Update: Romney to Quadruple Size of La Jolla Beachfront Home

While Republicans call for Obama to fly on commercial airlines

PoliticsAugust 2011 • Views: 27,356

As Republicans continue to whine and complain about the President’s vacation on Martha’s Vineyard, here’s an update to our post from yesterday about Mitt Romney’s collection of multi-million dollar mansions; Romney has filed an application to increase the size of his $12 million beachfront compound in La Jolla from a measly 3,000 square feet to a two-story 11,062-square foot castle: Romney to quadruple La Jolla home size.

LA JOLLA — GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney, scheduled to attend a series of fundraisers this weekend in San Diego, is also working on plans to nearly quadruple the size of his $12 million oceanfront manse in La Jolla.

Romney has filed an application with the city to bulldoze his 3,009-square-foot, single-story home at 311 Dunemere Dr. and replace it with a two-story, 11,062-square-foot structure. No date has been set to consider the proposed coastal development and site development permits, which must be approved by the city.

Not bad for someone who’s “unemployed.”

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33 comments

Targetpractice Sun, Aug 21, 2011 10:27:34am

Gee, I wish I had that much money when I was actually unemployed last year. *rolls eyes*

Political Atheist Sun, Aug 21, 2011 10:28:09am

Red Herring is Red Herring.

"Look something shiny"=Obama taking a vacation.
Dolts fall for this dumb vacation outrage.

Varek Raith Sun, Aug 21, 2011 10:29:17am

Hey Romney?
I'd like a full scale replica of Himeji Castle.
Us unemployed need to stick together!
Kthxbai.

jaunte Sun, Aug 21, 2011 10:36:20am

Despite some initial concerns about the home’s historic significance, a report prepared for the project concluded that the house is not significant under any designation criteria due to a “lack of integrity.”

Seems to fit.

"Mitt Romney appears to be squeaky clean from sexual peccadilloes. Yet here’s a man who can be pro-choice, pro-gay, pro-evolution and pro-stem cell research for many years, and then (when expedience calls) takes 180 turns on all of those fundamental issues."
[Link: johndehlin.com...]

bratwurst Sun, Aug 21, 2011 10:42:32am

That beach front house is probably LOUSY with Dijon mustard and arugula too!

elizajane Sun, Aug 21, 2011 10:44:36am

As a Person of Money, Romney is free to do what he wants. It's people who have to rent their vacation homes who are excessive spenders and deserve to be impeached/shot/sent back to the cotton farm. If you don't understand this, you have not been listening to Rush Limbaugh enough.
///

Henchman Ghazi-808 Sun, Aug 21, 2011 10:47:19am

Damn, looks like Mitt might be an acceptable client of mine!

Iwouldprefernotto Sun, Aug 21, 2011 11:17:52am

Mitt is the new Mccain.

BishopX Sun, Aug 21, 2011 11:30:10am

He obviously needs the new house so that his secret service agents have somewhere to sleep.

Surabaya Stew Sun, Aug 21, 2011 11:30:14am

Let's see here, what does building an 11,000 square foot mansion cost? While I'm unfamiliar with La Jolla and their typical building costs, let's low-ball it and assume $150 per square foot, which is on the very low side for luxury building here in the tri-state area....

150 x 11,000 = $1,650,000

And that's just the cost of the building, not including kitchen and bathroom build-outs and finishes, furniture, security features, etc, at least bringing the bill up to 2million. Frankly, I imagine that La Jolla has a compriable cost of building to that of the more expenisive places in America, and that estimated costs should be doubled!

So what if Mitt wants to spend 4 mil on a home he'll use only a few months (or weeks) a year? At least he's not renting in Martha's Vinyard in the dog days of August like that tratior Obama!

Four More Tears Sun, Aug 21, 2011 11:34:31am

re: #3 Varek Raith

Hey Romney?
I'd like a full scale replica of Himeji Castle.
Us unemployed need to stick together!
Kthxbai.

Well, you can build it in Civ 5. Close enough?

dragonfire1981 Sun, Aug 21, 2011 11:36:56am

Don't worry, he's a Republican. This isn't wasteful spending, its just stimulating the economy.

TampaKnight Sun, Aug 21, 2011 12:03:43pm

re: #12 dragonfire1981

Don't worry, he's a Republican. This isn't wasteful spending, its just stimulating the economy.

He's spending his money- not others.

I don't understand why this is even a subject on LGF. People bitched about Bush's vacations (the same ones defending Obama's now) and now it's reversed. It's stupid and petty, but it is what it is.

Have we really now sunk to comparing what candidates do as a private citizens vs. what the President of the United States does in office?

Stinks all around.

