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Local Control Needs to be Controlled
In November 2015, the Austin City Council passed a temporary moratorium on new licenses for Type 2, non-owner-occupied short-term rentals (STRs). A few months later, the moratorium was made permanent. At the same time, the city prohibited “assemblies” of more than six people between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., effectively banning backyard cookouts and birthday…
Local Control Means Local Tyranny
In the 2017 legislative session, Texas lawmakers sought to restrict the ability of local governments to violate property rights. Not surprisingly, local governments and the supporters of regulations pertaining to plastic bags, trees, short-term rentals, and more were upset. They argued that local governments should be allowed to enact the laws that their citizens want….
A Lesson from the Lock Down
The lock down imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated a fundamental truth: Without the freedom to produce and trade, we cannot live happy, flourishing lives. Millions have lost their jobs and been forced to consume their savings or depend on government payments, not because of irresponsibility, but because government has prohibited them…
Preserving Our Heritage
Advocates of historic preservation talk about preserving our heritage. They claim that the way to do this is to protect old buildings, usually through ordinances and other regulations. But a discussion of the issue must consider the full context, and that means a careful examination of what constitutes our heritage. Heritage refers to that which…
Defending Property Rights on Moral Grounds
ByjbpThe following is the text of a talk I delivered to the Houston Property Rights Association on January 16, 2008. During 2008 Forbes magazine lauded Houston as the best city in the United States in which to earn a living and the best city to buy a home. Numerous other publications placed Houston at the…
Being Responsive to Market Realities
While conducting research for a new novel, I recently read the current Comprehensive Plan for Missouri City, Texas. In discussing development in the city’s four main commercial areas, the plan states that the “general intent” is to “allow future land uses to be more responsive to market realities.” If this is truly the intention, then…