Movement builds to seize Souter home

World Net Daily ^ | 07/11/05

[RoyalsFan]

THIS LAND WAS YOUR LAND Movement builds to seize Souter home If New Hampshire selectmen don't bite, ballot initiatives planned

Supreme Court Justice David Souter probably never expected his vote to permit a Connecticut town the power to seize the homes of citizens would come back to haunt him.

But it may.

An effort by a Los Angeles advertising entrepreneur to persuade the city fathers of Weare, N.H., to turn the tables on Souter by seizing his home and building a hotel on the site is gaining steam.

Logan Darrow Clements and his company, Free Star Media, are now collecting online contributions from the public to support the project.

"There's lots of work that still needs to be done to accomplish our objectives," Clements told WND. "But I am confident we can be successful. This is a way ordinary Americans can fight back – not just against Souter, but against local officials who abuse their authority and callously seize the homes of law-abiding citizens out of sheer greed."

The town of Weare has been inundated with calls in support of the proposal since WND first publicized the story of how Clements plans to turn eminent domain against one of its champions. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 two weeks ago that local towns and cities can seize homes and private businesses through eminent domain and turn the properties over to private developers for no other reason than the fact that it would result in higher tax revenues for the municipality.

"There are so many people who have come out of the woodwork to support me," Clements said. "Government has just gotten far too big and far too powerful. ... We're trying to make a larger point that we're losing freedom so fast in America that we have to stop what we're doing and take a stand and fight it."

A few days after the ruling, Clements faxed a request to Chip Meany, the code enforcement officer of Weare, seeking to start the application process to build a hotel on 34 Cilley Hill Road, the present location of Souter's home.

"Am I taking this seriously? But of course," Meany told the Associated Press. "In lieu of the recent Supreme Court decision, I would imagine that some people are pretty much upset. If it is their right to pursue this type of end, then by all means let the process begin."

Clements wants to build "The Lost Liberty Hotel" on the property as a kind of museum commemorating the lost right to private property in America.

The Kelo v. City of New London decision allows the New London, Conn., government to seize the homes and businesses of residents to facilitate the building of an office complex that would provide economic benefits to the area and more tax revenue to the city.

Though the practice of eminent domain is provided for in the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution, the case is significant because the seizure is for private development and not for "public use," such as a highway or bridge. The decision has been roundly criticized by property-rights activists and limited-government commentators.

The first step in the process, said Clements, is to get the Weare Board of Selectmen to vote in favor of the seizure. However, even if that action is unsuccessful, Clements says citizens in the town can and will draft a ballot initiative to accomplish the objective.

[stopem]

Scenario:
Imagine paying $800,000 for a fixer-upper 100 year old house in California just to have some company that uses illegals to build hotels or motels decide that the $800,000 house you just bought that has been appraised at $80,000 TOPS
is the very property they want to build their motel on.

Tsk Tsk, bummer. LOL:)!

Could happen.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

This is a great idea.

[skinkinthegrass]

..those were great/heady days. :D

[Brilliant]

I've got dibbs on the rider mower.

[Redleg Duke]

Talk about over the top!

[joesnuffy]

Like his bros wont pony up the bucks to buy him even nicer digs in Costa Rica...

[Minnesoootan]

Wasn't there an article that this property was WAY under-appraised?

I think he needs to be nailed on that,as well.

[wizr]

Anodder one. Same paper.

[Bear_Slayer]

Put a super highway next to their plot and a rest-stop bathroom over the plot.

[Smile-n-Win]

Weare-Them-Down ping

FreepMail me to get on or off this ping list for news on the Lost Liberty Hotel!

[Smile-n-Win]

Thanks!

[FreeKeys]

--->   Please help   <---
the Lost Liberty Hotel project.
Donations sought and advertising sold at:
http://www.freestarmedia.com/advertise.html

[winner3000]

(New Hampshire home of Justice David Souter)

You mean New Hampshire home of Injustice (Communist) David Souter.

[AnAmericanMother]

Oh, yeah. Sagging roof on the main dwelling, ugly tacked-on addition that breaks the forward plane of the main house (that's a zoning violation in a lot of jurisdictions), boarded up door on the addition, hasn't been painted in forever (and ugly barn paint too), mailbox in disrepair, poorly maintained lawn, vehicles (o.k., it's one "vehicle" . . . I mean, you COULD drive it on the road) parked on the lawn, unmaintained "curb" on a dirt road.

Looks "blighted" to me. I've seen trash renters who kept their property up better than this.

[lonevoice]

It doesn't look like there's anything new happening, but at least it hasn't gone away.

[Charles Martel]

A good way to raise funds would be to raffle tickets to drive it over the house. Heck I'd pay $100 just to sit in the seat when it's over.

Chop all of that wood into small chunks and sell 'em on eBay.

[Revolting cat!]

I hope the take all of his homes homos not just this one.

(Now, that fixes it!)

[pointsal]

Clearly, a classic example of poverty-row housing...get a dumpster!

[Republican Wildcat]

If Scalia, O'Connor, Rehnquist, and Thomas don't shoot the other SCOTUS members their houses should be seized? Idiotic. People like you are why many that are apolitical think all conservatives are right-wing nutcases.

[Freebird Forever]

People like you are why many that are apolitical think all conservatives are right-wing nutcases.

"Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue."
- Berry Goldwater

'nuff said.