Political Discussion

RenegadeMonster said:
My neighbor, who has been living in his unit for more than 15 years is moving out today. He's retired, single and living on a fixed income. The rent increases he was facing this year were just too much. He can't afford them and he can't afford anything in Salem or Massachusetts for that mater.

He tried to negotiate to reduce the increase in his rent this year but was denied. He's being forced to move in with a relative while he figures out what his next moves are. He doesn't know what he's going to do or where he's going to end up.

Even though I in the past I have heard mention that rent is not negotiable and is calculated by a algorithm the leasing office staff told me it doesn't hurt to try so I did. It was no surprise when I got an email back pretty much outlining the section in the lease that says rent is negotiable. Pretty much a you dumb ass, did you read the lease type response.

Last year when they renewed my lease, they increased the maximum percentage that they can up my rent by each year, and surprise surprise, they opted to increase my rent by the new maximum.

Essentially, what is going on, is market value in this area has increased faster than they can raise rent on existing tenants. So tenants who have been year for years rent is under market value, thus they are losing money on us. And as they love to mention, at the end of the day, they are a business. They would love to get us out to get new people in paying higher rent.
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They are not, in fact, "losing money". There's a substantial difference in opportunity cost and actual revenues.
 
RenegadeMonster said:
Last nights episode of John Oliver was all about the state of politics in the UK and the upcoming election and why conservatives aren't likely to win.

Though, it sounds like the person who would most likely win and take over as PM is even sleepier than Joe Biden and will leave pretty much all the Torries cuts in place.
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I think John Oliver maybe needs to go back to Britain and engage if that’s the take you’re getting.
 
RenegadeMonster said:
My neighbor, who has been living in his unit for more than 15 years is moving out today. He's retired, single and living on a fixed income. The rent increases he was facing this year were just too much. He can't afford them and he can't afford anything in Salem or Massachusetts for that mater.

He tried to negotiate to reduce the increase in his rent this year but was denied. He's being forced to move in with a relative while he figures out what his next moves are. He doesn't know what he's going to do or where he's going to end up.

Even though I in the past I have heard mention that rent is not negotiable and is calculated by a algorithm the leasing office staff told me it doesn't hurt to try so I did. It was no surprise when I got an email back pretty much outlining the section in the lease that says rent is negotiable. Pretty much a you dumb ass, did you read the lease type response.

Last year when they renewed my lease, they increased the maximum percentage that they can up my rent by each year, and surprise surprise, they opted to increase my rent by the new maximum.

Essentially, what is going on, is market value in this area has increased faster than they can raise rent on existing tenants. So tenants who have been year for years rent is under market value, thus they are losing money on us. And as they love to mention, at the end of the day, they are a business. They would love to get us out to get new people in paying higher rent.
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debianlinux said:
They are not, in fact, "losing money". There's a substantial difference in opportunity cost and actual revenues.
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THIS!!
Sometimes it’s even worth it for these companies to have vacancies because they can write it off as losses.
 
Joe Mac said:
I think John Oliver maybe needs to go back to Britain and engage if that’s the take you’re getting.
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His piece was a bit more nuanced than that. Basically, Keir Starner is a replacement level candidate that many are unfamiliar with but that doesn’t much matter since that the Torys have mucked thing up so badly and are so unpopular that almost any Labour candidate would likely win. The whole piece was more a takedown of 14 years of Conservative Party austerity and their Leave bullshit.

He didn’t mention anything about Labour’s ineptitude which also contributed to Conservatives remaining in power over the past decade and a half.
 
TenderLovingKiller® said:
His piece was a bit more nuanced than that. Basically, Keir Starner is a replacement level candidate that many are unfamiliar with but that doesn’t much matter since that the Torys have mucked thing up so badly and are so unpopular that almost any Labour candidate would likely win. The whole piece was more a takedown of 14 years of Conservative Party austerity and their Leave bullshit.

He didn’t mention anything about Labour’s ineptitude which also contributed to Conservatives remaining in power over the past decade and a half.
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I was more replying to what @RenegadeMonster said which just felt bizarre.

