Philly Libertarian
@philiberty.bsky.social
Rational, urban, non-edgy, lawyer
#YIMBY #Decrim #OpenBorders
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#YIMBY #Decrim #OpenBorders
Follow @lpphilly.bsky.social for official content and announcements
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I'm here to provide the rare libertarian urbanist take. I'm not just a market-is-best guy, I also truly believe in people's rights to pursue their own meaning in life--and that means materially as well. Cities can be the self-ordered chaos to facilitate this, and enrich us in the process.
We used to be a real city proud about our free plumbing
All of the excitement over the ‘British single stack’ in the 1970s resulted in a slightly rivalrous memo drafted by an AHJ at the City of Philadelphia.
November 17, 2025 at 10:20 PM
We used to be a real city proud about our free plumbing
Honestly, props to the Mayor for being proactive about this. The race and sex-based discrimination Philly has been engaging in for 40 years (to no avail by its own data) was arguably always unconstitutional, but clearly now it is. www.inquirer.com/politics/phi...
Philadelphia is halting the use of some diversity targets in city contracts as national DEI backlash grows
The changes made by Mayor Cherelle L. Parker's administration represent a major shift in the city’s diversity initiatives and come as such programs are under attack nationwide.
www.inquirer.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Honestly, props to the Mayor for being proactive about this. The race and sex-based discrimination Philly has been engaging in for 40 years (to no avail by its own data) was arguably always unconstitutional, but clearly now it is. www.inquirer.com/politics/phi...
The key thing here is that the timing was during the primary. It was specifically Hillary's goal to have Trump win the Republican primary, as perceived him to be the easiest to win against. So maybe that was animating the NY Times...
“would you like photos of donald and girls in bikinis in my kitchen?” -Jeffrey Epstein
November 12, 2025 at 11:36 PM
The key thing here is that the timing was during the primary. It was specifically Hillary's goal to have Trump win the Republican primary, as perceived him to be the easiest to win against. So maybe that was animating the NY Times...
This article mentions that Philly requires merchants to provide "exact change." Do you think Philadelphia City Council will do anything to help businesses transition by relaxing the requirement? Fat chance! www.cnn.com/2025/11/12/b...
The last-ever penny will be minted today in Philadelphia | CNN Business
The American penny will pass away later today after a prolonged illness. It was 238 years old.
www.cnn.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:52 PM
This article mentions that Philly requires merchants to provide "exact change." Do you think Philadelphia City Council will do anything to help businesses transition by relaxing the requirement? Fat chance! www.cnn.com/2025/11/12/b...
Reposted by Philly Libertarian
In 2018, then-Mayor Ada Colau called Barcelona’s new 30% inclusionary housing requirement for projects over 600m^2 a “paradigm shift,” making housing “a right and not a commodity.” It was supposed to produce 330 affordable units a year. The reality: just 31 affordable apartments in all these years.
Cuando se ha aprobó esta medida dije repetidamente que iba a ser un fracaso y que no construirían nada de vivienda asequible. Se ha probado en mil sitios y no funciona.
Acerté. www.lavanguardia.com/local/barcel...
Acerté. www.lavanguardia.com/local/barcel...
La reserva del 30% solo ha generado 31 nuevas viviendas protegidas en siete años en Barcelona
Otros 123 pisos disponen de licencia ya aprobada, mientras los gremios afectados reclaman un marco legal estable para poder despertar al sector de su letargo
www.lavanguardia.com
November 9, 2025 at 6:28 PM
In 2018, then-Mayor Ada Colau called Barcelona’s new 30% inclusionary housing requirement for projects over 600m^2 a “paradigm shift,” making housing “a right and not a commodity.” It was supposed to produce 330 affordable units a year. The reality: just 31 affordable apartments in all these years.
Philadelphia City Councilmember Quetcy Lozada has introduced a bill to prohibit assisted living facilities and SROs in all residential lots in her district. Why? phila.legistar.com/LegislationD...
City of Philadelphia - File #: 250949
Title: Amending Title 14 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “Zoning and Planning” to establish Seventh District Overlay District and restrict certain residential uses, under certain terms and conditi...
phila.legistar.com
November 3, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Philadelphia City Councilmember Quetcy Lozada has introduced a bill to prohibit assisted living facilities and SROs in all residential lots in her district. Why? phila.legistar.com/LegislationD...
I have one neat trick for these people worried about investors buying up single-family homes to rent them out: allow the unfettered construction of dense rental housing. whyy.org/articles/phi...
