Last year the city of Charlottesville, Virginia, sent a letter to novelist John Hart demanding thousands of dollars in back taxes. The city alleges that Hart needs a business license to write, and if he doesn’t pay up, they will seize his property, throw him in jail, or both. Interestingly, if Hart wrote magazine or…
Texas law prohibits doctors from dispensing medications if their office is located within fifteen miles of a pharmacy. However, doctors without a pharmacy within fifteen miles are free to dispense medications to their patients. The Institute for Justice (IJ) is challenging this arbitrary law. What is so magical about fifteen miles? Why are some doctors…
A recent article about short-term rentals (STRs) in Corpus Christi begins with the question: “Should companies like Airbnb be allowed to do business in Corpus Christi?” The principle underlying that question poses a threat to every productive individual. Individual rights protect our freedom to act as we judge best, so long as we respect the…
Last week, the Supreme Court struck down a Tennessee law that requires an individual to be a resident of the state for two years before he can obtain a liquor license. This is a small victory for property rights. The right to property means the freedom to create, attain, use, keep, trade, and dispose of…
A variety of federal, state, and local laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, religion, and a number of other factors. Ostensibly, these laws are supposed to ensure that everyone is treated fairly. However, these laws are themselves discriminatory. They treat bigots, homophobes, and other irrational individuals unfairly. Every individual…
Virtually every social conflict can be solved with a proper understanding of property rights. As an example, consider the frequent claims that a business has engaged in discriminatory practices. The right to property means the freedom to create, attain, use, keep, trade, and dispose of material values. It means that the owner of a parcel…
Gov. Gregg Abbott recently signed a bill that legalizes temporary lemonade stands–the kind that children operate to make a few dollars. Abbott called the bill a “commonsense law.” While this is true, it fails to address the fundamental issue. Why should children need the government’s permission to operate a lemonade stand? If a child wants…
One aspect of property rights that is often overlooked is the freedom to create material values. If we are not free to create material values–property–then the right to property does not exist. Human life requires material values. An individual who is not free to create the values that his life requires is denied the means…
President Trump, among others, has made political hay of America’s trade deficit with China. To correct this alleged problem, the President has imposed a number of tariffs on goods imported from China. But trade does not occur between nations; trade occurs between individuals If a Texan buys groceries at Kroger, the exchange is not between…
As of September, individuals in Texas will no longer require a license from the state to offer plumbing services. Talk show host Michael Berry, who often opposes occupational licensing, recently criticized this move. Berry correctly noted that occupational licensing is enacted under the pretense of protecting the public. He criticized the licensing of hair braiders…
One of the complaints about short-term rentals (STRs) is that some of them turn into “party houses”–a weekend destination for raucous and irresponsible visitors to a city. In response, many homeowners and city officials want to heavily regulate STRs, and in some cases, simply ban them. But this isn’t the moral approach. Certainly, “party houses”…
Debates over property rights issues are often filled with claims that reveal a complete misunderstanding of property rights. For example, in a recent article on the Dallas Observer website regarding the regulation of short-term rentals (STRs), a former Arlington council member is quoted: “Whose private property rights are we going to be protecting?” The question…