Zoning proponents have presented zoning as the solution to many of the “problems” confronting Houston. At a time when the nation, and indeed much of the world, is rejecting government programs as the solution, zoning advocates endorse a massive government...
Warren Ross and J. Brian Philips
In Defense of Property Rights: The Freedom to Choose (Part 5 of 6)
In contrast to the advocates of zoning, who hold that society may force its values upon individuals, we repudiate the initiation of force in human affairs. We assert that each individual is a sovereign entity, that each individual has a moral right to pursue his...
In Defense of Property Rights: The Effects of Zoning (Part 4 of 6)
In the months since the November 1993 zoning referendum, zoning advocates have launched a number of accusations against their opponents. Zoning opponents, pro-zoners said, were dishonest and unprincipled. They resorted to lies, misrepresentations and scare tactics to...
In Defense of Property Rights: The Nature of Zoning (Part 3 of 6)
The purpose of zoning, and its sole reason for existing, is to give government control over the use of all land within the community. While the rightful owner remains responsible for that property, the government will determine how that property is used. Under zoning,...
In Defense of Property Rights: Attacks on Property Rights (Part 2 of 6)
In 1980 City Council passed an ordinance which, among other things, limited the size and location of outdoor signs and billboards. Advocates of the ordinance referred to Houston’s abundant sign population as “visual pollution” 1 and “a...
In Defense of Property Rights: The Right to Property (Part 1 of 6)
Over the past fifteen years, Houstonians have witnessed nearly constant attempts to place controls on the use of private property. These efforts have taken many forms — restrictions on billboards, prohibitions on indoor smoking, the landscaping ordinance, and...
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