Few people care about property rights until it is their property that is threatened. For example, when the federal government began using eminent domain to seize property in south Texas, property owners objected. They correctly claimed that their property rights were being violated. However, they said nothing about rural Texans being threatened at the same…
Today, the United States Supreme Court announced two unanimous rulings in cases that had been filed by the Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF). This follows another successful ruling from the Court in April (Wilkins v. United States). In Sackett v. EPA, the Court significantly narrowed the EPA’s authority under the Clean Water Act. The ruling will…
On Monday, we examined Elon Musk’s claim that working from home is “morally wrong.” Such a claim derives from a lack of conceptual clarity. Musk is hardly alone. Today, we will examine a claim that a home mortgage is a form of rent control. Mark Paul, an assistant professor of economics at Rutgers, writes, Some…
Last week, Elon Musk declared that working from home is “morally wrong.” He went on to say that it isn’t fair that those who deliver food or work in construction can’t work from home. Musk may be a very astute businessman, but he demonstrates a lack of conceptual clarity in making such a statement. Conceptual…
In April, the Texas House approved a bill titled the “Texas Regulatory Consistency Act.” House Bill 2127 would preempt local regulations in seven “fields,” including occupations, natural resources, and labor. The bill states that “in recent years, several local jurisdictions have sought to establish their own regulations of commerce that are different than the state…
Writing for Reform Houston, Jef Rouner tries to use Florida as an example of what will happen in Texas if some form of school choice is implemented in the state. However, he learns the wrong lesson from Florida and implicitly admits that parents desire more control over their child’s education. He writes that, in Florida,…
A neighbor recently complained online that the homeowners’ association (HOA) was akin to North Korea. While it might be true that the HOA went a little overboard in its enthusiasm to enforce the deed restrictions, comparing it to North Korea is a gross evasion. HOAs and North Korea are nothing alike. North Korea is a…
In Texas, and across the nation, parents are objecting to the ideas that their children are being taught in government schools. This dissatisfaction is a significant reason why vouchers and education savings plans are growing in popularity. Such programs enable parents to more easily find schools that teach the ideas that they want their children…
One’s credit score determines one’s ability to obtain loans at favorable rates. Those with a higher credit score are deemed to pose fewer risks. Over time, they have demonstrated the ability to borrow judiciously and pay back their loans. Those with less stellar credit scores haven’t. But now, the Biden administration wants to punish those…
At the beginning of the pandemic, we were told to stay home, work safe, or else. Businesses had to adjust rapidly, and many learned that they don’t need extensive and expensive physical space to run a successful business. Many employers who sent their workers home are telling them to stay there. Or, in the case…
Progressive Regressive “journalist” Patrick Range McDonald informs us that renters paid a total of $512 billion to landlords in 2019. This, he wants us to believe, is evidence of “corporate landlord greed.” Certainly, that’s a lot of money. However, it proves nothing other than McDonald’s inability to consider the full context. In doing so, he…
The Washington, D.C. Rental Housing Commission recently approved a rent increase of 8.9 percent based on the rate of inflation. Many tenants and activists are upset about the increase, with one arguing that “landlords have been getting inflation plus 2% for years, so why hasn’t it been enough?” This same tenant asserted that her landlord…