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An Airbnb Experience
For some time, I have been defending short-term rentals (STRs), such as the accommodations offered through companies like Airbnb. This past weekend, I spent two nights at a home that was rented through Airbnb. Critics of STRs like to portray them as “party houses,” homes that are turned into raucous bastions of mayhem and disruption…
Imagine a World of Individual Flourishing
In “honor” of May Day, the socialist holiday celebrating the destruction of property rights, I offer Chapter 1 of Principles and Property Rights for free. Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can, No need for greed or hunger, A brotherhood of man, Imagine all the people sharing all the world. John Lennon, “Imagine” We…
The Enemies of Property Rights: Regulatory Takings
Eminent domain is known as a taking—property is taken by the government for “public use.” According to the Constitution, “just compensation” is due the owner when such a taking occurs. However, the value of property can be diminished through other government actions, such as regulations, while the owner retains title to the property. This has…
Actions Speak Louder than Words
Politicians on both sides of the aisle are infamous for saying one thing and doing something contrary to their words. For a voter who values free markets and property rights, it is particularly disconcerting when politicians express support for such principles and then abandon those ideas when it is politically expedient. Texas Attorney General Ken…
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….
Ag-gag Laws Protect Property Rights
A federal appeals court recently ended two injunctions that blocked Iowa laws that prevent animal “rights” activists from using deception to gain entrance to agricultural production facilities. Activists have lied on job applications and used other deception in an effort to document alleged abuse of farm animals. The so-called “ag-gag” laws were challenged on free…