Eating Up the Usufruct of the Lands
After Standard & Poors (S&P) lowered the credit rating of the federal government, an Obama administration official said, “This is a facts-be-damned decision.” So what are the facts? The facts...
View ArticleEnding the Commons
What do government schools, the post office, waterways, and roads have in common? Besides being in sorry condition, each is an example of the tragedy of the commons. The tragedy of the commons,...
View ArticleRent Control: The Most “Peaceful” Way to Destroy a City
Swedish economist Assar Lindbeck once wrote, “In many cases rent control appears to be the most efficient technique presently known to destroy a city—except for bombing.” In the late 1970s, a poll of...
View ArticleThe Cult of Sacrifice
In 2007, I served as a consultant to a group of citizens opposed to an attempt to bring zoning to Hobbs, New Mexico. During that time, I wrote a series of articles that were published in the local...
View ArticleJames Madison’s “Property”
Unlike contemporary politicians, the Founding Fathers recognized the importance of protecting property rights. They understood that, if individuals are to be free, prosperous, and happy, then they must...
View ArticleNuisance, Zoning, and Property Rights
One of the primary justifications for zoning is to prevent “incompatible” land uses, such as keeping industrial facilities out of residential areas. Such “incompatible” uses are regarded as an inherent...
View ArticleTalk to the Houston Property Rights Association
In 2009, I delivered a talk to the Houston Property Rights Association. I had previously spoken to that group in 1993 during the debate over Houston’s last attempt to implement zoning. In my earlier...
View ArticleThe Nature of Zoning
In 2007, I served as a consultant to a group of citizens opposed to an attempt to bring zoning to Hobbs, New Mexico. During that time, I wrote a series of articles that were published in the local...
View ArticleZoning and Tyranny
In 2007, I served as a consultant to a group of citizens opposed to an attempt to bring zoning to Hobbs, New Mexico. During that time, I wrote a series of articles that were published in the local...
View ArticlePreserving our Heritage
In Washington, D.C., the home of Laura Elkins and John Robbins was raided, and government officials snooped through their drawers looking for receipts and notebooks. In Frederick, Maryland, shop keeper...
View ArticleOrlando Couple Threatened with Severe Fines for Front Yard Vegetable Garden
“The Constitution provides protections for people like the Helvenstons who want to use their property in a peaceful, productive manner without arbitrary intrusion by the government,” said Ari Bargil,...
View ArticleUnnecessary Tragedy
Last week a federal judge ordered Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to allow 10-year-old Sarah Murnaghan, who suffers from cystic fibrosis, to be moved to the adult lung...
View ArticleIn Praise of Privatization and Private Property
Everyone benefits from privatization and free markets. The only exceptions are people who do not want to be productive and want to live as parasites of others.The post In Praise of Privatization and...
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