This was originally posted on Live Oaks on July 13, 2010. Comments have not been migrated. In March I pointed out that David Crossley, head of Houston Tomorrow (HT) thinks that he is smarter than you: HT advocates, among other things, “smart growth” and “public transit”. On both of these issues–and many others–HT advocates the…
This was originally posted on Live Oaks on July 12, 2010. Comments have not been migrated. In an effort to balance their budgets, cities across the nation are reducing the money they spend on public libraries. Not surprisingly, the Chronicle finds this “alarming”: For Americans of limited means, and that includes many Houstonians, public libraries…
This was originally posted on Live Oaks on July 1, 2010. Comments have not been migrated. It is summer in Texas and that means that it is time for the annual chorus of voices decrying “deregulation” of the electric industry in the state. As an example, Bay Area Houston (BAH) declares that “Electricity deregulation has…
This was originally posted on Live Oaks on June 30, 2010. Comments have not been migrated. I previously addressed issues with Sheltering Arms Senior Services (SASS), a local outfit that is using taxpayer loot to make private homes more energy efficient. At the time SASS was under fire for performing sub-par work and Chronicle columnist…
This was originally posted on Live Oaks on June 14, 2010. Comments have not been migrated. With stricter controls on “historic” properties looming on the horizon, the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance (GHPA) will likely play a key role in the effort to strong-arm property owners. Interestingly, the GHPA’s web site claims that: GHPA promotes the…
This was originally posted on Live Oaks on May 28, 2010. Comments have not been migrated. Kentucky Senatorial candidate Rand Paul is taking a lot of heat for his comments regarding the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Paul stated that the federal government should not be dictating how private businesses operate, and specifically said that…
This was originally posted on Live Oaks on June 24, 2010. Comments have not been migrated. I previously commented on a piece by Joel Kotkin titled “Houston: Model City” that appeared in Forbes. Kotkin writes: Politicians in big cities talk about jobs, but by keeping taxes, fees and regulatory barriers high they discourage the creation…
This was originally posted as a series on Live Oaks in May 2010. Comments have not been migrated. In response to a post last week, a reader asked: Why are the property rights of the affected residents any more important than the property rights of the upstream property owners who are flooded through no fault…
This was originally posted on Live Oaks on May 7, 2010. Comments have not been migrated. For decades zoning advocates have promised that the evils of hell would be unleashed upon Houston if we did not adopt comprehensive zoning. The prognosticators have claimed that the city won’t attract businesses, that our quality of life will…
This was originally posted on Live Oaks on March 29, 2010. Comments have not been migrated. The decision to have a child is not one that should be undertaken lightly. The time and expense involved can be substantial. A parent will be faced with many difficult choices and may often have to forgo their own…
This was originally posted on Live Oaks on April 26, 2010. Comments have not been migrated. In defending the highest water rate increase in the history of Houston, city officials have regularly made noises about the need to have citizens pay the full cost of delivering clean drinking water. As council member Sue Lovell said:…
This was originally posted on Live Oaks on April 20, 2010. Comments have not been migrated. Yesterday I looked at the moral premise that underlies the belief that taxation is necessary. Today I will look at an implication of that view–that government is a necessary “evil”. On a daily basis we can observe individuals voluntarily…