Souter Inn?

Posted by Moonage on 28 Jun 2005 | Tagged as: National Politics

Could a hotel be built on the land owned by Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter? A new ruling by the Supreme Court which was supported by Justice Souter himself itself might allow it. A private developer is seeking to use this very law to build a hotel on Souter’s 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."

This is precious.  I hope he does it.  And, I think it would fly.  For a couple of years anyway.  However, I think this is more a political statement than a rational business decision.  It was too easy to find this:

Hodgdon pointed to the 1985 state Supreme Court ruling in Merril V. City of Manchester in which a lower court’s decision was reversed and the city was not allowed to purchase open space to convert into an industrial park because the motivating factors were not primarily for the public use, but rather economic development. The court ruled the public benefits of the open space trumped those of industry.

The Supreme Court ruling is only clear cut in states that have no standards for "public use".  New Hampshire does.  It’s been tested in court and held up. 

The rush to panic that any local government can take your home is rather premature IMO.

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