In recent years, city governments have increasingly turned to a process called amortization to allegedly stimulate development and economic growth. However, given the fact that amortization necessarily destroys existing businesses, that claim is a mere pretense. In truth, amortization is a declaration by city officials that they don’t like the business. Amortization occurs when a…
What if there were no government regulations? What if there were no public schools, public libraries, or public parks? What if there were no labor laws, minimum wage laws, or prohibitions on discrimination? How would government function if it did not force you to pay for its services? If you are like most Americans, you…
In 2018, accordionist Tony Barilla had a simple desire. He wanted to play his accordion on sidewalks in Houston’s Theater District. Though busking is outlawed throughout the city, it is legal in the Theater District. However, Barilla was unable to obtain the requisite permit to busk because city officials did not know the process for…
Imagine for a moment the reaction if the State of Texas decided to operate government grocery stores. What if the state determined what products would be on the shelves and socialized the cost of groceries purchased at those stores by imposing a tax on property owners? Competitors would lose business because of the subsidies for…
As the debate over school choice in Texas heats up, defenders of government schools are increasingly using terms that are inaccurate and misleading. One of the most common is “public money.” As an example, the Texas Association of School Boards, recently criticized vouchers because “they give public money to private entities.” In truth, there is…
Republicans who live in rural areas of Texas are generally opposed to school choice. They argue that government schools are the lifeblood of their community. Vouchers and similar programs will siphon money from those schools and lead to the degradation of the community. Reason reports that, in Florida, this hasn’t happened. School choice doesn’t destroy…
The city of Elizabeth, New Jersey, recently capped rent increases to 3 percent. The previous cap limited rent increases to $20 or 3 percent, whichever is lower. Tenants and housing activists are unhappy. One activist said, This decision to increase the rental cap, which protects its more vulnerable tenants, shows how the city protects developers…
Imagine for a moment the reaction if the State of Texas decided to open government grocery stores. What if the state determined what products would be on the shelves and socialized the cost of groceries purchased at those stores by imposing a tax on property owners? Competitors would lose business because of the subsidies for…
The Institute for Justice (IJ) has filed a lawsuit against the city of Jacksonville, North Carolina. The city recently passed an ordinance that prohibits food trucks from any property that is within 250 feet of a restaurant or a residence. That means that 96 percent of the city is off-limits to food trucks. The law…
Insanity, it is often said, is taking the same actions over and over and expecting different results. Many opponents of education vouchers in Texas provide an example of insanity. State Rep. Harold Dutton, the chairman of the Texas House Public Education Committee, recently said, What is the problem that you’re trying to cure with school…
In early December, Donald Trump wrote that the alleged stolen election of 2020 “allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution.” Trump clearly recognizes that the Constitution is an obstacle to what he wants: the rule of whim. The rule of whim is precisely what the Constitution…
In recent years, voters and politicians have increasingly embraced rent control in response to rising housing costs. The resurgence of rent control is an example of democracy in action. Democracy means unlimited majority rule, that the majority may do as it pleases simply because it is the majority. If some individuals are acting in a…