From the Washington Post comes news of a small victory for freedom from the Free State:
When the gravel-covered used-car lots that dot Route 1 stood in the way of plans to turn the highway into an arts district, Prince George’s County thought it could declare the businesses illegal and turn what it called blight into beauty.
It was wrong.
The Maryland Court of Special Appeals has ruled in favor of the car dealers and against the county council, which passed a law, effective in 2003, that banned all dealerships of less than 25,000 square feet.
The county offered no compensation to the car dealers, some of whom had operated along Route 1 for years. The dealers fought back, and Judge Deborah S. Eyler agreed with them, writing on behalf of the court that banning small dealerships is “not rationally related to a possible legitimate purpose.” The judge decided the case earlier this month, and although her ruling was sent to the lawyers involved, it has not yet been formally posted
So people are actually allowed to operate a lawful business. What a radical concept. The mere fact, however, that Prince George’s County believed it had the authority to do this shows just how far down the road to serfdom we’ve actually travelled.
