Productiveness is the virtue of creating the material values that life requires. The first Thanksgiving was an implicit celebration of this virtue. It was a celebration that almost didn’t occur. The Pilgrims’ first years in America were filled with suffering. And this isn’t surprising, for land was owned and farmed in common–there was no private…
In his 1840 book What is Property? French anarchist Pierre-Joseph Proudhon wrote, “Property is theft!” Proudhon’s statement has been embraced by many on the political Left, even if they have never heard of him. And they are guilty of the same evasions as Proudhon. In Proudhon’s time, land was the primary form of property, and…
An interesting controversy has erupted in Mississippi. Two private companies claim that they own the rights to minerals under certain parcels of land in Simpson County. Property owners have denied the companies access to their land to explore for oil and gas. A Simpson County judge has ordered the land owners to provide access. A…
For decades, we have been told that individuals have a “right” to certain values, such as an education, a “living wage,” and health care. Such claims ignore the meaning of the concept right. Rights pertain to action–the freedom to take the actions one deems appropriate. The right to free speech means the freedom to express…
Socialist presidential candidate Bernie Sanders recently attempted to distinguish democratic socialism from the socialism being practiced in Venezuela. During the recent debate in Houston, Sanders called Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro a “vicious tyrant.” He went on to call for “for free elections in Venezuela so that the people of that country can make, can create…
In August, the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) announced plans to drain four lakes beginning September 16. GBRA said dewatering was necessary to avert potential failure of spillgates on the dams creating the lakes. Two other lakes have already been drained. GBRA says that it doesn’t have the funds to repair the spillgates. Property owners along…
Parker County commissioners recently denied a landlocked resident’s request that the county build a road to his property. Jonathan Hobson inherited the property in 2015. He was allowed temporary access across adjoining property, but that access ended in June of this year after his legal suit was thrown out. After the ruling, Hobson stated: Our…
Last year, I wrote about the case of Hinga Mbogo, a Dallas auto shop owner whose property was retroactively rezoned to make way for restaurants and other businesses more to the liking of the Dallas city council. In late August, the Texas Supreme Court refused to hear his case, thereby forcing Mbogo to abandon the…
Imagine the following scenario: You buy a house and over the next forty years the property significantly appreciates in value. The previous owner then threatens to terminate the sale unless you renegotiate the deal. This might sound absurd, but this is precisely what is happening to the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team. In 1978, the Phillies…
For most property, ownership is a straightforward issue. We give the auto dealer money and in return we receive ownership of a vehicle. We give the grocer money and in return receive ownership of a basket of food. The exchange of values transfers ownership. Ownership in these instances is straightforward because we are dealing with…
Law enforcement agencies and prosecutors claim that civil asset forfeiture (CAF) is a crucial tool in fighting the “war on drugs.” CAF allows law enforcement agencies to seize property suspected of being involved in a crime. The Texas Tribune recently published a story that examines CAF in four Texas counties. Interestingly, in about 40 percent…
The city of Cuero has a vacant building ordinance that requires property owners to maintain vacant buildings or else. And as with anything involving government, or else means that you will be fined, sent to jail, or have your property seized. Defenders of the ordinance make a number of arguments in favor of issuing threats…