Political Discussion

[Joe Mac]

It is very difficult to gauge other places based on reading on the internet. Actually living there is almost always different that what gets reported. That being said, a major problem that I can see is affordable housing. When we bought our starter house in 1983, it was $61,000 for a 3 bedroom 2 bath 2 car garage 1225 square foot on 1/3 acre. Interest rates were 13.5 % - we refinanced twice and still live in this “paid off” house. Something equivalent is over $300,000 now and at current 7% 30 year rates is significantly higher payments than we had. Incomes have not kept pace with this and after years of low interest loans under 4% inflation finally caught up with us. The market is having a hard time with high prices and high interest. Something has to give- another housing bubble burst seems likely to correct prices. Prices and financing such as it is - makes home purchases very difficult for the up and coming generation…..

That’s a universal problem. It’s the biggest political issue in both Ireland and also in Britain at the moment. A removal of rent control, selling out all social housing without replacing it, issues with overseas investment and a sole reliance on private landlords and developers combined with the insane neo liberal economic consensus of the last 40 years have left privately owned housing as a luxury mostly rich and old.

 

[Jan]

A number of years ago I got to know an engineer from Germany during one of my out of state training sessions. I learned that the State covered healthcare, education through a college degree, and a retirement plan for their citizens. The cost was a 55% tax rate on income. Everyone also got 6 weeks vacation plus 2 weeks holidays per year regardless of years of employment. Now - I have not verified this through independent research, perhaps some German members can speak to this, if accurate those numbers may not be such a "bad" thing.

That's pretty much accurate( minimum holiday is 24 days a year in a full-time job, most have closer to 30), although the tax rate is more difficult because there are mandatory health care ( costing approximately 15% of your income) and retirement insurance that are automatically deducted from your salary but not tax per se and the tax rate depends on income with a higher rate on higher incomes) . You can opt out of mandatory health care and chose private health cate if your income is over a certain limit.
Edit: especially health insurance is basically a solidarity based concept with higher incomes paying higher fares(i.e. 15% means more money for a higher income) for the same health care standard and younger and healthier people paying the same as older and less healthy people that use the insurance more), but there's minimal deductions and my kids are insures under my policy as well. There are sometimes small contributions I have to pay for presribed medicine, usually less than 15$)

 

[RenegadeMonster]

That’s a universal problem. It’s the biggest political issue in both Ireland and also in Britain at the moment. A removal of rent control, selling out all social housing without replacing it, issues with overseas investment and a sole reliance on private landlords and developers combined with the insane neo liberal economic consensus of the last 40 years have left privately owned housing as a luxury mostly rich and old.

It's been a huge issue in Massachusetts, which is a vary liberal state. Around 40 years ago they repealed rent control. There was an issue with affordable housing back then, and the thought was if we got rid of rent control, (which discourage developers to build new hosing according to them), private developers would. come in and build more housing. And they were right some some degree, their was a huge boom in new housing. But it was all high end, ultra luxury housing that drove up property values. And all existing housing and private landlords raised their prices.

Studies by several universities in MA have been done on this. And it's been disastrous according to every study, and their findings is always we need a return of rent control. But that is something there is next to zero interest in by the state legislator. It's not something they are going to pass anytime soon or if ever.

Housing developments rather have empty units than rent them out as affordable housing. They make higher profit with empty units, and thats even before they get tax write offs or subsidies that cover those empty units for them! The fear is if they fill those units with affordable housing the average rent price will go down, and they would have to ask less for rent on their other units.

One of the things I have been hearing for years in this are is all new housing being built targets those who make $100,000 or more a year.

I just saw a report earlier this week, that says for a family living off a single salary in a 1 bedroom apartment, you have to make $124,000 a year.

For a family with 2 kids living in an average priced house with dual income, that dual income needs to be $275,000 or more a year.

That just blows my mind. Most jobs are not going to pay that much. How can anyone afford to live this this state.

