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Resolving Social Conflicts with Property Rights: Education
Education in America is a virtual monopoly of the government. As such, it is a highly politicized topic and controversy surrounds nearly every discussion about education. From funding to curriculum, from test scores to text books, there is little agreement between politicians, educators, taxpayers, and parents about how the nation’s schools should be operated and the…
How not to Defend Property Rights
Many libertarians and conservatives lament the constant violations of property rights. Sadly, they don’t realize that their attempts to defend property rights often do more harm than good. And that is because they often embrace the same premises as those attacking property rights. Consider a recent article by Brad Polumbo as an example. In the…
A Citrus “Pandemic”
In the early 2000s, Florida officials cut down about 18,000 backyard citrus trees in an effort to eradicate citrus-canker disease. At the time, the state offered a $100 gift certificate to Walmart as compensation. Many property owners sued, and the case was recently settled with the plaintiffs receiving an award of $43.9 million. The state’s…
Justice Delayed is Justice Denied
In May, a federal district court ruled that the eviction moratorium imposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is unconstitutional. The judge stayed her injunction, which would have ended the moratorium, pending appeal. The case reached the Supreme Court in June. In late June, four justices voted to vacate the stay. Justice…
Lessons From Fighting Zoning
This post is the fifth in a series. In the past two posts, I have summarized my experiences while fighting zoning in two different cities—Houston, and Hobbs, New Mexico. I learned many things from those efforts. Perhaps the most important lesson was that when clear moral distinctions are made between opposing views, the more rational…
When “Rights” are Wrong, Part 1
Gresham’s Law holds that “bad” money drives out “good” money. For example, if legal tender laws declare that a one ounce brass coin and a one ounce gold coin are both worth $10, the more valuable gold coin will disappear from circulation. While Gresham’s law pertains to economics, the same principle applies to rights. When…