Escape From Pianosa

‘Quick take’ takes a hit.’

Regular readers will know that I am generally ‘pro-development.’ I favor growth, especially for Baltimore City, which has grappled with population loss and urban blight for 30 some years now. More specifically, I’m in favor of land-owners having the right to do what they want with their own private property. Good design and good urban aesthetics are important and should be a part of the equation, but not to the point of squelching growth or trampling property rights.

Now, the so-called practice of ‘taking’ land from private owners and giving it to developers or other private entities is another story. Let’s be honest—the word ‘taking’ is little more than a euphemism for theft, as in “we’re taking your land and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

The quote of the day comes from San Francisco mayor, Gavin Newsom:

“I’m not going to moralize it, but I don’t think this is the appropriate place” for a porn film studio, says the mayor, who recently admitted to having an affair with his re-election campaign manager’s wife.

Here’s more from the WSJ (RR) on the unintended consequences of San Francisco’s zoning laws.

Turns out there’s someone else in Baltimore who believes that maybe, just maybe, Wal-Mart isn’t a totally unmitigated force of evil. Him and you know, the millions of people who like to save money every day.

My dinner was interrupted tonight by two young Hispanic males, knocking on my door, asking me if I spoke Spanish.

Yes, I do.

(unwrapping his wares) Would you like to buy a gold chain?

Mmm, no. Thank you though.

Anyone else on the street speak Spanish?

The lady on the corner…good luck fellas…

This is the second time I’ve had people knock on my door offering ‘discount’ jewelry. Does this happen in other cities?

Actually, one of my favorite Baltimore moments is when I was sitting on the steps of a row house on Carroll Street in Washington Village and a guy walked by me with one of those big plastic reclining chairs you find at public swimming pools. “Hey man, you need a chair?”

I’m a member of one of the local chambers, and the other day I got an email shouting the praises for the new minimum wage bill that was passed in congress.

I’m firmly in the camp that minimum wage laws harm unskilled workers by making it harder for them to find employment. There are arguments on both sides of the issue, but even if you think it’s a good thing for workers, it’s obviously not a good thing for small businesses (large supermarkets and other union employers are probably a different story).

So why on Earth would an organization ostensibly charged with the goal of promoting local businesses support a law that makes it more costly to do business!?