John Yearwood, a rancher in Williamson County, is fighting the federal government over the Endangered Species Act. His ranch is home to the Bone Cave Harvestman spider, which has been listed as an endangered species since 1988. Yearwood is concerned that, if he disturbs the spider’s habitat, he will incur the wrath of the U.S….
In modern politics, compromise is widely regarded as a virtue. “Reaching across the aisle”–working with one’s political opponents, is seen as the paradigm of leadership. But compromise is neither a virtue nor leadership. It is moral cowardice. In any compromise between good and evil, only the evil will win. For example, let us say that…
The Dallas Morning News reports that government officials in Cedar Park recently approved a plan to create a special tax zone in the city’s downtown area. The plan is expected to generate $160 million in investments in the area. Such tax zones are used throughout the state to generate funds to improve the infrastructure in…
A Houston woman is suing her employer, United Airlines, for allegedly violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The airline, the flight attendant claims, is not accommodating her need to wear clogs because of foot problems. Interestingly, the airline allows employees to wear the shoes of their choice while on a plane, but in an…
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…
In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, officials in Harris County have announced plans to buy some homes that have flooded multiple times. The argument is that it is cheaper for taxpayers to buy the homes, demolish them, and turn the land into green space rather than continuing to rebuild. While this may be true, it…
Henry George was an American journalist and political economist. His book Progress and Poverty (1879) was one of the best selling books of its time. While he was considered an advocate of free trade (he opposed tariffs), George was a staunch opponent of property rights. In Progress and Poverty, George argued that labor is the…
In late May, one of the items on the agenda of the Dallas City Council was a proposed settlement with a property owner regarding an eminent domain case. Councilwoman Sandy Greyson spoke against the settlement, I’m not blaming anyone that we’re settling this case, but it’s just infuriating that if you’re rich enough you can…
In the 2017 legislative session, the Texas House considered a bill that would severely limit the ability of local governments to impose historic designations on private property. Under current law, local authorities have broad discretion in designation historic landmarks and subjecting such properties to government control. As might be expected, preservationists were up in arms….
In Part 1, we examined the tragedy of the “commons.” In that post, the argument for government regulation was presented. In this post, we will examine how property rights can be applied to air and water. The following is an excerpt from my book, The Innovator Versus the Collective. Just as you cannot damage the…
In 1968, Garrett Hardin wrote a highly influential article titled “The Tragedy of the Commons,” in which he examined the problems that inherently arise when property is owned “in common.” Hardin tells the story of a pasture shared by a number of herdsmen: As a rational being, each herdsman seeks to maximize his gain. Explicitly…
During the 2017 Texas legislative session, protecting property rights from violations by local governments was a recurring subject and the source of great controversy. Legislators introduced bills to rescind local ordinances pertaining to plastic bag bans, tree removal, short-term rentals, and more. Gov. Gregg Abbott called a special session largely for the explicit purpose of…