OPINION: Squeezing Growth

From The Heritage Foundation, I’m Ernest Istook.

Most people like extra space.

But it’s common for government to restrict growth and push us to live closer together, limit road construction, and reduce our choices of where to live and where to work.

So-called “smart growth” advocates claim that we hurt the environment and waste energy if we build roads and drive cars. Restrictive zoning and opposition to roads are key tools that are used to limit where housing can be built. And the more limits that are created, the more expensive houses become. It becomes more time-consuming just to go to work, take the kids to school, go shopping, or enjoy a night out.

Radical environmentalists and smart growth advocates work at the United Nations, in the federal government, and at state and local levels to limit our freedom, making it costlier to do simple, everyday things.

From The Heritage Foundation, I’m Ernest Istook.