N.H. Town Rejects Plan to Evict Souter

AP via Yahoo ^ | 2/4/06 | Kathy McCormack

[Zeroisanumber]

WEARE, N.H. - Residents on Saturday rejected a proposal to evict U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter from his farmhouse to make way for the "Lost Liberty Hotel."

A group angered by last year's court decision that gave local governments more power to seize people's homes for economic development had petitioned to use the ruling against the justice.

But voters deciding which issues should go on the town's March ballot replaced the group's proposal with a call to strengthen New Hampshire's law on eminent domain.

"This is a game," said Walter Bohlin. "Why would we take something from one of ours? This is not the appropriate way."

Souter, who grew up in Weare, a central New Hampshire town of 8,500, has not commented on the matter and was not at the meeting.

Joshua Solomon, a member of the Committee for the Protection of Natural Rights, was disappointed with the vote.

"We lost today, not because there isn't support in this town but because the turnout wasn't here," he said. "It's not exactly the message we intended to have."

Solomon had said the group was formed because the Supreme Court has given courts and legislatures "permission to chip away at our freedoms."

The Supreme Court ruling allowed New London, Conn., to take several waterfront homes for a private development. The city argued that the project would benefit the public by generating tax revenue and new jobs.

The Legislature is considering several proposals to limit government's ability to use eminent domain.

[Zeroisanumber]

Drat! I was hoping that this would go through.

[Brilliant]

He must have pulled some strings. The liberal elite never get what they deserve.

[upchuck]

For those who have not had the opportunity of viewing Justice Souter's home at 34 Cilly Hill Rd, Weare, NH 03281-6004 in person:

Pix 1 (838KB)
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Pix 4 (799KB)

Map

[synbad600]

"The city argued that the project would benefit the public by generating tax revenue and new jobs."

One never hears this when WalMart wants to come to town. Sure hope this project is unionized.

[bikepacker67]

Walter Bohlin is a grovelling weeny.

[Drango]

Zero detail in the AP story. What was the vote count?

[Past Your Eyes]

I find it hard to believe that Weare, NH has a population of 8500. I know things have grown a lot here but that puts it in the "big town" category by our standards.
Win or lose, and you knew it was going to lose, folks' awareness of the issue has been heightened by this whole thing and the people who started this whole thing rolling get praise from me.

[Flifuss]

"This is a game," said Walter Bohlin. "Why would we take something from one of ours?"

Short answer - because he gave others the means to take away yours.

[F16Fighter]

"This is a game," said Walter Bohlin. "Why would we take something from one of ours? This is not the appropriate way."

It wouldn't be such a "game" if Mr. Bohlin's property was confiscated by Souter's eminent domain ruling, would it?

[Westlander]

Don't put it past Souter to hold on to this fire hazard and sell it along with his neighbors for a future mall. Would be interesting to find out where he actually lives, and if he files this barn as his primary residence - qualifying it for a homestead exemption on his taxes.

[Think free or die]

I'm disappointed, but not surprised. Nevertheless, it got a lot of attention, and that's important too. If it helps stir up legislation to protect private property, that's a positive development.

[davisfh]

Well, it sure as Hell is blighted. The least he could
do is get his sorry behind out there and straighten
up the mail box. I thought that we had Redneck
problems in my part of the country, but this guy is
a classic case. And he's an intellectual?

[LibFreeOrDie]

As Bette Davis said, "What a dump!"

http://www.reelclassics.com/Audio_Video/Quotes7r/bette_beyondforest_dump.wav

[upchuck]

Yeah, hard to believe a Justice of the SCOTUS lives in a place like this.

The house is on a short dirt road out in the middle of nowhere.

Take a look at this photo. Ya reckon that's Souter's mailbox?

[LibFreeOrDie]

How much money does a Supreme make every year? You'd think he could afford to paint that shack!

[bobwilgo]

"This is a game," said Walter Bohlin. "Why would we take something from one of ours? This is not the appropriate way."


Small town people...nothing ever happens there..don't hurt other people intentially..everybody knows everybody.They're not motivated to do anything political.If Souter sh#t on their front porch every morning,they'd say.."thank ya Judge,you come back again tommorrow you hear.."