 

[6od]

Nearly every lawyer I know has told me that law school didn't train them how to do anything they do as lawyers. They learned that on the job, but they never could get that job without a JD and passing the bar. Most programs don't train you how to pass the bar either. Students get out of their degree and education what they put into it.

i accidentally joined a law apprentice program (i just happened to be there when one was starting. and i isn't leave cause i thought it was interesting, so i'm in the class now). from what i've gathered, it's a path to becoming a lawyer/qualifying for the bar without having to go to law school. i have no idea how it works really but i've been in the class for a month now (it's just once a week) and i like it. i don't know that i'd want to be a lawyer, but i like helping people, and it's being run at a non-profit law firm that takes on eviction cases. i started volunteering there, too.

evictions breed gentrification which breeds everything i hate, including sky high rents, hideous luxury condo buildings with big payouts for developers, forced displacement, and loss of culture. they ruin lives. there's no housing crisis in los angeles. there's something like double the vacancy of apartments & new units than there are unhoused people. there should be a vacancy and unaffordability tax for each month a unit sits vacant to force the prices down - after all, that's why developers got free license to build whatever the fuck they want, where ever they want because "more housing will lower prices" as if prices have EVER gone down. and you'd be shocked by the number of shady as shit landlords out there. i mean ruthless. also, dumb as fuck - like, blatantly illegal evictions, but they go through because somehow, it's not a judges job to enforce the law - just to hear cases. and most landlords don't notify the tenants, or they take notices down so the tenant is defaulted on. i can't believe some of the stories i hear. but that's what landlords rely on - the fact that people can't afford lawyers or represent themselves well. so. i guess that's why i'm still in the class.

ANYWAY. i'm sure this is riddled with typos. i can't be bothered.

this is the cafe, right?

 

[RenegadeMonster]

Russia link suspected in Eiffel Tower coffin mystery — BBC News

Officials believe Moscow could be behind a stunt in which coffins filled with plaster were left near the Eiffel Tower.

apple.news

Didn't hear about this over the weekend, but apparently someone dumped five coffins draped in a French flag and bearing the inscription "French soldiers of Ukraine" in front of the Eiffel Tower.

BBC is reporting that French intelligence officials now believe Russia is directly behind this stunt.

 

[RenegadeMonster]

In today's episode of what could go wrong.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/03/business/zero-down-mortgage-nightcap/index.html

Zero down mortgages for first time house buyers is making a comeback. The same type of mortgage that caused the housing bubble to burst back in 2008.

The issue is housing is not affordable. And first time home owners can't afford to buy a home. So instead of addressing the housing issue, we are making it easier for people to take out mortgages they can't afford to pay back.

 

[TenderLovingKiller®]

In today's episode of what could go wrong.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/03/business/zero-down-mortgage-nightcap/index.html

Zero down mortgages for first time house buyers is making a comeback. The same type of mortgage that caused the housing bubble to burst back in 2008.

The issue is housing is not affordable. And first time home owners can't afford to buy a home. So instead of addressing the housing issue, we are making it easier for people to take out mortgages they can't afford to pay back.

I put zero down on my mortgage due to WA State first time homeowner grants in 2016. A zero down mortgage isn’t a bad thing as long as you can afford the monthly payments.

 

[RenegadeMonster]

Biden expected to announce new asylum restrictions at border — The Washington Post

President Biden is expected to announce a plan Tuesday to temporarily shut off access to the U.S.-Mexico border and restrict asylum for immigrants.

apple.news

Biden expected to announce new asylum restrictions at border

President Biden plans to issue an order Tuesday that would shut off access to the U.S. asylum system when illegal border crossings exceed a daily threshold, according to four administration officials and people with knowledge of the plans.

Migrants would be returned to Mexico and ineligible for asylum consideration once the limit is surpassed, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the pending White House order.

 

[mdmost]

I put zero down on my mortgage due to WA State first time homeowner grants in 2016. A zero down mortgage isn’t a bad thing as long as you can afford the monthly payments.

