The blast zone
by David Atkins
Despite my having reacted somewhat hastily on Twitter in the aftermath of the Texas fertilizer plant explosion, I’m going to withhold fire on Texas zoning and regulation practices until more details about the plant are known, and experts in zoning policy can weigh in. But something seems very wrong with this:
It seems especially wrong when said fertilizer plant had not even been inspected in the last five years.
I suppose one could say that everyone in this case had perfect freedom. The fertilizer plant owners had the freedom to run a plant without “big government” intrusion. The home builders had the freedom to sell their units wherever they saw fit to build. The home buyers had the freedom to assume irresponsibility on the part of the plant owner and the government, and take responsibility for themselves by not living near the plant. It was a conservative paradise of total economic liberty. No one could have foreseen what would happen. It was a tragedy. Instead of politicizing it, we should just pray for the victims. Wolverines.
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