Matthew Bernard wanted to build a home. He bought a small lot in Oakland, California, and began clearing several diseased and fallen trees that the local fire department had identified as hazards. The result was a $915,000 “mitigation fee” from the city of Oakland—nearly five times the value of the lot itself. Under Oakland’s tree ordinance,...
Protecting Texas Critical Infrastructure: Prevention, Mitigation, and Recovery from Natural Disasters and State Actor and Terrorist Attacks By: The Honorable Chuck DeVore Download the full research paper here. Key Points Texas’s critical infrastructure remains vulnerable to natural disasters and attacks. The federal government largely abandoned civil defense 50 years ago. Should key elements of Texas’s...
CNBC wants you to believe states run by Democrats are the best to live in. But they rigged the data. The headline on CNBC’s shiny new 2026 list screams, “Best States to Live In,” complete with glossy profiles of high-“inclusiveness” northern enclaves. Don’t be fooled. This isn’t an objective guide for families seeking opportunity and security. It’s...