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The Evil of Accepting a “Necessary Evil”
Atascosa County Farm Bureau President Pete Pawelek has called for reform of Texas’s eminent domain laws. He claims that current law “favors for-profit companies, giving landowners few options in a fight for their property.” Pawelek went on to say, Eminent domain is a necessary evil, but it should always be used as a last resort….
A Contradiction at the Border
For decades, the government has been preventing property owners from using their land as they choose. Under the guise of protecting “wetlands” and endangered species, government agencies have prevented development on parcels of land across the nation. But under the Trump administration, government agencies are wildlife preserves, both public and private, along the border to…
Few People Care About Property Rights…
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…
An Eminent Domain Debate by Non-essentials
A recent “debate” on San Angelo Live! provides an illuminating example of focusing on non-essential issues when discussing property rights issues. On August 6, Brian McLaughlin, a director at the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, wrote a piece that claimed: Unfortunately, landowners facing the threat of eminent domain stand little chance of being treated…
Real Eminent Domain Reform
A growing number of Texas legislators and interest groups are making eminent domain reform a priority in this legislative session. Unfortunately, the policies that they are supporting are nothing more than window dressing and will do nothing to actually protect property rights. The bills introduced so far are aimed at creating more transparency, accountability, and…