In 2011, I purchased a boarded up home in the Sunnyside community of Houston. This low-income neighborhood was filled with similar homes. Many of these homes were in disrepair and hadn’t seen a fresh coat of paint in decades. To call the area economically depressed would be an understatement. Yet, I took a risk and…
When I make a statement that some government program or agency should be abolished, I am often asked how certain values will be provided by the private sector. Recently, one of the most common topics of such conversations is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). How, I am asked, would we ensure that our food…
In 2014, Philadelphia police seized the home of Christos and Markela Sourovelis. Their son, who lived with them, had been arrested for selling forty dollars of drugs. The Sourovelises were kicked out of their home, the doors were screwed shut, and the utilities were cut off. Though they had done nothing wrong, they were homeless…
Democrats and “Progressives” are not known for their defense of property rights. Indeed, most of their proposals involve the violation of the right to property. Yet, many Texans on the political Left have recently invoked property rights in their opposition to Republicans. On the other hand, Republicans have cited property rights in their opposition to…
Once again, eminent domain has erupted into a political controversy in Texas. In its latest manifestation, Kinder Morgan proposes to build a 430-mile pipeline from West Texas to a suburb of Houston. As a “common carrier,” Kinder Morgan can use eminent domain to acquire access to the land needed to build the pipeline. Certainly, pipelines…
The curriculum in government schools is chosen and dictated by government officials. The textbooks used in government schools are chosen by government officials. The ideas taught in government schools, and the vast majority of Texas schoolchildren attend government schools, are determined by government officials. Parents who disagree with those ideas often have no viable alternatives…
Eminent domain is known as a taking—property is taken by the government for “public use.” According to the Constitution, “just compensation” is due the owner when such a taking occurs. However, the value of property can be diminished through other government actions, such as regulations, while the owner retains title to the property. This has…
The term “eminent domain” was taken from a legal treatise written by the Dutch jurist Hugo Grotius in 1625. He used the term dominium eminens (Latin for supreme lordship) and described the power as follows: The property of subjects is under the eminent domain of the state, so that the state or those who act…
Zoning is widely regarded as a necessary component of modern American communities. Few question its existence, but instead complain only when zoning interferes with their desired land use. Zoning is an effect. The cause is the view that the individual is subordinate to the community. Unfortunately, few, even the victims of zoning, challenge this premise….
For decades, various politicians, activists, and organizations have been pushing for Houston to develop and adopt a general plan. In September 2015, City Council did so. When the city officially began the process in 2014, Mayor Annise Parker said that “planning does not mean zoning.” In the most literal sense, this is true. However, Parker…
We are often told, whether implicitly or explicitly, that the ends justify the means. Modern politics is founded on this premise. A goal that many find desirable is announced, and a campaign is launched to pass a law or regulation to achieve that goal. What is frequently ignored is that these laws and regulations compel…
Each weekend this summer, thousands of Americans will host a backyard barbeque. They will invite friends, family, and co-workers to enjoy the weather, pleasant company, and grilled meat. Most of these gatherings will bother nobody. But a few may last late into the night, with music and loud talking disrupting the neighborhood. In many situations,…