>If private property has any meaning, then the OWNER of that property gets to decide what to do with it.

But we don't get to do that absolutely. There are zoning laws and deed restrictions and other limits to what we can do with our property. (The deed to my first house specifically prohibited putting a glue factory on the site. :-))

Living in society is a trade-off. We gain by banding together and, as John pointed out, thus not having to do everything ourselves. The price we pay for that is some limits on what we do, and sharing the costs.

Tamar