Hotel Souter Becoming a Reality?
 

Future site of "Hotel Lost Liberty"?
(see photo at the bottom)

Justice Souter's home New Hampshire may become a hotel because of the Kelo Decision.

From State College Centre Daily:

A group opposed to a U.S. Supreme Court decision on eminent domain gathered signatures Saturday in support of turning Justice David Souter's home into a hotel.

About 25 volunteers gathered at Weare Town Hall before setting out in teams to canvas the town. William Deans of Allentown, Pa., said he joined the effort because Allentown officials are dealing with urban blight by seizing homes and property in his neighborhood.

"I'm here today because I believe in the cause and my personal home is in eminent domain proceedings," Deans said.

The idea of requiring the town to seize Souter's farmhouse and develop a "Hotel Lost Liberty" on the property started with Logan Darrow Clements of Los Angeles, who wanted to protest the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision in Kelo v. City of New London.

Souter joined the majority in ruling New London, Conn., could seize residents' homes to make way for a hotel, convention center, office space and condominiums near Pfizer Inc.'s new research headquarters because it would benefit the public by creating jobs and increasing tax revenues.

A group of Weare residents calling themselves the Committee for the Preservation of Natural Rights already has gathered the 25 signatures required to place the seizure measure on the town ballot in March. Souter, through a spokeswoman for the court, has declined to comment.

Clements came to Weare this weekend to demonstrate the extent of local support for the measure and distribute copies of the court's decision. He gathered nine signatures on Buzzell Hill Road in less than an hour, with only one resident declining to sign.

"I've got support across the board on this today - liberal and conservative," Clements said. "It's great that all Americans can come together at least on one issue."

Roland Beauregard, who stopped his car to sign Clements' petition, said he whole-heartedly supported the plan to seize Souter's home.

"If he's going to make a rule, then he's got to live by the rule," he said. "This kind of thing makes me angry. What's to say somebody won't come along and decide my house might make a great resort? I only pay a few thousand in taxes, and if they could get more taxes to build something there, what's stopping them from taking away my house?"

What goes around comes around....

Nothing would more apropos than Justice Souter losing this property as a result of the Kelo Decision. If Souter wants to stay there maybe they could hire him as a bellhop.