Land-use and Transportation Policy Analyst Marc Scribner explains why allowing the government to seize land from its owners and give it to developers is a bad idea. Voters in Mississippi agree; on Tuesday they overwhelmingly passed a ballot initiative that would place limits on eminent domain abuse. Marc discusses the pros and cons of Mississippi’s initiative and the prospects for reform in other states.
Marc Scribner
Bunker fuel is a heavy fuel used by large ships around the world. Oil tankers, container ships, and more rely on bunker fuel because it’s cheaper than other kinds of fuel. Land Use and Transportation Policy Analyst Marc Scribner takes a look at new environmental regulations in California intended to reduce bunker fuel usage. The rules are actually causing many ships to use more bunker fuel, not less. If proposed fixes succeed, the result would essentially be a tariff on most global trade — cargo valued at approximately $16 trillion.
Land-use and Transportation Policy Analyst Marc Scribner looks at China’s experience with high-speed rail, and finds that it may not be a very good deal for the United States. Costs are so high that revenues don’t even cover the interest on the $271 billion of debt that high-speed rail has incurred for China.
Land Use and Transportation Policy Analyst Marc Scribner takes a close look at an eminent domain reform bill just passed by the Texas State Senate. As written, the bill would do little to actually solve the problem of government seizing private property from one private party and giving it to another private party with better political connections. Marc suggests some fixes and notes that many people are not fooled by this weak effort at reform.
Land-use and Transportation Policy Analyst Marc Scribner talks about his new CEI Issue Analysis, “The Limitations of Public-Private Partnerships.” Marc argues that PPPs are an improvement over the status quo in surface transportation because they introduce at least an element of competition into a sector where there is usually none. But PPPs are harmful in real estate developments because they tend to favor politicians’ preferences over those of consumers.
Fellow in Regulatory Studies Ryan Young explains how an IRS proposal for mandatory certification of tax preparers would hurt consumers and taxpayers. It is one more example of how regulation can hurt competition. Large tax preparation firms would benefit at the expense of individuals and smaller firms who can’t afford the added regulatory burden.
Washington, DC city law states that “No loose herd or flock shall be driven or conducted in the District, except with a permit issued by the Chief of Police.” (See District of Columbia Municipal Regulations, Title 24, Chapter 9, Sec. 906.10.)
Many, many years ago, Washington was a pretty rural place. There were even farms in the Northwest and Southeast quadrants of the city. This was before the automobile, and well before the federal workforce climbed into the millions. But a lot of these old laws are still on the books. Nobody seems to have thought to get rid of them.
Other animal herding laws in DC include:
-No droves of mules or horses larger than six animals are allowed. (906.6)
-However, “Horned cattle may be led singly by a rope or halter through any of the streets in the District.” (906.8). That includes K Street, Constitution Avenue, and every other street in the District, great or small (Note to self: this might be worth trying someday).
-As with cars, the driving age for herds is 16. (906.12)
-A drove of sheep crossing a bridge must have at least six drovers. (906.4)
-It is illegal to “water, feed, or clean any horse, mule, cow, or other animal” within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. The same rule apples to cars.(906.13)
(Hat tip: Marc Scribner)
Richard Morrison, Jeremy Lott and Dave Weigel come together bring you Episode 84 of the Liberty Week podcast. We cover Washington state’s death wish, new polling on the politics of healthcare, private investment in space exploration, eminent domain abuse in Detroit and the effects of cocaine use on global warming.
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