The following is an excerpt from The Innovator Versus the Collective. For decades, the government has sought to reduce pollution through regulations. Those regulations have included restrictions on the emissions and discharges from factories and automobiles, as well as the products that consumers can use. While the results have been mixed at best, the costs…
One of the items on the agenda for the special session of the Texas Legislature is a “bathroom bill.” Hotly debated during the regular session, the bill would mandate that individuals use the public bathroom that corresponds with the gender on their birth certificate. The legislation is a response to local ordinances, such as the…
In a recent column about open carry, Houston Chronicle business writer Chris Tomlinson writes: Texas law prioritizes property and employer rights over the individual’s right to bear arms, he [attorney David Barron] explained. Property owners may prohibit the concealed or open carry of weapons if they post the appropriate sign at every entrance. According to…
In November 2015, the Austin City Council passed a temporary moratorium on new licenses for Type 2, non-owner-occupied short-term rentals (STRs). A few months later, the moratorium was made permanent. At the same time, the city prohibited “assemblies” of more than six people between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., effectively banning backyard cookouts and birthday…
The city of Frisco is considering an ordinance that will require developers to devote at least 10 percent of their land to open space and they must include at least eight amenities, such as lawn furniture and trees. Frisco Planning Manager Anthony Satarino said the reason for these changes is to keep up with the trends…
In 1993, during the final months of the last attempt to bring zoning to Houston, I gave a talk to the Houston Property Rights Association titled “Winning the Battle but Losing the War.” In the talk, I warned that without a moral defense of property rights, we might defeat the upcoming referendum, but zoning advocates…
This was originally posted on Live Oaks on August 12, 2010. Comments have not been migrated. The Chronicle’s editorial on Wednesday again voiced opposition to term limits: We continue to believe they entail needless public cost for staging elections while denying the best officials the opportunity to continue serving the city. The system prevents citizens…
This was originally posted on Live Oaks on August 4, 2010. Comments have not been migrated. Two Houston neighborhoods are unhappy with Walmart because of the retailer’s plans to build stores nearby. One is in The Heights, and it has some residents fearing that small businesses won’t be able to compete. As one told 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 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 April 12, 2010. Comments have not been migrated. We are often told that property rights must occasionally be sacrificed for the “common good”. One local blogger repeats this claim, noting that city officials must wage a constant balancing act between the two: This central dilemma is the…