[deleted] Sun, Aug 21, 2011 12:12:48pm

jaunte Sun, Aug 21, 2011 12:19:28pm

re: #14 petefreans

Smells like burned socks.

wrenchwench Sun, Aug 21, 2011 12:20:29pm

re: #14 petefreans

My guess is that you guys espouse a libertarian philosophy.

Hahahaha!

Not very astute, are you.

Iwouldprefernotto Sun, Aug 21, 2011 12:24:55pm

re: #13 TampaKnight

He's spending his money- not others.

I don't understand why this is even a subject on LGF. People bitched about Bush's vacations (the same ones defending Obama's now) and now it's reversed. It's stupid and petty, but it is what it is.

Have we really now sunk to comparing what candidates do as a private citizens vs. what the President of the United States does in office?

Stinks all around.

This is an item because Romney gave Obama a hard time for taking a vacation on the vineyard, while he was on the other side of the island taking his own vacation.

Barflytom Sun, Aug 21, 2011 12:27:15pm

Funny how the lefties here completely miss the point.
Romney is spending his own money.
Obama is using taxpayer's money to fly himself and the missus on two separate planes to go on vacation - at a cost in the hundreds of thousands.

wrenchwench Sun, Aug 21, 2011 12:28:46pm

re: #13 TampaKnight

He's spending his money- not others.

I don't understand why this is even a subject on LGF. People bitched about Bush's vacations (the same ones defending Obama's now) and now it's reversed. It's stupid and petty, but it is what it is.

Have we really now sunk to comparing what candidates do as a private citizens vs. what the President of the United States does in office?

Stinks all around.

I think a candidate's lifestyle is an appropriate topic for a blog that covers politics. My preference for a potential president is someone who can imagine what it's like, or better yet, does not need to imagine what it's like to live in America as a poor person. The more I read about Romney, the more I think he is out of touch with my reality. Obama, on the other hand, has worked with the poor in Chicago. I think he knows what it's like.

Romney can do what he likes with his money, and I can say what I like about it, and I appreciate this forum for my thoughts. Your criticism of this as a valid choice of topic makes me think that you, personally, probably identify more with Romney than with Obama.

wrenchwench Sun, Aug 21, 2011 12:36:03pm

re: #18 Barflytom

Funny how the lefties here completely miss the point.
Romney is spending his own money.
Obama is using taxpayer's money to fly himself and the missus on two separate planes to go on vacation - at a cost in the hundreds of thousands.

You spew the talking point and miss the talked-about point.

And who are you calling "lefties"?

Obdicut Sun, Aug 21, 2011 12:37:05pm

re: #13 TampaKnight

I don't understand why this is even a subject on LGF. People bitched about Bush's vacations (the same ones defending Obama's now) and now it's reversed. It's stupid and petty, but it is what it is.

Because people are criticizing Obama's lavish lifestyle. The criticism is not limited, as you're falsely putting it, to him using the people's money.

Have we really now sunk to comparing what candidates do as a private citizens vs. what the President of the United States does in office?

What portion of Obama's Martha's Vinyard trip is paid for by him, and which part is paid by the taxpayer?

And who do you mean by 'we'?

Charles Johnson Sun, Aug 21, 2011 12:41:26pm

It's flounce time at LGF.

sagehen Sun, Aug 21, 2011 12:47:59pm

My only interest in a president's vacations is how many days does he spend away from the job (yeah I know, he still gets briefings, yadda yadda, fact is he's not at his desk and not meeting with legislators or speaking to constituents... it's vacation even if he does spend an hour or two per day "keeping in touch with developments").

The fact that there's all kinds of transportation and security costs by virtue of him not being able to hop in the station wagon and drive himself... I don't blame him for that at all.

Obama's taken less than half as many vacation days as Bush had by this far into his administration. The fact that he rents a place instead of buying a fake "ranch" (odd how Bush bought that ranch right before he announced his run, sold it as soon as he was out of office, and there were never any cattle or sheep or horses or goats or any agriculture or... but fine, let's call it a ranch. Why not.) to vacation at... probably cheaper.

TampaKnight Sun, Aug 21, 2011 12:56:58pm

re: #21 Obdicut

Because people are criticizing Obama's lavish lifestyle. The criticism is not limited, as you're falsely putting it, to him using the people's money.

What portion of Obama's Martha's Vinyard trip is paid for by him, and which part is paid by the taxpayer?

And who do you mean by 'we'?

My point is simple: I'd like political rhetoric to move into a more non-partisan sphere of existence, where petty things are cast out and we talk about things that matter.

I don't care what vacations Obama takes. I didn't care how many times Bush visited Crawford Ranch. I don't care how big Romney's house is. I don't care if Al Gore has a big seaside house.

These are all distractions and don't reflect how that person will lead or decide on policies if/when they're in office. The cross-firing back and forth is merely partisan BS that runs into perpetuity, because there will always be a "revenge" side to be taken by the other side.