Same. We did this in 2004. We worked it as an 80/20 mortgage (80% at one rate, 20% at a higher rate) to avoid PMI. Refinanced the two loans into one 30 year mortgage at an even lower rate in 2008. It was a good program for us because it would've taken us a while to save up the 20% down. I wonder though with the lack of inventory and how competitive the market can be if this will really make a dent with people going up against all cash offers and private equity companies buying up inventory.

The housing issue is a bit of the cat chasing its tail. It costs a lot to build a house or to demolish old houses/apartment complexes to create new neighborhoods. In my mom's neighborhood, a sanitarium was shut down and the massive amount of land they had was sold off to multiple home builders. They've put in new zero lot line homes that go for a minimum of 500K. This is in an older neighborhood with not so great DISD schools. So the rate a company is going to make you pay to make their profit margin work is something a lot of first time buyers can't afford. I know Biden has proposed some tax breaks to help first time buyers but I'm not sure how much that would help. The barrier to entry is the real problem right now and I'm not sure how you tackle that. I know we're the people I've seen articles about who are kind of stuck in their original home. We've been here 20 years now and have no true desire to move because we're not really sure where we can move to that wouldn't be substantially more expensive. My home has appreciated 200% in 20 years. Our mortgage would effectively triple if we bought our house today.

 

[RenegadeMonster]

The housing issue a bit of the cat chasing its tail. It costs a lot to build a house or to demolish old houses/apartment complexes to create new neighborhoods. In my mom's neighborhood, a sanitarium was shut down and the massive amount of land they had was sold off to multiple home builders. They've put in new zero lot line homes that go for a minimum of 500K. This is in an older neighborhood with not so great DISD schools. So the rate a company is going to make you pay to make their profit margin work is something a lot of first time buyers can't afford. I know Biden has proposed some tax breaks to help first time buyers but I'm not sure how much that would help. The barrier to entry is the real problem right now and I'm not sure how you tackle that. I know we're the people I've seen articles about who are kind of stuck in their original home. We've been here 20 years now and have no true desire to move because we're not really sure where we can move to that wouldn't be substantially more expensive. My home has appreciated 200% in 20 years. Our mortgage would effectively triple if we bought our house today.

Especially when, due to the shortage, biding wars are still happening.

Here is something that makes me shake my head.

People are going wild over a seemingly basic California house on the market for $2 million

Some are shocked that a dated-looking California home could cost so much. But the secret is in the location: the tech-billionaire hot spot Palo Alto.

www.businessinsider.com

This tiny, basic start house was listed at 2 Million in Palo Alto California. Something the internet lost it's shit over because of the price tag.

But it had 10 offers all most immediately, and 9 of those offers were all cash offers.

 

[Nee Lewman]

Biden expected to announce new asylum restrictions at border — The Washington Post

President Biden is expected to announce a plan Tuesday to temporarily shut off access to the U.S.-Mexico border and restrict asylum for immigrants.

apple.news

Biden expected to announce new asylum restrictions at border

President Biden plans to issue an order Tuesday that would shut off access to the U.S. asylum system when illegal border crossings exceed a daily threshold, according to four administration officials and people with knowledge of the plans.

Migrants would be returned to Mexico and ineligible for asylum consideration once the limit is surpassed, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the pending White House order.

Is there someone at the border with a clicker counting how many people are crossing illegally?

 

[RenegadeMonster]

After 1,000 complaints in one week, court no longer accepting ‘orchestrated’ complaints about judge in Trump’s Florida case — CNN

A federal appeals court will no longer accept complaints about Aileen Cannon, the judge presiding over the federal criminal case against Donald Trump in Florida, that appear to be part of an “orchestrated campaign.”

apple.news

 

[6od]

People are going wild over a seemingly basic California house on the market for $2 million

Some are shocked that a dated-looking California home could cost so much. But the secret is in the location: the tech-billionaire hot spot Palo Alto.

www.businessinsider.com

This tiny, basic start house was listed at 2 Million in Palo Alto California. Something the internet lost it's shit over because of the price tag.

But it had 10 offers all most immediately, and 9 of those offers were all cash offers.

