Business Plans News Topics
  • Home
  • Finance
  • Banking
  • Economy
  • Investing
  • Political
  • Contact US
  • Business News Plan Privacy Notice
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Finance
  • Banking
  • Economy
  • Investing
  • Political
  • Contact US
  • Business News Plan Privacy Notice
No Result
View All Result
Business Plans News Topics
No Result
View All Result

Why Seattle's Proposed 'Poverty Excuse' for Crimes Would Destroy the City's Economy

November 7, 2021
in Economy

Matthew Humphrey recently lost $4,000 worth of goods in a theft of his Seattle barbershop. Under a new proposal the Seattle City Council is considering this month, what went down to him wouldn't be also a crime – if the thieves claimed these were driven by poverty, that's.

\”I think it's insane,\” the victimized barber told a local news outlet. \”It's one of these well-intended concepts we want to take care of people that can’t look after themselves. But what you are really doing is hurting other people.”

The Poverty Excuse

Up for debate is really a reform proposed by Seattle City Councilmember Lisa Herbold. For up to 100 different misdemeanor crimes, including theft, harassment, shoplifting, trespassing, and much more, an individual could be excused if he or she claims poverty was their motive.

\”In a scenario where you took that sandwich since you were hungry and you were trying to meet your basic need of satisfying your hunger; we as the community will know that we should not punish that,\” King County Director of Public Defense Anita Khandelwal said from the proposal, which she helped craft. \”That conduct is excused.\”

The intent from the proposal is to avoid punishing desperate people just attempting to survive. But the provision exempts not only stealing food or similar necessities, but stealing anything – if you claim the money gained from its sale would be used for essentials.

An Upside-Down World

First and foremost, this insurance policy would obviously incentivize more crime and more theft.

It would basically give a person with a good sob story a green light to violate property rights at will. In doing so, it would condemn Seattle to economic decline.

In a free market with secure property rights, people can engage in mutually-beneficial commerce. In working to earn an income, they will create employment opportunities and provide others with the goods and services they require. Businesses can invest and communities can grow.

Without secure property rights, none of the is possible.

Survival, let alone profitability, is impossible amid such unpredictability and lawlessness.

Think about it using Humphrey, the aforementioned barber, as an example. As a small business owner, he employs people in his Seattle neighborhood. They go out and spend their money elsewhere around town. Meanwhile, locals can get haircuts they want at a price that's worth it to them .

Yet if the Seattle proposal became law, Humphrey and a large number of other small business owners would likely need to shut down.

\”It's a little upside-down world,\” he explained. \”The end result is small companies like mine need to close their doors simply because they can’t afford to be broken in [to] all the time.\”

You certainly can't blame him. There's no way any small business owner might operate when anyone who is poor or homeless – or claims to be – is able to rob their store and get away with it. Survival, not to mention profitability, is impossible amid such unpredictability and lawlessness.

The Takeaway is Clear

And so, while perhaps some homeless or the indegent might benefit from lawless looting in the very short-term, this reform would probably destabilize and erode the city's economy and incentivize crime. If businesses cannot operate, jobs will not exist, wages will not be offered, taxes will not be paid, and, in short order, crime and poverty is only going to increase.

This is why free-market economist Thomas Sowell once said that property rights \”belong legally to the people, but their real function is social, to benefit vast numbers of people who don't themselves exercise these rights.\”

None of this is conjecture. The strength of property rights in a nation closely correlates with its average per-person income.

So, the takeaway here's clear.

Progressive Seattle officials might have the best of intentions behind their proposal to create a hardship exemption to property crimes. But, if successful, their na\”ive efforts would undermine the rule of law and property rights necessary for Seattle's economy to survive.

Brad Polumbo is a libertarian-conservative journalist and Opinion Editor at the Foundation for Economic Education. 

Tags: Audio/VideobusinessCrimeDomestic PovertyeconomyMedia WatchOpinionPoliticsPovertyPublic HealthSociety

Related Posts

Economy

The US Has Nearly Recovered All the Jobs Lost to COVID Lockdowns

Economy

How Biden's Tax Plan Will finish Up Raising College Tuition

Economy

Bad Econ Takes are Why We Can't Have Nice Things

Next Post

Why Biden's Plan to Help Make Housing Affordable Will Make It More Expensive

AOC's $58 'Tax the Rich' Sweatshirt Perfectly Helps guide you Her Ideas Hurt the Poor

What It Means to Be Thankful

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

No Result
View All Result

May You Like

Advertisement

Recommended

China Allegedly Tested a Nuclear-Capable Hypersonic Weapon. Now What?

NEARLY HALF OF BUSINESSES NEED MORE ASSURANCE ON DATA SECURITY To consider OPEN BANKING

INTERXION PREDICTIONS: Fiscal SERVICES Throughout 2020

WB: Azerbaijan needs efficiency of public spending

Topics

American History Audio/Video banking brexit BURGESS EVERETT business china Crime Domestic Poverty Dow Jones Dow Jones Bear’s Eye View (BEV) economy featured finance Foreign policy GDP georgia gold Healthy Living HEATHER CAYGLE Human Life Immigration International News Investing investment James Comey Law Media Watch Medicine Military National Bank of Georgia NBG Opinion pasha bank Political Politics Poverty Public Health RACHAEL BADE religion Religious Liberty science Society stock market TBC Bank

May You Like

Highlights

Vladimir Putin and the Route to Serfdom

Powell Says 'Inflation is a lot Too High,' Suggests Taking a More Aggressive Stance

Should Elderly Politicians Have to Pass Cognitive Tests?

Federal Reserve Hikes Rates of interest for brand spanking new in 3 years

Wholesale Price Inflation Reaches Double Digits

China Allegedly Tested a Nuclear-Capable Hypersonic Weapon. Now What?

Trending

Economy

The US Has Nearly Recovered All the Jobs Lost to COVID Lockdowns

The U.S. economy recorded a rise of 431,000 jobs in March as COVID-19 concerns ease and more...

How Biden's Tax Plan Will finish Up Raising College Tuition

Bad Econ Takes are Why We Can't Have Nice Things

Vladimir Putin and the Route to Serfdom

Powell Says 'Inflation is a lot Too High,' Suggests Taking a More Aggressive Stance

Business Plans News Topics

BusinessNewsPlan is an independent source of breaking news and up-to-date information on finance.

Follow us on social media:

Recent News

  • The US Has Nearly Recovered All the Jobs Lost to COVID Lockdowns
  • How Biden's Tax Plan Will finish Up Raising College Tuition
  • Bad Econ Takes are Why We Can't Have Nice Things

Category

  • Banking
  • Economy
  • Finance
  • Investing
  • Political

© 2020 BusinessNewsPlan All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Finance
  • Banking
  • Economy
  • Investing
  • Political
  • Contact US
  • Business News Plan Privacy Notice

© 2020 BusinessNewsPlan All Rights Reserved.