Ted Gwartney Spoke at Heartland Conference

Nadine Stoner

[Reprinted from GroundSwell, 2000]

Ted Gwartney was among the speakers at the national conference on urban "sprawl" and "smart growth" April 26, 2000 at the Radisson Hotel in Chicago. Among Gwartney's "hats" is one as an at-large member of the Board of Directors of Common Ground-USA. Most Georgists know him best for his work as the Assessor in Southfield, Mich., and as the Assessments Commissioner in British Columbia, Canada.

Host of the conference which was entitled "Where We Live" was the Heartland Institute. Cosponsors were the Henry Hazlitt Foundation, the Heritage Foundation, and Political Economy Research Center (PERC). Presenters and Responders covered topics in eight sessions.

Dr. Robert Bruegmann, School of Architecture professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago spoke on "What is Sprawl" in Session 1. Responding to him was Chicago Metropolitan Planning Council president Mary Sue Barrett.

Session 2 featured Dr. Richard Stroup, Economics professor at Montana State University, who spoke on "What is Smart Growth?". His Respondent was Dr. Charles Rubin, an associate professor of Political Science at Duquesne University.

Dr. Ron Utt, research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, addressed "A Citizens Guide to Smart Growth" in Session 3. Responding to him was Jane S. Shaw, a senior associate at Political Economy Research Center. Session 4 on "Lessons from Portland" featured John Charles, environmental policy director at the Cascade Institute, Portland, OR. His respondent was Dr. Steve Hayward, senior policy fellow at the Pacific Research Institute, San Francisco.

"Housing Issues" was the topic addressed by Dr. Arthur Lyons, Executive Director of the Center for Economic Policy Analysis, Chicago. The responder was Dr. Don Coursey of the University of Chicago's Graduate School of Public Policy Studies.

Speaker Dr. Sam Staley, Deputy Director of the Reason Public Policy Institute, Los Angeles, addressed "Free-Market Strategies." Responding was Ted Gwartney, former city assessor of Southfield, Mich. and Hartford, Conn., former deputy county assessor of Sacramento, Calif., and former assessment commissioner and CEO of the British Columbia Assessment Authority.

"Transportation Issues" were addressed by Dr. Joseph Schwieterman, director of DePaul University's Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development. International public policy consultant Wendell Cox responded.

The final presenter in Session 8 was at dinner, with Dr. Edwin Mills from Northwestern University's School of Business speaking on "Land Use and Liberty." Videotapers Scott and Sue Walton of the Better Cities Committee of Illinois chapter of Common Ground-USA report that Ted Gwartney did an excellent job fielding questions during the Q&A period, with some "classic" comments which Common Ground members will find most interesting.