Michigan residents increasingly use NIMBY, or Not In My Back Yard, tactics to prohibit the construction of stuff they don’t like. This includes using government power to:

• Ban or delay multifamily duplexes and apartment complexes.

• Change zoning rules to prevent discount dollar stores from opening.

• Stop convenience stores like Sheetz from serving customers in Michigan.

Some people don’t like to see their town or neighborhood change. And what your neighbors do with their property can affect the value of yours. But we should not use the government to enforce these preferences. It is an inappropriate use of government power.

We should err heavily on the side of liberty when it comes to private property rights. Government intervention is only necessary when there are no private solutions. And ceding authority to the government inevitably evolves into partisanship, with winner-take-all stakes. Do you want more more political bickering in your life? Does anyone?

Don't get me wrong: Many people with a NIMBY point of view are admirable folks who care deeply about the places where they live. Many are unfortunately misinformed, believing that more business development causes, rather than alleviates, poverty. Some don't want to see their hometown change. They say the area has enough gas stations or dollar stores or apartments, or whatever. The people risking their own money on this question, though — real estate investors, developers, entrepreneurs, builders — disagree.

But not all these protests are organic. It’s often vulnerable businesses leading the charge against incoming competition. Like the party store owner opposing a nearby dollar store. The gas station owner saying “there’s more than enough” to argue the town should keep Sheetz out.

It isn’t government’s role to favor some businesses or housing over others. If it had done this earlier, the businesses complaining today about new competition would never have gotten off the ground. Increased competition may be painful for some, but it's beneficial to more.

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