Cronyism is the exchange of political favors for political support. Voters and donors scratch the backs of politicians, and the politicians reciprocate by supporting legislation favorable to the voters and donors. In most instances (but not all) the political favors involve placing restrictions on how others may use their property. For example, low-income voters (and…
On Christmas Eve 2017, a property owner in Victoria had two large oak trees removed. Victorians immediately protested and sought to stop the tree removal. One Victorian, Doris Santiago, said, “These oak trees are an integral part of our history. And for them to do this the morning before Christmas, it’s morally wrong.” Such moral…
Both “progressives” and conservatives embrace the crony ideology. That they apply that ideology differently is merely a matter of detail. So, what is the crony ideology? The essence of the crony ideology is the belief that government force should be used to compel or prohibit certain actions. Every act of cronyism ultimately rests on this…
In recent years, individuals from across the political spectrum have condemned cronyism. Former Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, once remarked that she felt sad “for the American people, who have had their lives affected by the culture of cronyism and corruption that exists in Washington.” Current Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, similarly denounced…
Residents in Victoria recently sought to expand the city’s preservation ordinance to include trees. They want to prevent property owners from removing trees. The Victoria Advocate reports: [Bernard] Klimist, who has run a law firm from a historic building he renovated on Santa Rosa Street since 1991, said the property owner’s rights must be tempered…
In recent years, we have repeatedly been told that Texas is facing an affordable housing crisis. In June 2017, the Texas Tribune reported that “more than 2 million urban Texan households, most of them renters, are considered financially burdened by housing costs because they spend 30 percent or more of their income on housing — and…
The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution states that private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation. In the years since, this has been a source of great controversy. What is a public use? And what is just compensation? In this brief, we will examine the latter issue. To fully…
In Part 2 of this series, we saw how minimum wage laws erect barriers to the “little guy” by making it more difficult for him to obtain the job skills that will command a higher wage. Occupational licensing laws are another example. As one example, suppose you want to offer African hair braiding services. In…