Letter 1
From: A
Subject: Libertarian resistance to big business.
Hi Walter and Michael,
My county (mostly rural with some suburbs) is facing the unholy amalgamation of local government and big business. See this.
There are obvious environmental impacts (acres upon acres of wetlands that spill into my neighborhood). Also, my county is giving Wegmans heaps of monetary incentive.
Is there a coherent libertarian resistance? Is getting the EPA or Army Corp of Engineers involved an acceptable route? I have some libertarian ideas in mind, but I would love to hear your thoughts, if you have time.
Thanks!
-Tommy
P.S.: Run for county government as a libertarian Republican (more likely to be elected) or a Libertarian? Democrat is out in this very red county.
Letter 2
On Sat, May 2, 2020 at 5:01 PM Walter Block <[email protected]> wrote:
Dear Tommy:
I don’t understand this:
acres upon acres of wetlands that spill into my neighborhood
What harm can wegman’s do to its new neighbors?
As for the money given to them, all’s fair in love and war. Sic EPA on ‘em!
Best regards,
Walter
Letter 3
From: A
Subject: Re: Libertarian resistance to big business.
The wetlands flow into a creek that runs down the center of my neighborhood.
All’s fair indeed.
Letter 4
On Sat, May 2, 2020 at 5:09 PM Walter Block <[email protected]> wrote:
How can Weg hurt you?
Letter 5
From: A
Subject: Re: Libertarian resistance to big business.
This is an interesting question. Nothing absolutely direct.
However, they 1) increase my families risk of danger via significant increase truck traffic (hundreds a day on two lane roads)
2) light up the night sky taking away my enjoyment of stars at night
3) increase diesel air pollution via ticks
4) noise from industrial activity affecting my enjoyment of my home (trucks going by my home 24 hours a day; backup noises)
5) receive tax dollars that were robbed from me in order to bolster their business. ($6 million to Wegmans)
Have I become a statist!? Are emotions clouting my rationality!? Help!
One of the disturbing things (but not surprising) is the clear funny numbers and corruption from the local Board of Supervisors (our legislative body) of whom two are family friends.
-Tommy “too many tequilas tonight” Bateman
Letter 6
Dear Tommy:
I think point 5 is well taken. You would be justified, in my opinion, to unleash whichever branch of govt could help you ward off Weg, for that reason.
But the first 4 points are problematic. They all stem from government roads and/or the pollution (smell, light) or the danger thereof. If these were valid reasons to oppose new ventures, there’d be no new ventures.
Here are some readings that may be apropos:
Rothbard, Murray N. 1982. “Law, Property Rights, and Air Pollution,” Cato Journal, Vol. 2, No. 1, Spring; reprinted in Economics and the Environment: A Reconciliation, Walter E. Block , ed., Vancouver: The Fraser Institute, 1990, pp. 233-279. http://www.mises.org/rothbard/lawproperty.pdf; http://mises.org/story/2120
Block, Walter E. 2009. The Privatization of Roads and Highways: Human and Economic Factors; Auburn, AL: The Mises Institute; http://www.amazon.com/Privatization-Roads-And-Highways-Factors/dp/1279887303/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1336605800&sr=1-1; available for free here: http://mises.org/books/roads_web.pdf; http://mises.org/daily/3416; http://www.walterblock.com/wp-content/uploads/publications/radical_privatization.pdf; audio: http://store.mises.org/Privatization-of-Roads-and-Highways-Audiobook-P11005.aspx; http://www.audible.com/pd/Business/The-Privatization-of-Roads-and-Highways-Audiobook/B0167IT18K?tag=misesinsti-20; http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=bf16b152ccc444bdbbcc229e4&id=6cbc90577b&e=54244ea97d
http://www.sanfranciscoreviewofbooks.com/2017/09/book-review-privatization-of-roads-and.html
Best regards,
Walter
2:19 am on July 8, 2020
