With low taxes and fewer regulations, Texas is known as a business friendly state. But it really depends on what business you are in. This was evident in the 2017 legislative session when law makers imposed new restrictions on small breweries. Craft brewers who produce more than a specified amount of beer and sell directly…
A Houston woman is suing her employer, United Airlines, for allegedly violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The airline, the flight attendant claims, is not accommodating her need to wear clogs because of foot problems. Interestingly, the airline allows employees to wear the shoes of their choice while on a plane, but in an…
In The Gridlock Economy: How Too Much Ownership Wrecks Markets, Stops Innovation, and Costs Lives, Michael Heller argues that Private ownership usually creates wealth. But too much ownership has the opposite effect—it creates gridlock. Gridlock is a free market paradox. When too many people own pieces of one thing, cooperation breaks down, wealth disappears, and…
Henry George was an American journalist and political economist. His book Progress and Poverty (1879) was one of the best selling books of its time. While he was considered an advocate of free trade (he opposed tariffs), George was a staunch opponent of property rights. In Progress and Poverty, George argued that labor is the…
In late May, one of the items on the agenda of the Dallas City Council was a proposed settlement with a property owner regarding an eminent domain case. Councilwoman Sandy Greyson spoke against the settlement, I’m not blaming anyone that we’re settling this case, but it’s just infuriating that if you’re rich enough you can…
In the 2017 legislative session, the Texas House considered a bill that would severely limit the ability of local governments to impose historic designations on private property. Under current law, local authorities have broad discretion in designation historic landmarks and subjecting such properties to government control. As might be expected, preservationists were up in arms….
In Part 1, we examined the tragedy of the “commons.” In that post, the argument for government regulation was presented. In this post, we will examine how property rights can be applied to air and water. The following is an excerpt from my book, The Innovator Versus the Collective. Just as you cannot damage the…
In 1968, Garrett Hardin wrote a highly influential article titled “The Tragedy of the Commons,” in which he examined the problems that inherently arise when property is owned “in common.” Hardin tells the story of a pasture shared by a number of herdsmen: As a rational being, each herdsman seeks to maximize his gain. Explicitly…
During the 2017 Texas legislative session, protecting property rights from violations by local governments was a recurring subject and the source of great controversy. Legislators introduced bills to rescind local ordinances pertaining to plastic bag bans, tree removal, short-term rentals, and more. Gov. Gregg Abbott called a special session largely for the explicit purpose of…
It is said that politics sometimes makes strange bedfellows. Politicians who seem to oppose one another on virtually every issue can occasionally agree on one particular issue. In this instance, the bedfellows aren’t two opposing politicians, but two politicians and property rights. Democratic representatives Ruben Gallego of Arizona and Beto O’Rourke of Texas recently announced…
For decades, property rights have been under attack across America and Texas. From environmental regulations to zoning ordinances, from business regulations to soda taxes, governments at every level have engaged in a relentless assault on the right to property. The right to property means the freedom to create, use, dispose, and trade material values. It…
Each time it enters a new market, Uber meets with vehement protests. But those protests do not come from consumers. They come from taxi companies and their employees. Why? The answer is cronyism. Nearly every city in the world with a population greater than 50,000 heavily regulates the taxi industry. Typically, those regulations limit the…