Visalia, California is far from Whitewater, Wisconsin. (It’s about 2100 miles by car, according to Google Maps.) Despite the distance, they recently confronted a question like one we in Whitewater once faced.
In Whitewater, we once foolishly imposed a moratorium on residential apartments in our downtown; in Visalia, they considered and rejected a moratorium on additional groceries for their city. They were sensible to reject a moratorium.
A government-imposed ban, no matter how short, prevents consumers from being able to act on their preferences for new sellers, new apartments, etc. A political body decides against free choice and voluntary transactions.
Bans like this usually don’t come merely from politicians insensitive to consumers’ desires, but also from politicians all-too-sensitive to incumbent businesses’ desires to keep competitors out of the market.
Visalia decided to let consumers and businesses, buyers and sellers, freely decide where they might sell, and purchase, groceries.
Well decided.
See, Visalia City Council Rejects Moratorium on New Grocery Stores, Favoring Free Market Forces.