Citizen vs. Government (Vol. 5)
Simple questions and discouraging answers
Policy
California's Rent Control Ballot Initiative Getting Crushed in New Poll
Only 37 percent of voters said they support Prop. 21, which would give local governments more power to limit rent hikes.
To Ban Evictions During COVID-19, the CDC Demands Huge Expansion of Executive Power
A mounting number of lawsuits are challenging the Trump administration's claim that it can adopt any policy it deems reasonably necessary to combat the pandemic.
The Republican Antitrust Suit Against Google Is a Progressive Dream
The government is going after Google not to stop consumer harm but to level the business playing field.
San Francisco Voters Will Have a Chance To Undo Regulations Strangling Small Businesses
Prop H will make it easier for businesses to set up shop or readapt their space, all while preventing nosey neighbors from bringing everything to a halt.
Justice Department Files Federal Antitrust Lawsuit Against Google
Government claims Google uses its power to force users and advertisers on board. Google says that its popularity is not anticompetitive.
Massive Rent Declines in America's Most Expensive Cities Prove, Once Again, That Supply and Demand Is Real
San Francisco, New York City, Boston, and other large metro areas have posted double-digit drops in rent.
Who's Worse on Housing, Trump or Biden?
When it comes to the two major party candidates' housing plans, libertarians are left looking for the lesser of two evils.
The USDA Should Let People Plant Blight-Resistant American Chestnut Trees
Anti-biotech activists cite the precautionary principle to maintain chestnut tree-free forests.
Big Tech Is Just the Beginning: House Dems Seek Major Changes to Antitrust Law
Enforcement is supposed to be about protecting "consumer welfare." Overturning that goal would be bad for all of us.
Democrats and the White House Were Nearing an Agreement on Renter, Homeowner Assistance. Then Trump Tweeted.
House Democrats had approved $71 billion in assistance to homeowners and renters. The White House said it would agree to $60 billion. Now they'll get $0.
House Antitrust Report Hits Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google
Plus: Tech companies respond, proposed H-1B visa changes, and more...
Federal Regulations Have Forced Lower-Skilled Workers Out of Banking Jobs
Regulations have hiked up the cost of doing business, causing firms to automate and hire more employees with advanced degrees.
The Feds Invade Portland
The Trump administration deployed more than 100 federal law enforcement officers to Portland to quell weeks of unrest. The administration claimed it was simply protecting a federal courthouse.
Trump and Biden Spar Over Which One Is the True Threat to America's Suburbs
The president renewed his attack that a Biden presidency would wipe out the suburbs. Biden accused Trump of racist dog whistles.
Will Anyone Ever Be Able To Build Again in San Francisco?
How did California's housing shortage happen and why is it so intractable?
Landlords Sue Trump Administration and CDC Over Executive Order Banning Evictions
The National Apartment Association has joined a lawsuit brought by four individual landlords arguing the CDC's nationwide eviction moratorium is both illegal and unconstitutional.
Florida Leads the Way on 2020 Occupational Licensing Reforms
House Bill 1193 loosened or abolished rules governing more than 30 different professions.
The Death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the Future of the Supreme Court
What's next for SCOTUS?
Is There a Democratic Plot To Abolish the Suburbs? Don't Believe It.
Removing single-family zoning will not dismantle the suburbs, but it will dismantle the ability of NIMBYs to use the government to control other people's property.
Neil Gorsuch on Expanding Access to Legal Services
In an op ed coauthored with former Colorado state supreme court justice Rebecca Love Kourlis, he outlines some ways to make legal services more affordable for the poor and lower middle class.
George R.R. Martin Becomes a Victim of NIMBY Zoning Restrictions
Sadly, he's far from the only one. If we want to "break the wheel" of poverty and housing shortages, we need to roll back zoning.
NIMBYs Stop Game of Thrones Author George R.R. Martin From Building the Castle of his Dreams
The Santa Fe Historic Districts Review Board refused to grant an exception to its height limits to accommodate a seven-sided keep.
