Here is a web-site that has more information on current use land http://weareweb.weare.nh.us/onrecord

She's a very nice person, but she has no doubts about politics or anything else. In short, she's always right about things, if you know what I mean. Her heroes might make occasional mistakes, but Republicans (even though she knows I'm one) are almost entirely EVIL, EVIL, EVIL!!! She sincerely believes that most elected Republicans are crooks. I don't even think that about most Dems. I just think they're mostly schnooks, not crooks. Although she's young, she's very sure of herself (remember she's also a lawyer), and I don't see her changing her ultra-left views anytime soon.

Bump. Thanks for this post. Bravo! I wrote to the guy initaiting this measure (taking Souter's houjse for the Lost Liberty Htoel) offering to invest! I think he was swamped!

It is great to see Americans so aware of, & energized in defense of, private property rights by addressing threats, this terrible precedent (Kelo v. New London), and becoming aware of the downside of activist Judges. I have been concerned with both of these realted issues for about a decade. I even had brief, separate, conversational encounters with two of the "good" Justices (Scalia & Thomas) in the Kelo case about 6 or 7 years ago re: "The Takings Clause" of the 5th Amendment designed to protect private property from arbitrary seizures, but providing for Eminent Domain for certain "public use" (NOT "public purpose") . It was clear they were anxious to see some good cases walk toward them. I doubt if they would have predicted the bizarre outcome in Kelo, though.

For those of us who are deeply concerned with protection of Private Property from improper application of Eminent Domain in contravention of the Original Intent of the Founders in the 5th Amendment's Takings Clause, I am registering a warning or a concern:

I think AG (& potential USSC Nominee) Alberto Gonzales is very weak on Private Property Rights and lacks an understanding of orignainl intent of the 5th Amendment's Takings Clause (Eminent Domain) based both upon some cases when he ws at the texas Supreme Ct. (e.g., FM Properties Operating Co. v. City of Austin, 22 S.W.3d 868 (Tex. 2000))

and, more recently and significantly, upon his NOT having joined in the Kelo case on the side of property owner. My understanding ws that he had sided with the League of Cities against Kelo while WH Counsel.

As some have frequently observed, he certainly believes in a "Living Constitution" and is NOT a strict constructionist or an Originalist, but rather tends toward the Activist side, per National Review Online and others.

He has been sharply critical of Priscilla Owen in some Texas Supreme Ct. decisions when they were both on that Ct. as Justices, and he has been quoted as being sharply criticial fo Janice Rogers Brown, including being quoted by People for the American Way in their ultra-leftist propaganda.

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