Anytime the government intervenes in economic affairs, it is picking winners and losers. Consider the tariffs recently imposed by the Trump Administration as an example. Those in certain industries, such as steel and aluminum, have been picked to win. The tariffs give domestic companies a competitive advantage over foreign companies. That advantage was achieved, not…
To “celebrate” Tax Day 2018, I am offering a free download of “Government Without Taxation” from my book Individual Rights and Government Wrongs. In this chapter, I examine why it is both moral and practical to finance government through voluntary means. While many believe that government can only be financed through coercive taxation–by forcing individuals…
A Washington state court recently struck down a Seattle ordinance that forced landlords to rent to the next tenant in line if that individual met the landlord’s minimum standards. In short, once the landlord set minimum standards, he could not discriminate on the basis of anything else. The Washington court ruled that this constituted a…
In typical leftist fashion, Houston Chronicle columnist Chris Tomlinson once again endorses regulations intended to protect us from our own decisions. His latest diatribe is in support of new regulations in Houston that requires that new homes be built two feet above the projected water level in a 500-year flood. The paternalistic columnist claims that,…
Homeowners in a neighborhood in Dripping Springs are engaged a controversy over deed restrictions. In 2016, Greg George began building his dream home in a neighborhood that was protected by deed restrictions that prohibited business operations in the neighborhood. A short time later, a neighbor began operating a wedding venue. George filed a lawsuit to…
Too often, political debates fail to consider all of the alternatives. But if we are going to make rational and informed decisions, then we must consider all of the alternatives, as well as the pros and cons of each. We must consider the full context. Eminent domain serves as an example. We are often told…
The city of Houston recently enacted stricter regulations governing boarding houses. The Houston Chronicle reported that: The ordinances — prompted by several fires in unregulated and unsafe multi-resident housing facilities over the last year — follow months of meetings between city officials and community groups and wrangling between city agencies. The purported goal of the…
It would be an gross understatement to say that I am not a fan of environmentalists. I think that environmentalists are among the most nihilistic human beings who have ever existed. But they have a mantra–think globally and act locally–that is interesting, informative, and worth emulating. In essence, the mantra means: apply a principle to…
Across America, the owners of short-term rental (STR) properties are under attack. Legislators are passing laws to restrict, and in some cases ban, short-term rentals. While the critics make a variety of claims about STRs, two essential principles unite these claims. In this course, you will learn the meaning and nature of property rights, the…
When I moved to Houston from New York in 1980, one of the first places I wanted to visit was the Astrodome. Though I knew little about its history, to me, the Astrodome symbolized Houston and Texas. It was often called the eighth wonder of the world–an innovation that captured the spirit of cowboys and…