What I’ll say about Starmer is that he isn’t inspiring and he isn’t promising the earth. But that’s not a bad thing. The tories have fundamentally broken the economy, Liz Truss’ banzai budget has left no wiggle room for the likes of things that the left end of labour would like the party to be committing to. My biggest problem is probably that in doing that he’s left very little room for hope in his vision, it isn’t inspiring, it’s a promise of competency which while welcome doesn’t inspire.
 
nolalady said:
THIS!!
Sometimes it’s even worth it for these companies to have vacancies because they can write it off as losses.
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That is also a very common practice around here. Especially in the newer high luxury buildings. They ask so much for rent that they are never full. And it's been in news stories about how all these unfilled units are subsidized by our tax dollars.

It's often reported along side that afford able housing isn't being built. Developers don't want to build it as the profit margins aren't good and many communities won't pass zoning for new apartments unless it's these ultra luxury buildings.
 
Joe Mac said:
I was more replying to what @RenegadeMonster said which just felt bizarre.

What I’ll say about Starmer is that he isn’t inspiring and he isn’t promising the earth. But that’s not a bad thing. The tories have fundamentally broken the economy, Liz Truss’ banzai budget has left no wiggle room for the likes of things that the left end of labour would like the party to be committing to. My biggest problem is probably that in doing that he’s left very little room for hope in his vision, it isn’t inspiring, it’s a promise of competency which while welcome doesn’t inspire.
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I don’t know, I’m starting to think competency would be inspiring. Which is fucking sad.
 
Joe Mac said:
I was more replying to what @RenegadeMonster said which just felt bizarre.

What I’ll say about Starmer is that he isn’t inspiring and he isn’t promising the earth. But that’s not a bad thing. The tories have fundamentally broken the economy, Liz Truss’ banzai budget has left no wiggle room for the likes of things that the left end of labour would like the party to be committing to. My biggest problem is probably that in doing that he’s left very little room for hope in his vision, it isn’t inspiring, it’s a promise of competency which while welcome doesn’t inspire.
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Starmer has explicitly endorsed Israel's ongoing genocide in Palestine and has so completely stripped the party of its actual working-class policies that billionaires are now lining up behind him. Pretty sad state of affairs for the formerly/nominally "left" party.
 
BjorgenFjorgen said:
Starmer has explicitly endorsed Israel's ongoing genocide in Palestine and has so completely stripped the party of its actual working-class policies that billionaires are now lining up behind him. Pretty sad state of affairs for the formerly/nominally "left" party.
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The entire political establishment of Britain and America has. It’s sad and it’s wrong but left with a choice between an apparently competent ruling party, the unelectable mess labour presented in 2019 or the tories I kinda know where I’d be voting.
 
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About time some start to open their mouths. Too little, but it's something.
www.yahoo.com

Prominent Israelis call on Congress to rescind Netanyahu invitation

A group of prominent Israelis is urging congressional leaders to revoke the invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint meeting of Congress, calling it a “terrible mistake.” In an op-ed published Wednesday in The New York Times, six individuals from different areas...
www.yahoo.com www.yahoo.com
 
MyWifeHatesTrain said:
Man the news cycle on the debate sure is soemthing… does anyone really think voters are gonna make up their mind tonight?
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I think people want reinforcement of their existing beliefs and biases based on news coverage of both. If Biden stumbles, some will take that as justification of voting for Trump because Biden's "a feeble old man". I don't like the idea of the debates for Biden because I fear he has more to lose and Trump will do his normal combative approach where he attacks and tries to knock Biden off. Sure, there are agreed upon rules. Trump will break them.
 
mdmost said:
I think people want reinforcement of their existing beliefs and biases based on news coverage of both. If Biden stumbles, some will take that as justification of voting for Trump because Biden's "a feeble old man". I don't like the idea of the debates for Biden because I fear he has more to lose and Trump will do his normal combative approach where he attacks and tries to knock Biden off. Sure, there are agreed upon rules. Trump will break them.
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I'm just excited to watch them cut the mic on them as the rules claim they will.
 
RenegadeMonster said:
I think most voters minds are already made up.
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Generally I think you're right, but in talking with younger students there are a lot who are so disconnected from politics and weren't old enough a few years ago to care so they don't realize how dumb as a bag of dicks Trump is. Now I have no reason to believe that they'll watch the debate, but my hope is that some of the reactionary element who are more ignorant than dumb may see the massive difference between these two side by side and it might pull a fraction of a fraction.

That said, how awesome would it be if the building collapsed on them?
 
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