Seattle and Washington State Are Being Sued Over Their Eviction Moratoriums
A new lawsuit argues that the city and state's eviction bans are an unconstitutional impairment of contracts unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pat Toomey on CDC Eviction Moratorium: 'The Legal Authority Is a Real Stretch'
The Trump administration's new nationwide eviction moratorium provokes a backlash from some congressional Republicans.
Trump's Eviction Moratorium Could set a Dangerous Precedent [Updated]
It's a power grab that could undermine federalism and separation of powers, and imperil property rights.
The CDC's Eviction Moratorium Threatens Landlords With $100,000 Fines, a Year in Jail for Noncompliance
The Trump administration is pushing the envelope of its executive authority by issuing a new blanket eviction moratorium for all rental properties nationwide.
California's Inmate Firefighters May Soon Be Allowed To Continue Their Careers After Release
Harsh occupational license rules locked them out, except when they were locked up. A new bill just passed to change the rules.
Colorado Supreme Court Dismisses Appeal From Housing Activists Who Claimed Inaccurate Election Guidance Doomed Their Ballot Initiative
City officials repeatedly gave activists false information about the requirements for getting their initiative on the ballot.
Why Does Hollywood Hate Real Estate Developers?
The typecasting of builders as villains might help explain why NIMBYs so often win the policy battles over urban growth and development.
It's Time to Permanently Suspend Regulatory Barriers to Telehealth
Patients and providers should be able to meet remotely without bureaucrats getting in the way.
Donald Trump and Ben Carson Go Full NIMBY in The Wall Street Journal
The Trump administration has abandoned its own promising housing reforms in favor of toxic culture war politics.
Anti-Tech Warriors Are Coming for Your Food Delivery Apps
Plus: Good news on COVID-19 immunity, court nixes California ammunition ban, and more...
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Drops Lawsuit Against Atlanta's Mask Mandate
Plus: California Judicial Council sets expiration date for eviction moratorium, the U.S Justice Department accuses Yale of discriminating against whites and Asians, relations thaw between Israel and the UAE, and more...
Tennessee Court Snips High School Diploma Requirement From Barber Licensing
Tennessee's requirement that barbers have at least a high school education is "unconstitutional, unlawful, and unenforceable," ruled the state's Chancery Court.
Americans Are Growing Less Willing To Beg for Permission To Make a Living
Officials claim doing business is a revocable “privilege,” but many Americans see it as a right that they’ll exercise with or without licenses and permits.
Democrats Sharpen Tech Antitrust Messaging at Historic House Hearing
This isn't a debate about consumer needs. It's all about political control.
Writer-Activist Hit With Licensing Complaint for Calling Himself an Engineer
Licensing laws can be weaponized to chill speech.
Congress Wants To Regulate Big Tech. They Still Don't Understand It.
Plus: Trump suggests election delay, and more...
Congress Used the Antitrust Hearing To Peddle Petty Grievances Against Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google
The scary monopoly power on display Wednesday was the federal government's.
Trump Appeals to Progressive Voters With Promise To Defend Suburbs Against New Housing Development
NIMBYism comes in many different ideological stripes. Fewer homes and higher rents is always the result.
The Case for Replacing the Bar Exam With "Diploma Privilege"
The Covid pandemic strengthens the case for abolishing a requirement that should never have been imposed in the first place.
A Congressman Asked Mark Zuckerberg Why Facebook Censored Donald Trump Jr., but That Was Twitter
"I think you might be referring to what happened on Twitter."
Trump's New Fair Housing Rule Prioritizes Toxic Culture War Politics Over Deregulation
The president has ditched a promising, free market-influenced revamp of Obama-era fair housing regulations in favor of a legally dubious new rule that's heavy on local control.
County Wants Answers From Treasurer Who Seized Man's Home Over $8 Tax Bill
Officials in Oakland County, Michigan, are worried they could be on the hook for more than $30 million in payments to former homeowners victimized by an aggressive forfeiture scheme.
Boulder Refuses To Lift the Cap on Unrelated People Living Together. Housing Advocates Plan To Sue the City.
The Bedrooms Are For People campaign would repeal the city's existing limits on unrelated people living in the same house.