What Philly’s corporate investors mean for renters and homebuyers
A new study finds investors are snapping up properties in neighborhoods like Germantown and Cobbs Creek — and it could change who can afford to live there.
whyy.org
October 27, 2025 at 8:53 PM
I have one neat trick for these people worried about investors buying up single-family homes to rent them out: allow the unfettered construction of dense rental housing. whyy.org/articles/phi...
What a tragic waste of so many people's lives and childhoods.
New from me:
Elite law firms, multiple media outlets, the D.C. attorney general, and a group of parents accused a teacher of molesting 15 kids. They were wrong.
This piece is two-and-a-half years in the making. And as you'll see, it took some incredible turns, even as I was reporting it.
Elite law firms, multiple media outlets, the D.C. attorney general, and a group of parents accused a teacher of molesting 15 kids. They were wrong.
This piece is two-and-a-half years in the making. And as you'll see, it took some incredible turns, even as I was reporting it.
Accusing Jordan Silverman
A D.C. teaching assistant was accused of molesting up to 15 kids. Multiple law enforcement agencies cleared him. But his nightmare was just beginning.
radleybalko.substack.com
October 27, 2025 at 1:33 PM
What a tragic waste of so many people's lives and childhoods.
Wonderful, the Philly Republican who can't get anything done on transit is looking to tax sex workers instead (and paid porn generally). What an awful idea. reason.com/2025/10/22/p...
Pennsylvania lawmakers propose titty tax
The tax would apply to 'subscriptions to and one-time purchases from online adult content platforms,' according to a memo.
reason.com
October 23, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Wonderful, the Philly Republican who can't get anything done on transit is looking to tax sex workers instead (and paid porn generally). What an awful idea. reason.com/2025/10/22/p...
Remember to paper your backroom deals for free city property. inquirer.com/news/polish-...
Yeesh, another property that should just be sold off to defray general taxes.
Yeesh, another property that should just be sold off to defray general taxes.
A Polish museum got a free Society Hill home for nearly 40 years. Then the city evicted it.
For decades, City Hall never questioned whether the nonprofit actually owned the building at 308 Walnut St.
inquirer.com
October 17, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Remember to paper your backroom deals for free city property. inquirer.com/news/polish-...
Yeesh, another property that should just be sold off to defray general taxes.
Yeesh, another property that should just be sold off to defray general taxes.
"So, why lambast KIPP and not Blaine? Why not the dozens of other Philly schools producing similar — or often worse — results?
The answer to these questions is simple: Charter schools threaten the District’s monopoly on education." thephiladelphiacitizen.org/guest-commen...
The answer to these questions is simple: Charter schools threaten the District’s monopoly on education." thephiladelphiacitizen.org/guest-commen...
Guest Commentary: Philadelphia’s Educational Double Standard
No school should fail its students. So, David Hardy asks, why does Philly’s Board of Education hold only some accountable?
thephiladelphiacitizen.org
October 10, 2025 at 10:30 AM
"So, why lambast KIPP and not Blaine? Why not the dozens of other Philly schools producing similar — or often worse — results?
The answer to these questions is simple: Charter schools threaten the District’s monopoly on education." thephiladelphiacitizen.org/guest-commen...
The answer to these questions is simple: Charter schools threaten the District’s monopoly on education." thephiladelphiacitizen.org/guest-commen...
City Council is directly retaliating against political critics. They sicced L&I on food truck owners who dared oppose Council's wrong-headed expanded curfew. If you want to oppose Trump's abuse of gov't, you should oppose this one too. reason.com/2025/09/19/p...
Philadelphia punished small businesses for opposing curfew, say food truck owners
Philadelphia food truck owners found that inspectors took a special interest in them after they publicly opposed a new business curfew.
reason.com
September 19, 2025 at 2:40 PM
City Council is directly retaliating against political critics. They sicced L&I on food truck owners who dared oppose Council's wrong-headed expanded curfew. If you want to oppose Trump's abuse of gov't, you should oppose this one too. reason.com/2025/09/19/p...
@stephenjacobsmith.com were you the one who told me that fire department lobbyists prevent any real independent data collection? I have someone who's interested in fire dep't mission creep into EMS and generally their corruption. Any new sources to go to?
September 18, 2025 at 1:46 PM
@stephenjacobsmith.com were you the one who told me that fire department lobbyists prevent any real independent data collection? I have someone who's interested in fire dep't mission creep into EMS and generally their corruption. Any new sources to go to?