It stinks.

Obdicut Sun, Aug 21, 2011 1:01:57pm

re: #24 TampaKnight

So you're now reversing your previous position, where you were saying that comparing stuff between Obama and Romney is different because one is a candidate and the other is in office?

I'm trying to keep track of the mutation of your argument, you see.

So the current form is 'Both sides are bad, I just hate the petty rhetoric, and anyone who points out that Romney is, in fact, incredibly wealthy or points out that he's not really 'unemployed' is being partisan'?

moderatelyradicalliberal Sun, Aug 21, 2011 1:12:44pm

re: #18 Barflytom

Funny how the lefties here completely miss the point.
Romney is spending his own money.
Obama is using taxpayer's money to fly himself and the missus on two separate planes to go on vacation - at a cost in the hundreds of thousands.

No, he isn't the Obama's pay for all of their vacations themselves. There would be costs for the Secret Service to guard him and plane trips no matter what and Martha's Vineyard isn't that damn far from DC.

TampaKnight Sun, Aug 21, 2011 1:20:31pm

re: #25 Obdicut

So you're now reversing your previous position, where you were saying that comparing stuff between Obama and Romney is different because one is a candidate and the other is in office?

I'm trying to keep track of the mutation of your argument, you see.

So the current form is 'Both sides are bad, I just hate the petty rhetoric, and anyone who points out that Romney is, in fact, incredibly wealthy or points out that he's not really 'unemployed' is being partisan'?

It's not mutating. You're simply trying to present it as such, so you can continue with your partisan complaining and paint me as a "closet" partisan.

Tell me- do you find comparing Romney's property to Obama's vacations as relevant? Advancing discussion? Do you at all find this to be a waste of time?

wrenchwench Sun, Aug 21, 2011 1:22:29pm

re: #27 TampaKnight

It's not mutating. You're simply trying to present it as such, so you can continue with your partisan complaining and paint me as a "closet" partisan.

Tell me- do you find comparing Romney's property to Obama's vacations as relevant? Advancing discussion? Do you at all find this to be a waste of time?

My comment to you addressed those points. Why did you skip it?

Obdicut Sun, Aug 21, 2011 1:28:48pm

re: #27 TampaKnight

It's not mutating. You're simply trying to present it as such, so you can continue with your partisan complaining and paint me as a "closet" partisan.

Really? So you didn't say this:

Have we really now sunk to comparing what candidates do as a private citizens vs. what the President of the United States does in office?

Making a point to emphasize that Romney is just a candidate, and that Obama is in office?

Weird. Could have sworn you did.

Tell me- do you find comparing Romney's property to Obama's vacations as relevant?

Yes. I think pointing out that the outrage on one side over a lavish lifestyle is entirely hypocritical given the lavisnhess with which many of their candidates operate under is a perfectly good point.

Advancing discussion? Do you at all find this to be a waste of time?

I find it to be a waste of time that the GOP and the right wing media have been making shitloads of noise about Obama's "imperial presidency" and acting as though he's different from any other president. If you can't understand the point of this article is to point out the fallacy of that, I'm not sure I can help you.

You seem to feel that the response to the GOP's idiotic, racist attacks on Obama's supposed profligacy in office should be to just ignore them, rather than point out the hypocrisy of them. Or you're interpreting this post as an attack on Romney, for whatever goddamn reason of your own.

AlexZ Sun, Aug 21, 2011 8:14:36pm

While I believe that we should all be able to spend our money however we want to, it seems absurd that one would find it necessary to build a house as large as Romney has. The fact that Romney owns multiple estates of this magnitude is even more upsetting.

Addressing complaints about the president taking a vacation with his family -- Obama should be entitled to a vacation every now and then. The president's job is both demanding and draining. And even while on vacation, Obama is still on the job.

I believe that excessive personal spending on the scale done by Mitt Romney is ridiculous and unwarranted. The money wasted could have very well been used for other more justified causes. Certainly everyone here can agree that there is no logical reason to own multiple mansions.

WINDUPBIRD DISEASE [S.K.U.M.M.] Sun, Aug 21, 2011 8:34:39pm

re: #18 Barflytom

Funny how the lefties here completely miss the point.
Romney is spending his own money.
Obama is using taxpayer's money to fly himself and the missus on two separate planes to go on vacation - at a cost in the hundreds of thousands.

Only white presidents get that privilege!

labman57 Mon, Aug 22, 2011 12:06:17am

Hey, let’s remember that the dude is unemployed, just like millions of other Americans — he reminded us of this fact. So we should show some compassion and empathy for the poor guy.

[deleted] Tue, Aug 23, 2011 1:35:08am

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Update: Romney to Quadruple Size of La Jolla Beachfront Home

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