Lost Liberty Round Two, this time it’s an Airport
Although Logan Darrow Clements’ original idea of making supreme Justice Stouter’s private home into a hotel as just deserts and political theater for his vote on the Kelo v. New London eminent domain ruling failed, it looks like he hasn’t given up.
This time it’s an airport. It seems that any town in New Hampshire can seize land outside it’s boundaries if that land is going to be part of an airport. So all that has to happen is to get any one township in the state onboard to initiate the eminent domain proceedings.
To run the airport, he’s got a partner. Thor Solberg owns a private airport in Readington, N.J. that is currently being threatened by government takeover. He runs a hot air balloon festival every year out of his airport, but is apparently more than willing to relocate it to New Hampshire, if his current airport is bought out.
I’m of two minds about this. Although seeing anyone’s property taken for such a trifling reason such as a new shopping complex bothers me, if this is the kind of stunt it takes to get the government-critters to wake-up, it’s probably a worthy goal. Hell, it beats shooting the bastards.
Meanwhile, if Mr. Clements ultimate goal is to raise awareness of eminent domain abuse, he’s already succeeded.
Personally, I wonder if when my state low-balls everyone’s actual property value for the tax rolls, they aren’t really setting the stage for possible confiscation and compensation.
Although I can see how government may need to take property for the public good for purposes of building roads, bridges, military bases and such, I think that ?just compensation? ought to be at a premium above ?fair market value?, whenever there’s an involuntary forced sale. The extra public expense ought to work as a deterrent to abuse.
[Thanks Claire]
Logan Darrow Clements’ Freestar Media Page
