Friday Roundup 10-15-21
It is easy to find things about California’s government to criticize. While the legislature hasn’t done a U-turn and reversed all of its rights-violating laws, they have recently taken steps in the right direction. SB9 and SB10 restored a little freedom to property owners by allowing for greater housing density. And on October 1, Gov. Newsome signed into law a plan to return “public” land to the descendants of its rightful owners. In 1912, Willa and Charles Bruce bought land along Santa Monica Bay. The black entrepreneurs built a resort catering to other blacks at a time they weren’t allowed on most beaches. In 1924, the city used eminent domain to seize the land for the alleged purpose of creating a park. The park was never built, and the land was eventually transferred to Los Angeles County. Though this measure is too long in coming, justice is finally being served.
John Mirisch, a former mayor and current city council member in Beverly Hills, argues that the one element missing from housing discussions is tolerance. California is a very tolerant state, he writes, except when it comes to housing-lifestyle choices. Those who advocate greater housing density are, according to Mirisch, engaged in “thinly-veiled propaganda war on single-family neighborhoods.” He goes on to write that “upzoning” would eliminate personal lifestyle choices. In other words, he believes that dictating how landowners can use their property protects freedom of choice. And restoring their right to use their property as they choose somehow eliminates freedom of choice. As is common among defenders of single-family zoning, Mirisch wants to protect his interests at the expense of others.
At a shareholder’s meeting last week, Elon Musk announced that Tesla is moving its headquarters from California to Texas. Musk has been critical of the pandemic policies in California and has filed suit against Almeda County where a major Tesla factory is located. At the end of last year, Musk moved his residence to Texas. Tesla is not the only company fleeing California for more business-friendly environments. HP, Toyota, and Oracle have moved or announced plans to move from California to Texas. Among the reasons cited are confiscatory taxation, burdensome regulations, and the high cost of housing in California.