Eco-Devo Promises
In depth examination of the fruits of the economic development machinations of the City of Fort Wayne, via tax records from 2007-2017.
Boosters Gone Wild
A fiscal examination of downtown revitalization efforts. Jason’s article runs from page 8 to 18.
Getting Out of the Way
Eliminating Business Equipment Tax in Allen County As published in the Winter 2017 Indiana Policy Review Journal
A Council in Economic Oblivion
At our weekly meeting something completely unsurprising happened: Yet another real property tax abatement was granted by the city to a real estate developer. These have become a regular part of the proceedings of any council meeting. This particular abatement was in the form of a 10-year phase-in of real property tax. The prevailing property tax rate in the city is […]
Bread and circuses: Pair of projects offer insight on society’s slide
Sometime between the reign of Nero and Marcus Aurelius, the Roman poet Juvenal coined the phrase “panem et circenses” – bread and circuses in English. He was referring to the age-old practice of keeping the peace by appeasing the masses with a powerful combination of entertainment and free food. By the Pax Romana, this practice was more than 300 years […]
‘Affordable’ Housing Won’t Come From D.C.
In the 26th chapter of Ludwig von Mises’s magnum opus, “Human Action,” one finds a discussion of a builder vexed by the absence of prices and therefore unable to objectively determine the optimal mix of methods and materials to construct a house. Mises writes: “The paradox of ‘planning’ is that it cannot plan because of the absence of economic calculation. What […]
Let’s Salvage Competition
When I was a kid in the late 1970s, we had one telephone in our house. It was a drab green color and had a very long chord to allot the user some freedom to roam into the living room or dining room if they were adventurous. We could only talk to grandparents a state away for just a few seconds because the call […]
Is Citizenship Still Worth Something?
“Citizenship is what makes a republic; monarchies can get along without it.” — Mark Twain by Jason Arp Has the value of American citizenship degraded in recent years? It is true that official costs do not reflect any reduction in the official value of U.S. citizenship. A recent report in USA Today shows that the price the U.S. charges for application for […]
A Special Interest at Work
What does it mean to be a community leader or a business leader in your town? In the city where I serve on the council it can mean something different than what the casual observer might think. Sadly, it can mean someone who uses the power of government to further their business interests by either extracting cash or tax subsidies or by having the […]
Trump, Holcomb Step on Mom-and-Pop Property
Private property, a foundation block of western civilization, is under attack on many fronts in today’s America. It’s not surprising that the radical left-wing rioters have been calling for further progress on the road to implement Marx’s plan for a socialist utopia. Signs calling for abolition of rent and destruction of property are standard fair at a Black Lives Matter rally. […]
City Business as Usual?
Recently, our city council had its first somewhat regular meeting since the beginning of the great coronavirus panic. Something that night struck me as odd. The schools have been closed. Restaurants, bars and entertainment venues have been shuttered. All “non-essential” businesses such as hair salons and music shops have been closed. Landlords are being told they can’t evict for non-payment […]
We’re Rebar Rich
When a political machine runs your town, you get results that may not make much economic sense but are nonetheless predictable — predictably bad. Who, for example, would spend the equivalent of $220 a month to lease a space for which they intend to get revenue equivalent to $65 per month? The Fort Wayne Redevelopment Commission, that’s who. During its […]
Against-the-Odds Victory
This is to express my sincerest thanks to supporters and to share some of the details of what we were able to accomplish in our electoral victory on Nov. 5. I have spent the last four years advocating for the residents of Fort Wayne, often in opposition to the desires of the “in crowd” at the local Chamber of Commerce […]