Ugh. Stay safe everyone.
September 17, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Ugh. Stay safe everyone.
I'm happy I can point to something to convince certain people we undersupply, but this whole exercise is just a variant of how to centrally plan your way out of listening to price. thephiladelphiacitizen.org/where-does-p...
Where Does Philly Need More Homes?
A new tool offers once-and-for-all answers to what kinds of housing the city needs, and exactly where. Will City Hall use it?
thephiladelphiacitizen.org
September 16, 2025 at 1:33 PM
I'm happy I can point to something to convince certain people we undersupply, but this whole exercise is just a variant of how to centrally plan your way out of listening to price. thephiladelphiacitizen.org/where-does-p...
This has been my consistent position: direct subsidies to the tenant are far better than the paternalistic and overbearing nature of current vouchers where the landlord is forced to enter a tripartite contractual relationship with the tenant and the government. Let the tenant pay the landlord.
For the past three years, the city has been giving cash to some struggling renters, no strings attached.
The first-in-the-nation experiment has been even more successful than researchers studying its impact expected.
The first-in-the-nation experiment has been even more successful than researchers studying its impact expected.
Philly’s first-in-the-nation experiment giving cash to struggling renters is working, researchers say
Families that got cash rental assistance were less likely to be evicted, experience homelessness, and report having serious problems with their homes, according to a study of the PHLHousing+ program.
www.inquirer.com
September 3, 2025 at 2:16 PM
This has been my consistent position: direct subsidies to the tenant are far better than the paternalistic and overbearing nature of current vouchers where the landlord is forced to enter a tripartite contractual relationship with the tenant and the government. Let the tenant pay the landlord.
Who says Philly can't be libertarian?
September 3, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Who says Philly can't be libertarian?
I call this "This beach has been reserved. Philadelphia, PA."
August 6, 2025 at 6:52 PM
I call this "This beach has been reserved. Philadelphia, PA."
Undoubtedly a good trend, but there's been no real change in fundamentals as far as I can tell.
Halfway through 2025, Philadelphia has the fewest homicides in recent memory, and experts are hopeful that continues.
The decrease comes despite several high-profile shootings this summer that left children and teens maimed by bullets.
The decrease comes despite several high-profile shootings this summer that left children and teens maimed by bullets.
Halfway through 2025, Philly has the fewest homicides in recent memory
The decrease comes despite several high-profile shootings this summer that left children and teens maimed by bullets. Still, it's progress.
www.inquirer.com
August 5, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Undoubtedly a good trend, but there's been no real change in fundamentals as far as I can tell.
Came home from vacation and just saw a Waymo pass my house. It was one of the minority of cars to actually stop at our nearest stop sign. :-)
August 5, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Came home from vacation and just saw a Waymo pass my house. It was one of the minority of cars to actually stop at our nearest stop sign. :-)
Reposted by Philly Libertarian
We are hereby founding the Libertarian Party Jewish Caucus. Please sign up at lpjewish.com.
Home | Libertarian Party Je
LPJewish.com
June 23, 2025 at 9:47 PM
We are hereby founding the Libertarian Party Jewish Caucus. Please sign up at lpjewish.com.
The City/Mayor has started a youtube show where Chief Administrative Officer Camille Duchaussee "has coffee" with city officials. No coffee is drunk, but a cup is present. Why? I can only assume the Mayor wants people to appreciate how the city employs people. For what? Who cares.
June 17, 2025 at 5:14 PM
The City/Mayor has started a youtube show where Chief Administrative Officer Camille Duchaussee "has coffee" with city officials. No coffee is drunk, but a cup is present. Why? I can only assume the Mayor wants people to appreciate how the city employs people. For what? Who cares.
A question: does Philly have more or less state capacity for the 2026 Semiquincentennial than it had for the notorious 1926 Sesqui-Centennial that crippled Philly?
June 10, 2025 at 1:51 PM
A question: does Philly have more or less state capacity for the 2026 Semiquincentennial than it had for the notorious 1926 Sesqui-Centennial that crippled Philly?
To contribute to the Abundance v. Labor debate, of course Labor is a problem. Here's Councilmember Jim Harrity, a sock for Labor, with one of the many bills that kill state capacity.
June 9, 2025 at 5:06 PM
To contribute to the Abundance v. Labor debate, of course Labor is a problem. Here's Councilmember Jim Harrity, a sock for Labor, with one of the many bills that kill state capacity.