It is fashionable for Trump’s critics to label him as a fascist. While that label is correct, few realize that many of his critics and political opponents also embrace fascism. Indeed, over the past one hundred years, nearly every President has supported policies consistent with fascism. Contrary to conventional wisdom, fascism is not a right-wing…
While conducting research for a new novel, I recently read the current Comprehensive Plan for Missouri City, Texas. In discussing development in the city’s four main commercial areas, the plan states that the “general intent” is to “allow future land uses to be more responsive to market realities.” If this is truly the intention, then…
This post is the fifth in a series. In the past two posts, I have summarized my experiences while fighting zoning in two different cities—Houston, and Hobbs, New Mexico. I learned many things from those efforts. Perhaps the most important lesson was that when clear moral distinctions are made between opposing views, the more rational…
This post is the fourth in a series. About twelve years after zoning was defeated in Houston, I was contacted by two businessmen in Hobbs, New Mexico. The city council was considering a zoning ordinance, and they wanted me to help defeat the proposal. They had found the pamphlet that my friend and I had…
This post is the third in a series. In early January 1990 (I think it was January 1) the local newspaper carried a story that a Houston City Councilman was going to introduce a zoning ordinance. A friend called me that day and suggested that we fight the ordinance. I immediately agreed. Over the next…
In Canada, as in the United States, single-family zoning is under attack. Canadian columnist Terence Corcoran (who labels himself as a member of the “libertarian school of economic thought”) argues, “Zoning should be treated as a fundamental aspect of property rights.” In truth, zoning is a fundamental violation of property rights. The right to property…
In my book, The Affordable Housing Crisis: Causes and Cures, I examine many different policies that have impacted the affordability of housing in the United States, including single-family zoning and federal highway policies. One policy that I did not examine, but which has a significant impact on housing, is minimum parking requirements. CNN reports that…
An interesting story comes from Sugar Land, Texas, a suburb of Houston. Last May, the city council voted to deny permission for a mixed-use development. At the time, the city’s mayor claimed that the project did not comply with Sugar Land’s comprehensive plan (i.e., zoning laws). Now, the city wants to spend taxpayer money to…
In early February, a Florida judge upheld an a provision in the Destin city charter that limits buildings to a height of six stories. The city had been sued by the Destin Fishing Fleet Inc. which claimed that the value of its property value had been diminished. The city called the ruling “a landmark private…
In recent years, city governments have increasingly turned to a process called amortization to allegedly stimulate development and economic growth. However, given the fact that amortization necessarily destroys existing businesses, that claim is a mere pretense. In truth, amortization is a declaration by city officials that they don’t like the business. Amortization occurs when a…
Despite a myriad of proposals and policies, there is no end in sight for the affordable housing crisis. Nearly all of these policies involve throwing more taxpayer money at the problem. If legislators truly want to solve the problem, they should unleash the swarm. And it won’t cost taxpayers a single penny. One of the…
Austin has become the latest city to implement a “right to return” policy. Though such policies vary, they give households an opportunity to return to a neighborhood after being displaced by gentrification. Austin will sell twenty-eight homes owned by the city to low-income households. Each property will be operated as a community land trust (CLT)….