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A Compromise in San Antonio
San Antonio has become the latest Texas city to regulate short-term rentals (STRs). The city’s new regulations limit the number of STRs on a block, require owners to register with the city, and require owners to pay the city’s hotel occupancy test. Many opponents of STRs wanted a complete ban on the activity. While opponents…
The Rule of Capture
In Texas, ownership of subsurface resources, such as oil and water, is governed by the “rule of capture.” If an individual or business can “capture” the resource–bring it to the surface–it becomes his property. The rule of capture has often been called the “law of the biggest pump.” As the website for Texas A&M explains,…
Unattractive Alternatives isn’t Force
A report published in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution claims that landlords force renters to sign away their rights. The report details provisions in a standard lease that offer unattractive options to tenants and asserts that this is an act of force. The truth is, having to choose between unattractive alternatives isn’t force. As an example, the…
The Family Homestead Initiative
In November, Austin City Council approved the Family Homestead Initiative. According to the Austin Monitor, Council Member Delia Garza, who sponsored the measure, said she wants to create a separate permitting process for homeowners because they shouldn’t have to contend with the same regulations as large developers. Reducing regulations is always a good thing and…
Tariffs Won’t Make America Great
In announcing new tariffs on China, Evader-in-Chief Donald Trump again showed that he believes reality will conform to his wishes. Tariffs won’t make America great. They never have, and they never will. Contrary to Trump’s claims, trade does not occur between nations. America does not engage in trade with China or any other nation. Individual…
There Should be a Law
After my recent talk to Houston Oasis, an audience member expressed his disgust with developers who cut down trees to develop the land. There should be a law, he said, to stop them from doing so. In other words, he didn’t like the actions that others are taking, and he advocated using brute force to…