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Principles, Propositions, and Property Rights
ByjbpThis was originally posted on Live Oaks on October 14, 2009. Comments have not been migrated. When an individual abandons principles he approaches each issue in isolation from other issues. He has no way to integrate or connect seemingly separate issues, and deals with each on a case-by-case basis. The resulting conclusions are often contradictory,…
Houston: The City I Love
ByjbpThis was originally posted as a series on Live Oaks in June 2009. Comments have not been migrated. Introduction Politicians love to listen to citizen complaints. Complaints give the politician both a purpose and a justification. Solving the problem is the purpose, and the fact that the complaint was voiced to a government official provides…
The Gridlock Economy
In The Gridlock Economy: How Too Much Ownership Wrecks Markets, Stops Innovation, and Costs Lives, Michael Heller argues that Private ownership usually creates wealth. But too much ownership has the opposite effect—it creates gridlock. Gridlock is a free market paradox. When too many people own pieces of one thing, cooperation breaks down, wealth disappears, and…
Conservatives Abandon Property Rights
Conservatives have long professed support for gun rights and property rights. However, in recent years conservatives have shown an increasing proclivity to abandon property rights, sometimes in the name of “gun rights.”. Political expediency, not principles, is guiding this trend. As an example, when Big Tech prohibits the expression of certain ideas, conservatives have responded…
A Case Study in Nuisance
Misunderstandings about property rights abound, with nuisance near the top of the list. A controversy in California provides an interesting case study in nuisance. The concept of nuisance as a violation of property rights has its roots in common law. A property owner, according to the concept, has a right to the peaceful use of…
Love It or Leave It
After a fifty-year career in construction, George Sheetz wanted to retire near Lake Tahoe. He planned to build his retirement home on a lot he had bought. However, when Sheetz went to the county to obtain a building permit, he was told that he first had to pay a $23,000 “traffic impact mitigation” fee. When…