With many offers surpassing the home's asking price, she foresees a bidding war and expects a swift sale.

"When you find a property like this — well under market value — you can either do one of two things: either completely fix it up or tear it down and rebuild it," she said. "Obviously, a developer is going to rebuild it and sell it off to someone else."

i seethe

 

[6od]

i never watch the news, but i'm at my moms and i'm watching whatever free nbc news channel is on roku, i honestly don't know what to call it.

people are so dumb. and the worst part is people let them be dumb and say dumb shit and don't point it out. and i get "journalistic integrity" and people (especially Rs) LOVE to talk over them and interrupt but i just wish, once, just once, that someone would ask tom cotton if he removes trump's dick from his mouth when he has to pee, or does he just leave it?

 

[Hemotep]

This person makes my blood boil.

GOP chair reprimands Greene for refusing to call Fauci ‘doctor’

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) was reprimanded by Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), the chair of the House Oversight and Accountability Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, for refusing to recognize Anthony Fauci as a doctor while questioning him. Fauci, who became the face of the...

www.yahoo.com

 

[Nee Lewman]

This person makes my blood boil.

GOP chair reprimands Greene for refusing to call Fauci ‘doctor’

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) was reprimanded by Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), the chair of the House Oversight and Accountability Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, for refusing to recognize Anthony Fauci as a doctor while questioning him. Fauci, who became the face of the...

www.yahoo.com

I revoke her personhood. She’s a squirrel and should be shot with a BB gun repeatedly as such. Like every time she opens her mouth, the chair should put a bb in her tush.

 

[mdmost]

The book I'm reading this month is fairly terrifying. It's called A Fever in the Heartland. I'm about 100 pages in. It's a deep dive into the emergence of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s after a long period of dormancy. Specifically it talks about how they took over almost all aspects of government in the state of Indiana and the head of the Klan was in line to be a candidate for President in 1924. I swear some of the grievances about immigrants, non-Christians, Jewish people, and other people deemed immoral are a direct parallel to the rise of Christian Nationalism and MAGA. This could absolutely happen again and is pretty much happening now with the MAGA takeover of the Republican Party. Thankfully, people stood up to the Klan and exposed them at the time. I'm hoping good people continue to stand up to MAGA.

 

[TenderLovingKiller®]

This person makes my blood boil.

GOP chair reprimands Greene for refusing to call Fauci ‘doctor’

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) was reprimanded by Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), the chair of the House Oversight and Accountability Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, for refusing to recognize Anthony Fauci as a doctor while questioning him. Fauci, who became the face of the...

www.yahoo.com

“to adhere to the rules of decorum”

This is the thing that Trump has irreparably broken within our system of governance. There aren’t actual laws written to address many thing because wrongly, the founding fathers always assumed that the “unwritten rules” of decorum and respect would keep many things in check so it would be silly to essentially attempt to micromanage these sorts of things through the law. The reason we don’t have laws barring Felons from running for office is because that could not fathom a world where a felon would garner enough support to actually be considered for the position. The issue is so much of our Democracy is govern by “respect for the system” that when Trump and his MAGA acolytes started pulling at that thread there really isn’t any safe guard in place to stop the whole thing from unraveling. People point to the fact that despite his attempt to usurp the democratic process in 2020 that the fact that he failed was a result of the system safeguards working but in reality he just didn’t have the right Vice President in place to carry out his plan. Had JD Vance or one of these other Dipshits been Veep instead, Trump would likely be running for his third term right now instead of his second.

 

[TenderLovingKiller®]

I revoke her personhood. She’s a squirrel and should be shot with a BB gun repeatedly as such. Like every time she opens her mouth, the chair should put a bb in her tush.

She isn’t a serious person and every time a story like this gets written she is accomplishing her goals as a congressperson. She doesn’t believe in the legislative process she is there to grandstand. Mission Accomplished.

 

[avecigrec]

I revoke her personhood. She’s a squirrel and should be shot with a BB gun repeatedly as such. Like every time she opens her mouth, the chair should put a bb in her tush.

Better off sending her to the glue factory.