[chae]

Have you ever lived in a small town?

[Steve_Stifler]

Those pics would seem to confirm that it's a blighted area. Take it!

[bobwilgo]

Have you ever lived in a small town?



I was born in small town.And lived in a small town

[My Favorite Headache]

I NEVER listen to John Mellancamp and for the first time probably in my life I am listening to his greatest hits collection as we speak and you quote a Mellancamp song...twilight zone stuff at 3:35 AM...lololol.

[bobwilgo]

oops!3:35am--I'm going to bed!!

[davisfh]

I believe that one is standing straighter than Souters.

[King Moonracer]

"This is a game," said Walter Bohlin. "Why would we take something from one of ours? This is not the appropriate way."

F#cktard. Souter has nothing in common with NH, 'cept those rat pucker-holes in Durham, Hanover, and Keene.

[H. Paul Pressler IV]

Does anyone have the actual election returns?

[Hildy]

It's hard to tell from those photos, but it looks like the house and property are in disrepair.

[upchuck]

Having been there in person I can testify that the house and property are, indeed, in serious need of maintenance.

The place is a dump. Wonder what the inside looks like?

[Hildy]

Is this a summer home only or is it his primary residence when not in Washington?

[Hildy]

Is this a summer home only or is it his primary residence when not in Washington?

[upchuck]

It is my understanding that this house and property (eight acres IIRC) is the "family homestead." The house is about 200 years old. He inherited it from his mother when she died.

Not facts, just my recollections.

Do not know if he spends anytime there. Doesn't look like it, does it?

[Smile-n-Win]

Weare ping--looks like we lost this battle...

[traviskicks]

thanks for the update. well, it was fun while it lasted.... :)

[dixiechick2000]

Dang!
I was SO hoping...;o)

Thank you for keeping the ping list.
Hang on to it........just in case. ;o)

[Smile-n-Win]

I sure will! :-D

[OSHA]

This is not the appropriate way."

Souter said it was an appropriate way. Who is this ham-hock to argue with a SCJ?

[Lars in NH]

The people of Weare that attended the town deliberative session did NOT vote for strengthened eminent domain laws. What the group of 93 unguided activists did is violate the US Constitution (art. 14) as well as the NH State Constitution (art. 10).

The activists are asking for the Town of Weare government to grant special protection for an individual by name; David Souter. This is illegal.

I was there and I sat appalled to see the article rewritten and bastardized. This is a violation of a groups right to petition its own government, violating their rights.

Walter Bohlin may think he is a patriot, or a superhero, but he is indisputably a coward in my circle(s). A man afraid of democracy, fearful of the remainder; 4900 registered Weare voters.

“This is not the appropriate way”… Easy words, especially without presenting an effective plan that IS deemed appropriate…

My one year old daughter could have entered the word “Not” in three places.

[mewzilla]

Not all animals are created equal.

[godzthor1]

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11827131/

>snipped<

Voters decided 1,167 to 493 in favor of the reworded measure that asked the Board of Selectmen not to use their power of eminent domain to take the farmhouse, and instead urged New Hampshire to adopt a law that forbids seizures of the sort sanctioned by the Supreme Court.

[A Ruminor]

Gee! I wonder what it looks like inside! The last intellectual we lived next to left the door open so she could find the exit.

[A Ruminor]

This may be a little off topic, but may portend the future. In Mexico property seizure of Americans who had bought Mexican real estate was a major news topic in the 90's. Americans who had leased land there to retire were evicted after they had made extensive property improvements, such as homes, etc.

Given the large Mexican illegal immigrant population, clamoring for the same rights as Americans in California and other states in the Southwest, it would not be at all surprising if the eviction process continued stateside for "non-Mexicans". The reason, of course, is their real stated objective, which is a reconquest of the Southwest.

Of course, the U. S. Government's position on illegal immigration is that they are doing work "that Americans won't do". This all has the smell of a very sinister conspiracy on the sovereignty of the country and the future rights of legal American citizens by the Administration and the U. S. Supreme Court when combined with the illegal immigration issue.