President Donald J. Trump once said, "Without private property, there is no freedom, there is no prosperity, and there is no American dream."
Those words cut to the heart of what makes America exceptional.
Private property is the foundation of our free-enterprise system, the bedrock of capitalism, and the cornerstone of personal liberty.
It's what allows families to build generational wealth, communities to thrive, and individuals to achieve independence through their own hard work and determination.
Today, however, local government overreach is quietly eroding this fundamental freedom.
Local elected and unelected officials, often swayed by misinformation and narrow political agendas, are dictating to landowners what they can and cannot do with their own property.
That's not "local control" or responsible governance, it's government tyranny wrapped in bureaucratic red tape.
The Private Property Rights Institute (PPRI) has just released a landmark report, "Protecting Property Rights, Powering Rural Economies,"
which exposes how restrictive local ordinances and outdated permitting rules are choking opportunity in rural America.
Our team conducted dozens of interviews with farmers, township supervisors, and county leaders in Michigan and Pennsylvania, and their stories are clear and deeply troubling: private property rights are under direct assault.
For many of these landowners, decisions about how to use their property — whether leasing a small portion of land for energy projects like wind, solar, or natural gas, building a telecom tower, expanding agricultural operations, or even
adding a new structure to their home or farm — aren't about politics, they're about survival.
Rising costs, unpredictable weather, burdensome regulations, and declining crop prices have placed enormous strain on families and rural communities.
These opportunities provide steady, reliable income and long-term value that help landowners pay property taxes, preserve multigenerational farms, and keep rural economies strong, while ensuring that individuals — not bureaucrats — decide what's best for their land and their future.
Yet nationally, these projects are being blocked by local boards that have turned zoning into a weapon. In far too many cases, a handful of activists armed with misinformation can derail millions of dollars in investment and deny families a lawful, voluntary way to generate income.
These decisions don’t hurt only individual landowners, they weaken entire rural economies, destroy job opportunities, and undermine America's energy independence.
Local government officials must come to terms with a fundamental truth: private property rights are central to preserving the American dream and the free-enterprise system that built this country.
When they block a farmer from leasing land for a project that helps keep their business afloat, they aren’t just interfering in a private transaction — they are striking at the very foundation of freedom and prosperity.
While this is a nationwide problem, PPRI is initially focusing efforts on Pennsylvania and Michigan, two states where the threat is most urgent and where positive reforms can set a powerful national precedent.
The fight to protect private property rights will not be won in Washington, D.C.— it will be decided in township halls and county commission meetings across America.
The Boston Tea Party was sparked by government control over commerce and land.
Today's battle is quieter but no less important. It plays out every time a local official tells a landowner that they don’t have the right to make decisions about their own property.
This must stop.
If we are to preserve the American dream for future generations, we must stand together and say clearly: if it's your land and it’s lawful, you have the right to decide what's best for your family, your livelihood, and your future.
Charlie Kolean has worked as a senior policy adviser for state legislators, multinational corporations, and think tanks. Mr. Kolean has been involved in politics for over a decade as an activist, candidate, political consultant, and party leader. He was a bundler on the Trump Finance Victory Committee, and is a member of the American Association of Political Consultants. Read more of his reports — Here.
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