Commentary

Pay more for your house to support the unions?

A recent USA Today article talks about how trade unions are joining campaigns to limit growth and suburban development. The heart of the story is a new study by a union-funded research group Good Jobs First. Note the crux of the argument–so called “smart growth” policies are more labor intensive than suburban development. Great, we found a way to make new development less efficient, let’s embrace it! Alas, land use policies are so often driven by emotion and interest group politics, things like people choices, their property rights, and now effieciency, just aren’t a consideration.