American Heroes : Fighting for Homeowners’ Rights with Christina Martin
At Pacific Legal Foundation, we're leading the charge against home equity theft—a practice where local governments seize far more than what a property owner owes in taxes. Few fight as passionately as PLF Senior Attorney Christina Martin, who has spent more than a decade defending homeowners nationwide. On this episode of American Heroes, ...
American Heroes : Her family built a safe product. The government destroyed their business.
What happens when the federal government decides it doesn't like your product—even when it's safe, compliant, and trusted by families for years? On this episode of American Heroes, host Kathy Hoekstra sits down with Jamie Leach, a registered nurse and cofounder of Leachco, Inc. The Oklahoma-based business, run by Jamie's family, spent nearly f ...
From Steinway to sawdust : The fight to save Alaska’s last mill
For decades, specialized wood from Alaska's Tongass National Forest has shaped the sound of Steinway pianos and Martin guitars and strengthened everything from NASA wind tunnels to helicopter blades. Much of that wood comes from one family-owned mill: Viking Lumber on Prince of Wales Island. Now, a broken promise from Washington bureaucrats threate ...
When California tries to regulate Pennsylvania trucking
What if Florida tried to tell Michigan how to manage its lakes? Or Texas dictated Oregon's school curriculum? Sounds absurd, right? Yet that's exactly what's happening to Pennsylvania's trucking industry—except California is calling the shots. On American Heroes with Kathy Hoekstra, Brian Wanner, president of Peters Brothers, shares how Pennsy ...
Small bird, big battle : Florida landowner fights unconstitutional permitting
At a time when municipalities across the country are facing a major housing crunch, arbitrary government rules shouldn't put up huge financial roadblocks for homeowners. Landowner Michael Colosi, whose property sits in a residential neighborhood among dozens of other homes, is challenging a local permitting scheme he says is unconstitutional. "U ...
Make street performing protected speech in all of Houston, not just the Theater District
Houston musician Tony Barilla thought his simple request to busk or play his accordion in public places around the city for tips was a no-brainer. Busking is an everyday activity for musicians in cities all around the world. Instead, as PLF attorney Mollie Riddle writes in the Houston Chronicle, Tony found himself filing a federal lawsuit over a ...
I’ve worked hard to earn my career, a gender-quota would undermine that
When I began working on the promotion of Creighton Meland v. Alex Padilla, PLF's case challenging California's mandate that women be included on the boards of publicly traded companies, I could relate. Not for needing a woman's quota but for dodging that very bullet to be part of one. I've spent more than 20 years in the Washington, D.C., area ...
Michigan’s foreclosure law : Efficient or unfair?
Taylor Popielarz of ABC57 News (South Bend, IN) aired a terrific segment that questions whether or not Michigan's foreclosure law is "efficient or unfair." We think you'll agree the law is unfair even if it allows the government to efficiently take your property it doesn't deserve. As you will recall, since last year, Christina Martin has been ...
In the spirit of gratitude … we say, “thank you”
For more than 40 years, Pacific Legal Foundation has been defending the constitution and rescuing liberty from coast to coast. But we haven't done it alone. As we finish up Thanksgiving week and the preparations and celebrations fade into memories, we at PLF will continue the spirit of gratitude all-year-round. To our donors and supporters who hav ...