Property rites (Thomas Sowell)

townhall.com ^ | December 29, 2004 | Thomas Sowell

[Capriole]

Or maybe we could all have our own way--the preservationists could see open land preserved, and homeowners chagrined by overcrowding would not have to seek new developments--if we would just STOP ALL THIS IMMIGRATION!

[henderson field]

This could not have been said better. Each immigrant uses up 5 acres of land. Where is the Sierra Club on this issue? Counting its money.

[KC_for_Freedom]

In his book "Natural Process", freeper Carry_Okie proposed land owners pay a "view fee" to the owner of the property they like viewing. This way the property owner of the hillside has some incentive to leave the property undeveloped. T. Sowell, take note.

[apackof2]

Interesting thought, much easier than selling, packing up and relocating

[Sloth]

If a homeowner wanted a guarantee that the hill would remain as is, he could have bought the hill. That way he would be paying for what he wanted, rather than expecting the government to deprive someone else for his benefit.

What a novel concept.

[Phantom Lord]

On topic but slightly different. Here in Raleigh NC and surrounding areas (and all across the country) there are people (both elected and not) who are pushing "smart growth" and "green space" concepts. There is a local developer who has been trying to develop a sizable area of land that HE OWNS into a high rise residential and commercial mixed use area. There is a well organized group of residents who live near by that have been fighting it for a long time on the basis of green space and that the development will cause traffic increases and problems for their neighborhood.

One of the leaders of the citizens groups called into a local talk show that was discussing the situation. After several minutes of her rantings the host simply asked her the following question...

"All I am hearing from you is that you want government to do this and you want government to do that. Why don't you and your fellow neighborhood residents pool your resources and purchase the land so you can maintain it as the green space you desire?" The lady's response was "I can't believe you would ask such a thing" and then she promptly hung up.

It is so much easier for people to whine and complain and demand that government do something with someone elses money to meet a want that people like her have than for her and her neighbors to do for themselves.

[Carry_Okie]

I tried to get Sowell to read the thing, but since I'm not famous and don't have a PhD he wasn't interested. IMHO, while he understands that property rights are important and recognizes the consequences of regulatory government, his understanding of the role of corruption in regulatory government and how property rights and free markets can slowly eliminate the need for regulation is superficial, at best.

[Tax-chick]

Great idea!

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

Each immigrant uses up 5 acres of land.

Not just that, while every immigrant is an intelligent, sensitive beast, it takes 5 million gallons of water to raise one to the point where they are ready for market; each immigrant passes 50,000 cubic feet of methane into the environment every year, contributing to deadly global warming and destroying our ozone layer. ...Wait. That's cattle. Never mind.

[KC_for_Freedom]

I am surprised, your book was thoughtful and logical and I would think someone would have recommended that Sowell read it, (even it he did not want to take the author's word that he should.) I, like you am not famous, but good ideas tend to get around. I bet eventually it makes it to his desk.

[The Great Yazoo]

We have a greenspace fund here in Naples, Florida, comprised of tax money to purchase land to leave vacant. It hasn't been around long enough to assess how it will work.

I voted against it because I predict the program will ultimately result in:

favored landowners dumping undesirable property on the county for prices in excess of those any private purchaser would pay;

favored landowners will have their property values increased because neighboring properties are purchased by the fund; and

urban sprawl of development more broadly across the county.

While the greenspace tax seems a good idea, I'm not sure it is good policy in reality. We'll see.

[mtbopfuyn]

Kick the immigrants illegals out and buy the hill --- Standing ovation.

[alessandrofiaschi]

PING ---> "SOWELL PING"

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[alessandrofiaschi]

SURELY, THIS ONE IS AN ARTICLE TO SHARE WITH OUR FRIENDS.

[shubi]

You don't want a radical organization like Greenpeace owning any land. Your safety will be in jeopardy, so will your property.

[superskunk]

Thanks for the ping. Good article.

[Carry_Okie]

I bet eventually it makes it to his desk.

One can only hope.

[headsonpikes]

Every time what would otherwise be a private human action is politicized, as is land use via zoning and environmental laws, we are one step closer to a socialist American nirvana.

Or to a totalitarian hell - take your pick!

A Pascal's Wager for our time. ;^)